When you take the wheel, you control your own destiny.
An accomplished singer, songwriter, producer, and performer, Kevin Ross determines his course on his own terms. The Washington, D.C.-born artist elevates R&B through eloquent songcraft, rich sonic architecture, and downright traffic-stopping vocals. Since launching his career in 2016, he has quietly risen to the forefront of the culture with over 100 million streams and counting, #1 Billboard entries on the Adult R&B Songs Chart, and countless sold-out shows. Now, he continues to forge ahead with more music in 2023 under his artist-owned label Art Society Music Group (ASMG).
“I love to collaborate, and the music never stops,” he explains. “It still has to get done, so I’ll make it myself. Whether I knew it or not, producing was already written into my DNA as an artist in terms of who I was supposed to be all along. That’s not just an artist who can sing, but an artist who can write, produce, perform, and execute at the highest level possible in order to deliver to the masses.”
Kevin vividly recalls his first memory of music, listening to Lisa Stansfield’s “All Around The World” from his car seat as a baby. He went on to obsess over the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, and Smokey Robinson. Following his high school years at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, he earned a scholarship & degree to Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. Settling in Atlanta, he initially made waves behind-the-scenes, penning hit charting tunes for the likes of Trey Songz, Toni Braxton, Tank, and many more.
As a solo artist, he wrote, recorded, and produced “Long Song Away” in 2016, toppling both the Adult R&B Songs Chart and the Urban Adult Contemporary Chart at #1. In between collaborations with Kevin Hart, Ne-Yo, and T.I., he built a bulletproof solo discography highlighted by The Awakening [2017], Drive EP [2017], and Audacity Vol. 1-2 [2020]. From the latter, “God Is A Genius” generated 13 million streams across platforms. Along the way, he also toured alongside legends Babyface, KEM & Maxwell, in addition to picking up nominations at the Soul Train Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and iHeart Radio Music Awards.
In 2019 he founded Art Society Music Group as the home for all of his releases. With Kevin at the helm 2021’s Drive 2 [ASMG/Empire] represented another high achievement. It bowed at #1 on the iTunes Top R&B/Soul Albums Chart, while “Looking For Love” vaulted onto the Top 10 of the Billboard Adult R&B Radio Play Chart.
Beyond acclaim from Billboard, Rolling Stone, and BET, Washington Post proclaimed, “Ross doesn’t sound like he’s trying to find a musical identity. He knows who he is, and his album reflects that.”
“Drive 2 definitely shows growth,” he notes. “It’s been five years since the last one. I was producing a lot more on the second installment. I’m way more confident in my ability. It’s leaps and bounds better than the first. It’s all just time, growth, and awareness.”
You can hear it, see it, and feel it on his standout single “Sweet Release.” Proving to be another smash produced and written by Kevin with bright guitar threads around a simmering beat as his voice flutters from vulnerable verses into a vital hook highlighted by hypnotic high register.
“Everybody has a guilty pleasure or something to take them away from the daily monotony,” he observes. “It’s more so about escapism than it’s meant to be sexual or sensual. For me, the main key is the escape. If you’re riding in the car, you can play the song. It could just feel liberating like a cool breeze. This song is transformative in a sense. Wherever you are, it can be your soundtrack.”
Ultimately, Kevin keeps creating the soundtrack to your life.
“When you listen to me, I hope the music makes you feel something, puts a smile on your face, or provides comfort,” he leaves off. “It’s much bigger than me. I want you to make memories to these songs. I couldn’t ask for anything else. For me to be complete, I need to write, produce, arrange, mix, and perform on stage to affect people. I feel like I’m doing what I need to do, and this is where I’m meant to be today.”
From their inception, The Lad Classic have always pulled from the familiar and added their own flavour to create something unique. Evolving from rock origins the band has created something deeper, adding in their combined influences ranging from soul to pop, gospel to funk. Seeing it live translates into a high energy, sweaty mix of musical technicality and raw emotion, all while barely staying on the tracks.
Their debut single “Oh Me” is putting the band’s name on the map, with support from outlets such as: Sportsnet, 102.1 The Edge, Hockey Night in Canada & more.
Their most recent single “Figure It Out” was handpicked by music industry veteran Alan Cross, among 300 submissions and was aired on Toronto’s The Edge 102.1 as their ‘Undiscovered Gem of the Week.’ This, along with handfuls of radio features, opening slots and tasty reviews upped their profile within the industry in Canada and the US.
Asserting himself as Atlanta’s hottest rising artist, buzzing rapper and Slaughter Gang member 21 Lil Harold unleashed his brand-new single “Robbin Season” last week and today brings forth the visual to accompany via Slaughter Gang/Epic Records.
Listen to “Robbin Season”—HERE.
Right out of the gate, 21 Lil Harold’s wavy funked-out flow takes hold over a tense beat. Although the track flips a sample of the Foster Sylvers classic “Misdemeanor,” the inspiration of the record stems from The D.O.C. hit record “It’s Funky Enough,” it builds towards a direct warning, “It’s robbin season.” To accompany this bold and blunt banger, he released a cinematic music video. In the visual, various recognizable “figures” fall victim to high “Robbin Season” in hilarious fashion as 21 Lil Harold exudes nothing but confidence and style.
Montreal-based singer and songwriter Annabel Gutherz returns todaywith her new single, “Interstellar.” Following on the heels of her last single, “Retrograde,” “Interstellar” offers another glimpse of what to expect from Annabel’s forthcoming concept EP.
Blending her angelic vocals with theatrical, full-bodied instrumentation, the single takes listeners on an impassioned and emotive journey of love and loss. Annabel worked on “Interstellar” with producer Dominique Messier who also contributed to her 2021 debut album, Loose Ends.
Annabel elaborates on the inspiration behind her new single: “In a relationship, many times you can feel like a star in your partner’s universe — special, seen, and cherished. In the case that the relationship ends, you fall from their constellation, alone again and lost amongst a sky of wandering stars. ‘Interstellar’ is a song about just that and struggling with the tug-of-war dynamic between emotional dualities in the reverberations of a breakup. I wanted to honor the full scope of emotions and thus leaned into a very theatrical production. If this song resonates with you, I hope you know that you’ll find your way to the right orbit, where you won’t just be someone’s star, but their whole world!”
A decadent, seven-track EP brimming with pop gems, Fantom of the Popera is an enticing introduction to fantom’s burgeoning world of conceptual pop and gender-fluid visuals; led by the stormy trap-pop of “666”, the alluring strings and club beats of “Rattle Snake” are beautifully contrasted with layered hyperpop moments in “Voodoo Preacher” and the moody trap flavours in “Eclipse”, with the lyrics born out of a terrifying homophobic encounter.
Describing fantom as “one artist with different souls”, fantom explains that the moniker serves as an alias to explore the borders of gender identity and to take on different characters, alongside becoming a vehicle for creative freedom for creatives across all mediums.
Musically veiling vulnerable confessions about trauma and anxiety with witty metaphors, wordplay and extravagant concepts, fantom’s music intends to give a voice to those inner dialogues, while also giving outsiders the confidence to stand up for themselves. With slick pop bops which are always autobiographical and 100% self-written, fantom loves the mystery surrounding his gender-fluid persona and always tries to create his own atmosphere.
Rising South-London lyricist Rippa continues to showcase a sharp, intricate rap prowess with his latest heater “My Bag” – the second offering taken from his hotly-anticipated debut EP Night Time Walk.
Showered in melodious guitar licks and electric drill textures, “My Bag” emerges as the second unshakable scene anthem from an artist immediately defining himself as a standout prodigy. Gliding across the immaculate Toddla T production, the 20-year-old Brixton talent effortlessly carves out complex pockets between snappy drums and chest-rattling 808s, delivering serene flows as he smoothly shakes off the competition around him.
With generational UK talent Ray Fiasco (Knucks, Flo Mili, Headie One) behind the camera, we are blessed with another sharp cinematic that perfectly encapsulates the Jamaican native’s fast-paced lifestyle as one of London’s most exciting new names in the rap landscape.
An avid community activist and youth worker across South London, Rippa has gained a deep understanding of youth culture and the inner-city pressure that comes hand-in-hand. With Rippa as the main protagonist of the gripping book Cut Short – written by fellow youth worker and London author Ciaran Thapar – his powerful messages across race, class and postcode crime fuel his honest truth-telling lyricism that gleams through every spoken word.
Displaying a rare artistry and integrity that has swiftly garnered praise from key tastemakers incl. COMPLEX, GRM DAILY and VIPER MAGAZINE, Rippa feels like a potent and important new voice of the youth – and with his debut EP Night Time Walk confirmed for 2nd December, get ready to see and hear a whole lot more.
Korean-Canadian alternative R&B virtuoso Sylo today releases his latest single “AIR” – a velvety ballad full of orchestral swells and a playful kind of sexiness. Standing for “ass in rotation,” “AIR” is Sylo’s telling of getting caught in a comfortably imperfect routine, unable to break the cycle – Stream.
Today’s polished single is the first off of Sylo’s upcoming new EP blanket. Taking some time to perfect a deeply meaningful body of work, Sylo thanked his fans for their patience while he put this together for them. Over the coming months, fans can anticipate plenty of music to keep their appetites satiated.
On the release of “AIR,” Sylo said, “Forcing yourself to stay when you know you gotta go is always tumultuous.”
Solidly embossed within the music business, Brooklyn based artist-producer stevexcooper has credits in writing, recording and performing, with his experience spanning nearly 20 years. His former projects secured a major deal (Atlantic Records), collaborations with Grammy nominees (Ricky Reed, Nolan Lambroza) and shows supporting the likes of M.I.A., Royal Blood, Incubus, and Biffy Clyro.
Launched in 2020, the stevexcooper artist project was created as a companion piece to his production work in New York, London, and Los Angeles, with Cooper sharing, “My goal is to develop a sonic identity across the production work and artist releases.” Best described as left-wing pop and rap, his music bends stereotypical genres, creating dynamic beats and a uniquely progressive sound. Cooper reveals, “I grew up on rap and pop, but also Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and other artists who captured the sound of worlds colliding.”
Now, he’s soaring through the scene with the new single “Bad Reviews”, featuring underground art-pop artist, Gabe Gill. Meeting at the beginning of the pandemic, their socially-distanced studio sessions turned into an explosion of styles and talents. As the A-side of their collaborative release, BREAKDOWN AT THE CINEPLEX, “Bad Reviews” consolidates their multidisciplinary skillsets. Cooper explains: “The movie theme and visual concept revealed itself through the songwriting process, rather than being discussed in advance. We’ve been wanting to drop for a while and tried hard to find the right pair of tunes. “You N Me Show” was in the can already when a light bulb went off during the writing of “Bad Reviews.” We realized it also used television and movie-making metaphors to tell a love story.” Gill adds, “Both songs use the cinema metaphor to explain the feeling of distance and dissociation in many relationships – the sense that you’re almost viewing something on a screen instead of actually experiencing it.”
fast rising Edinburgh based band-of-brothers Dubinski release their self-titled debut album, via Gnu Roam/Kartel Music Group – stream Dubinski Album Here. The band also share the playful video for featured single ‘Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ – watch it Here
A stunning feast of outrageous, pop-edged songwriting, Dubinski’s self-titled debut is a reflection of – and arguably a direct result of – the band’s live performance prowess. Grammy Award winning producers/engineers Mike Horner (Yonaka, Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip) and Robbie Nelson (Beck, Jarvis Cocker, Rolling Stones) just happened to see the band perform at a Scottish music festival, and immediately introduced themselves to the band after their set. Insisting to the four brothers that they ‘had to produce the band’s debut album’, the producers invited the band down to RAK Studios in London to make the record, and the wheels were set in motion for the recording of their debut LP. The result is an album that is both diverse and dynamic – spiky Brit pop one moment and punky new wave the next, interspersed with moments of sombre darkness that then turn a corner back into the light.
Opener ‘Soothsayer’ is a hard-hitting cut, a dark yet spirited lead single, praised by CLOUT for its “classic UK indie rock sound but with a slick, modern cutting edge”. The album focus track ‘Gotta Get Outta This Place’ is rooted in their hard-working studio dynamic, with their producers Mike and Robbie pushing Eugene to record his vocals more than 20 times before the perfect take emerged.
Instantly captivating, Stay arrives as a sucker punch of unapologetic, anthemic pop. Arriving hot on the heels of his sophomore EP April 13th, Stay marks a new chapter for this ever-evolving, artist on the rise
. Sharing more MATT TAYLOR explained:
‘Stay’ was written in the aftermath of my last EP, when I wanted to get away from all the lil sad boy vibes & enter my dancing fiend era. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this good on my own. It’s been so freeing to have more time to invest in friendships and myself.
I just want to document how I’m feeling at the moment, and Stay is the embodiment of everything I want to be right now. It’s the most pure pop song I’ve ever written & I’m proudly owning it.
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, MATT TAYLOR has been honing his craft over the last few years, pulling inspiration from the energy and courage in music such as SOPHIE’s, and looking to the storytelling and songwriting of Taylor Swift and Lorde, all with his unique and unmistakable twist.
MATT TAYLOR has been serving listeners a plethora of dynamic music since he launched, winning many hearts in the process. From Apple Music, to front-page placement on Vevo, and as a Spotify “One to Watch” with support on editorial playlists such as NMF, New Pop UK, Fresh Finds and in addition support at radio from the likes of Jack Saunders at Radio 1 who pinned MATT as the Next Wave artist on Future Artists.
MATT’s also been making his mark amongst tastemakers in music press, scooping support from the likes of Gay Times, EUPHORIA, Ones To Watch, Clash Magazine, Variance Magazine, EARMILK, Golden Plec, and many more.
Hailing from the barrier islands of South Carolina, Andrew Christopher Rutherford Royal has a deep connection with the land and embodies a non-traditionalist’s interpretation of the eastern South. He writes Southern Gothic cameos which he weaves into often dark, Indie Americana. After writing and curating the works for an album he records and mixes the music for Rutherford Royal (as well as other artists) in his remote cabin studio overlooking a hidden waterfall in southern Tennessee.
“Era-spanning dream-pop” from Hamilton ON. Once described as a “dreamy version of Linkin Park,” Linebeck aims to find the push-and-pull between happy vivacity & nostalgic melancholy. Formed one month before the world stopped, Linebeck spent their first years as a band writing and workshopping songs remotely. Although it would have been easy to call it a day, Linebeck felt they had something too special to give up. Linebeck’s debut single “Bed” was released on June 24, 2022 – reaching over 7,500 Spotify streams and bringing in over 370 new listeners within 3 weeks of its release.
Sonically, Linebeck draws inspiration from shoegaze and dream-pop, while melodically leaning on popdriven motifs. Strongly influenced by songwriting geniuses Lennon-McCartney and pop powerhouse Max Martin, Linebeck’s songwriting is full of intention but not lacking in honesty.
HelloBeautiful.com, a digital content property owned by iONE Digital, has released its latest cover story featuring the multi-hyphenate actress, producer, host and business mogul, La La Anthony. The breathtaking feature celebrates Anthony’s “Newbie” award win within the “Melanin Awards” – a virtual award editorial feature presented by both Hello Beautiful and MadameNoire (an iONE Digital property). The Melanin Awards works earnestly to find the best products that address the beauty needs of Black women.
In a one-on-one interview with HelloBeautiful’s Deputy Editor Shamika Sanders, Anthony states, “I saw a huge difference in my hair from rice water, but I noticed it smells really bad. But the benefits are amazing. I kept thinking, how can I make this into something that people can use on a regular basis and see these same kinds of amazing results that I’m seeing from fermenting this rice in my own kitchen? And that’s how Inala started.”
Inala helps consumers achieve optimal hair health so they can nourish, fortify, and recover their hair using the illuminating effects of Inala’s signature Rice Water Complex with the brand’s newest 3-in-1 Triple Threat Tonic – a primer, styler, and a refresher, all in one!
NYC-based recording artist Ayla D’Lyla has released the official video for brand new single, “To Be A Girl.”
Watch the video now here.
On the song’s official video, Ayla adds, “The music video, shot by my sister, Malina Weissman, shows her raw filming style and sense of humor. Malina loves to create beautiful images without overproducing what she sees. I love the charming backdrop and the way she captured the melancholic feel of the song.”
Dylan Lewman and Dustin Musser together are K Theory (Berkeley, CA) back to bring their broken beats worldwide international, highlighted by an esteemed viral array of original & remix productions of all genres of dance, midtempo & trap music.
Pioneers of the USA glitch scene & electronic hip hop movement K Theory’s eclectic yet synergizing multi-dimensional sound is comparable to all the genres of music being stars in the galaxy collapsing on itself into a giant ball of musical matter. #KTheoryOMG
Journeying back to the October release of their Afrobeat’s single ‘Jealousy’, the Nigerian sisters El’Vee (Lilian and Vivian) have been gearing supporters up for their highly anticipated EP named, ‘U.A.R’ (Unapologetic African Rhythms) alongside lead single ‘I Don’t Wanna’.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD: EL’VEE – U.A.R (UNAPOLOGETIC AFRICAN RHYTHMS)
Having already set the tone with pre-released single, ‘Jealousy’, a vibrant Afrobeat’s drop that’s enriched with their Southwestern Nigerian culture, ‘U.A.R’ follows in similar steps. Encapsulating their mesmerizing essence in the opening track ‘Need You’, the hypnotising production, slick lyricism, and silky melodies sit centre stage throughout. Exploring further into the percussive sounds of lead single ‘I Don’t Wanna’, tracks like ‘Ginger’, ‘Jealousy’, and ‘Nkwa’ are laid on a bed of hip-moving beats that underscore their Igbo heritage. Filled with a positive energy from the offset, El’Vee begin to close out the project with two varying tracks. From the over-riding chemistry between a love interest in ‘Gimme Dat’, the girls slow it down before picking the pace back up in ‘Body Talk’. With the aim to solidify their names in the industry as reputable Afrobeat’s musicians alongside unravelling authentic and diverse African sounds, El’Vee are ready to ignite a storm!
South London songstress Mya K oozes authenticity and honesty in her hotly anticipated new single “I Say U Say (The One)”.
Confronting an absent partner, Mya K’s rich vocals and gripping lyrics transport us into the pain and uncertainty of a relationship on its last legs. “Remind me why you’re the one” Mya pleads on the hook as she perfectly captures the essence of a fading love. Mellow production and R&B percussion lays the perfect foundation for Mya’s soft yet powerful vocal delivery and luscious adlibs and harmonies.
Talking on the track Mya K explains: “’I Say U Say’ is a conversation that I believe a lot of us have had in some shape or form. It’s all about being in a relationship where the effort levels aren’t matched and knowing you deserve more. I’m essentially saying ‘pattern up or just leave me alone’”
Born Mya Emem Kinlock, Mya K’s professional career began at just 10 years old in Nigeria and has continued to grow from there. With a natural gift for story telling Mya K has already gained support from the likes of DUMMY, GRM DAILY and BBC
1XTRA’s Jamz Supernova. With the release of “I Say U Say” bound to deeply connect with a generation, Mya K is on a fast paced upward trajectory as the newest R&B artist to watch.
From “World In Motion” to “Three Lions”, some of the nation’s greatest football songs have grown from Northern roots…
And ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2022 – MY BEATING HEART – a collective of top Mancunian musicians have come together to produce an empowering new anthem and charity single:
“COME ON ENGLAND (YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT)” .
Released on 18 November 2022, the Friday before England’s first World Cup clash against Iran, this rousing new track arrives with an official video, which is available to watch now.
Multidisciplinary Bay-Area creative Jasper Ross delivers a DIY visualiser for his mellow-trill rap offering “sometimes” – taken from his latest immersive collection sometimes … idk.
Continuing the collaborative effort between Jasper and his former alias Clarence The Kid, “sometimes” emerges as a seamless amalgamation of classic hip-hop nostalgia. Laced with breezy vocal harmonies and heavy-set drum breaks, Jasper effortlessly floats atop the stylish production, carving out pockets with a clever conversational cadence of a veteran in the game. Showcasing shining authenticity through intricate flows as the lyricist explores previous hardships and heartbreaks. Evoking the emotions aimed to capture the voices and frustrations of millions around the world – “2019 lost my nigga over some bullshit, emptied the full clip, still processing. Still
dealing with the gossip between the old females, hurt over details, I mean well but that shit’s messy.”
Back with their second single the enigmatic j maw releases ethereal masterpiece “Day Ones”.
Low-fi ambient sounds combine elements of RnB and Hip Hop in this otherworldly cut. Bursting with musicality the rich vocals glide above futuristic production as they sing “Remember day one, depression and pop songs, it’s in the blood now, won’t be there long” in beautiful yet ambiguous lyrics. As the airy percussion builds so does the emotion of the thought-provoking track with j maw displaying their unique artistry.
Talking on the track j maw tell us: “’Day Ones’ is about friendship, Sangha, community – the people that were with you from the beginning and the ones that need to see you get back up after you’ve been hurt. It’s like UFO music because it comes from that other place, the kind of place you can only get to in your dreams.”
Carving a lane of their own in the industry, elusive entity j maw although right at the beginning of their career have begun to create a sound entirely their own. Their mystery only adding to the excitement around the release, if “Day Ones” is anything to go by j maw are bound to be on a fast paced, upward trajectory throughout 2023.
An act of cultivating her own garden, Blair Lee today releases the wishful new single “Flower Mind.” The final single before the December 2 release date of her debut EP The Puppy Game, the song pulses like a heartbeat through narratives of wanting your own life to have as much color as other peoples’ seem to have, whether it be real or a façade – Stream.
“I was sitting on the streetcar going nowhere – I had no plans other than to leave the apartment. I saw a girl riding her bike along the waterfront, a basket of flowers hanging off her handlebars and I thought ‘hmm… I’d like to be like that.’ She looked like she had some place to be,” Blair said about the inception of this track. Continuing, she said “Flower Mind” is about, “Having strong envy for certain characters/people I encounter who seem so bright and bubbly and charismatic and charming.”
Over the past few months, Blair has been rolling out a few of the singles off of her upcoming EP. The first release “Hurdles” was followed by “Peachy World,” both of which were produced by close collaborator ModMaxx (Drake, Roy Woods, Tinashe). Throughout this rollout, Blair has been on the cover of Spotify’s Indie Pop + Chill, joining previous support from the likes of New Music Friday CA, Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Indie.
Following her self-produced debut EP, “Kitchen Sink,” and follow-up single, “Long Hot Summer,” Sable has become an exciting name in the Berlin indie scene, leading to her supporting Glass Animals at their sold out show at Berlin’s Columbiahalle. Other recent performances include venues as varied as KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Outer Sound Open-Air, and Loophole.
Sable’s songs have garnered attention from the likes of Wonderland, Euphoria Mag, DUMMY, and received a coveted spot on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Playlist with her 2021 single, “Team”. Prior to this, she completed a mentorship under Darkstar’s James Young (Warp, Hyperdub) as part of Amplify Berlin’s June 2020 cohort.
London based, Leeds born artist Eden Rain returns today after a few months writing with the reveal of her stunning new single , Oh God. Hooking up with rising producer Josef Page, Oh God combines Eden’s existential dread, gorgeous vocals and razor sharp lyricism to create a stellar offering from an artist who has quickly gained the attention of the likes of DAZED, BBC Radio 1, Best Fit, DIY, Wonderland, Notion and more. A true creative as comfortable drawing and creating videos as she is writing painfully honest and catchy music, Eden has released a handful of singles which created much underground buzz, and now looks set to move towards the release of debut EP, Gutter Vision. Speaking on the release, Eden states:
At the very best of times, the thoughts in my brain are random, chaotic and spontaneous. I am, by my own definition, pretty unhinged . Therefore when I found a doodle in my notebook during my session with Josef that said ‘Oh god maybe i should take more drugs’. I thought.. maybe i should write a song about that. The song is sort of about navigating life and relationships as a chronic overthinker/ anxious girly who is easily overwhelmed. I think the lyrics kind of reflect the darting random thoughts that I have a lot.
It’s been seven strange years since The Veils’ last studio album Total Depravity, and Finn Andrews has a new double LP to show for it. …And Out Of The Void Came Love is the result of this tumultuous period of injury, isolation and new life…
“Time is a tempest tearing you apart
Time has a well-known distrust of the heart.”
Following the release of Total Depravity, Andrews released a solo album and began a worldwide tour. One night, while lashing out at a particularly intense moment on piano, he broke his wrist on stage. “It sounds wild and Jerry Lee Lewis-esque, but it was an absolute fucking nightmare,” Andrews says. He played on and finished the rest of the tour, but it wasn’t until he got it examined much later that he realized what a bad move that was. “The scaphoid bone in my wrist had died, which I didn’t know was possible. My sister said that at least it was a really ‘on brand’ injury for me.”
Finn’s convalescence meant a lengthy hiatus from touring, so he did what he does best and stayed at home and wrote songs. “I was in a cast and couldn’t use my right hand. I sang the melody lines, then recorded the right hand piano part, then the left hand part. It might have been an interesting, avant-garde process if it wasn’t also just profoundly annoying.”
“I speak to the darkness and I vent to the void
I fill in the sad bits with the parts I enjoyed”
Just when his hand had healed sufficiently for him to play again, The Veils found themselves in need of a new record label but Finn set about starting to make a new record regardless. Producer Tom Healy invited Finn to his small studio underneath the old Crystal Palace ballroom in Mount Eden, and they listened through the legions of songs he had amassed throughout the previous year.
“Tom was incredibly patient, it was a really laborious process – I brought a lot of junk down there and we had to sift through it all to try and find the parts worth saving.”
“Thinkin’ Bout U” is an audio love letter I wrote to my partner who lived in LA when we were in quarantine. We couldn’t see each other due to border closures and so I tried to hit the nerve of loneliness and love with this song.
“Thinkin’ Bout U” captures the push and pull one experiences between feeling lonely and missing someone versus feeling completely alone. As you listen, I want you to feel the sad, distant love I was experiencing; a love that only existed through FaceTime.
You can hear my new single on your go-to streaming service.
I love that this song showcases both sides of myself when in a relationship; the thirst trap and the hopeless romantic.
This is an audio letter to a long-distance love that didn’t last.
Thank you for spending time with my music,
JSJ
Skofee is a rising pop artist based in Los Angeles. Her music is left-of-center while maintaining melodies that satisfy the inner earworm, featuring candid yet affecting lyrics and lush harmonies over decadent tracks.
Born and raised in Wichita Kansas, Skofee’s house was filled with bluegrass and folk music. After attending high school in Boulder, CO and college at the University of Southern California, Skofee took her love for the music she grew up with and translated it into a more pop-based sound. Her 2020 debut Polished EP received incredible reviews from the likes of tastemaker press outlets including Ones To Watch, EARMILK, and even the LA Weekly, who said, “Skofee’s sound is super-contemporary, combining indie and pop to create a gorgeous, lush and emotional alt-pop vibe that certainly recalls Alison Krauss as well as the likes of Lorde.”
2021 saw the release of the Post Pop Remix of her single “Spiderman” (Post Pop being the moniker of producer Stefan Skarbek, who has worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Jamiroquai among others). This uptempo reworking saw several months of airplay on local KROQ-FM, arguably the most influential Alternative radio station in the country. In July 2022, Skofee released an incredible duet with famed Dutch singer/songwriter/producer and Grammy nominee Cimo Fränkel – a remake of Fränkel’s hit single “Where Do You Hide Your Love” which saw support from tastemaker radio outlet KCRW and was placed in A-list rotation on Amazing Radio USA.
Skofee’s sophomore EP, Joyland, set for a release in late 2022, touches on love, loss and the search for happiness in familiar places. Its release will be preceded by several singles from the collection including her all new tropical house-tinged end-of-summer banger “Wind Up Hero” and “Quicksand”, a relatable 90’s pop fused anthem about letting go.
With over 250 million streams and praise from the likes of The Guardian, BBC Radio 1 and Rolling Stone, Australian pop sensations Cub Sport share new track “Replay”.
“Replay”, the brand new single from Cub Sport, should be subtitled Brisbane to Ibiza. A propulsive house track that ripples with waves of sinewy sub-bass, it transmutes the band’s trademark warmth and empathy into a piece of glassy, gorgeous dance music. In recent years, Cub Sport have made songs you can dance to – but they’ve never produced anything quite like “Replay”, a song whose embodied throb and Balearic sparkle arrives in search of the largest, loudest speakers it can find.
Recorded in Melbourne with Styalz Fuego (Troye Sivan, Tate McRae, Khalid) and Natalie Dunn (Charli XCX, Blackpink) “Replay” captures an interplay between human and heavenly that’s typified by artists like Robyn, Ariana Grande and, of course, Cub Sport patron saint Cher. Tim Nelson’s gossamer falsetto has never sounded so at home as it does above the track’s elemental rumble.
The new release comes with a music video, self-directed and edited by front-person Tim Nelson. Aptly described as a queer reimagining of ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, the visual explores themes of yearning and connection as Nelson attempts to break free from a loop of scattered memories.
Fittingly, “Replay”’s musical leap is mirrored in its emotional landscape. “‘Replay’ is about moving forward. Feelings aren’t as simple as we sometimes make out – you can long for something and not want it at the same time, you can love something but outgrow it,” says Nelson. “I think it’s about shifting from longing for something to feeling free. But it also doesn’t have to be that deep – It’s a fun pop song and that’s how I want it to be enjoyed too.”
Paul shares this about Jill’s Psychedelic Sunday:
“This one was the one I just simply wanted to listen to. I was what I wanted to play on Spotify.”
It explores different sides of psychedelic music, a sprawling, vague genre he’s been in love with since he first started being blown away by music. Each track features a spoken snippet. They were the first to be written of the album and are meant to be ideas that seem like they could be expanded into intriguing larger stories but which are meant to remain as they are, each being a small spoken bit somewhere in each of the album’s tracks. In most cases the story snippet was written with no idea of what the eventual music around it would be.
Paul Shapera makes pulp operas. His work is very much like an epic science fiction book series, but told in highly emotive music, like an opera cycle made with various forms of popular music. Just as pulp fiction covered everything from hard boiled detective stories to Buck Rogers, Tarzan to Flash Gordon, Paul’s albums fantasy musicals cover a 180 year span of history in the fictional city of New Albion. Albums can shift genres from steampunk to dieselpunk, atompunk to weird west, psychedelic to cyberpunk, depending on where in the timeline the story is taking place. These strange tales are full of morally ambiguous characters, high drama, intricate world building, and soaring melodies.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Paul is an American living in a small village in Serbia, having moved there straight from New York City, creating sci-fi musicals in an old, Balkan farming village. His work has grown steadily due to online word of mouth and has a very active and enthusiastic fanbase that creates art, cosplay, and animatics of the characters and songs.
Rather than stick to the script, compromise, or follow, DDG has confidently and charismatically blazed his own trail through hip-hop and business. Hailing from Pontiac, MI, he has quietly asserted himself as a multiplatinum music artist, and trendsetting entrepreneur. Since 2016, he has vaulted to the upper echelon of the culture, adorning top publications, picking up plaques, and eclipsing 1 billion streams. After a series of independent singles, he initially graduated from buzzing force to rap star on his 2019 debut, Valedictorian, which boasted the gold-certified banger “ARGUMENTS.” However, he reached the stratosphere in 2020 with the inescapable “Moonwalking In Calabasas (Remix)” [feat. BLUEFACE]. It marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum. Along the way, he collaborated with everyone from YoungBoy NBA and Queen Naija to Coi Leray, Tyla Yaweh, Masked Wolf, G-Eazy, and G Herbo. Following his 2021 project Die 4 Respect with OG Parker, fans overwhelmingly voted him on to XXL’s prestigious “Freshman Class” cover, and he landed on the covers of KAZI Magazine, PREME, and UPROXX. However, DDG blasts off to another level altogether in 2022 with It’s Not Me It’s You.
“As I Am” is a grown up love song that explores the evolution of people, love, and relationships. “This song started out with an aching need to be seen for all that I was and was becoming,” shares Erika. “But as the song evolved and I heard aching hearts yearning to be seen and to be reminded of who they once were and could still be. People change over time especially as you include complications such as children, careers, and life changes. I wanted to explore this changing nature of people, love, and relationships, and yet honor that we still carry parts of those younger years with us. It is a bittersweet reflection on an evolving love between two committed partners.
Friend and fellow musician Dan Raza helped bring the song to life. He even lends his gorgeous voice and tender heart with the world on this collaboration.
Erika Olson, an American Expat, raises babies and writes songs in the high weald of East Sussex. Erika combines vulnerable vocals, contemporary storytelling, and musical influences spanning indie, folk, country, blues, Americana and pop. When pressed to describe her music, Erika likes to call it “folk with a beat.”
On the verge of self-releasing her debut album, it has taken Erika several iterations of herself to get here. She’s learned that change is her constant and her power is her ability to start again. Over the past five and half years, Erika’s babies and her music have grown up side by side. She used the calm moments in the sea of chaos – to hone her craft, study, practice, record, and perform. She’s amassed a robust catalog of original indie folk material that explores the aching beauty shrouded in the mundane and everyday.
Rooted in the stuff of ordinary life, Erika’s songs bear witness to the glorious and devastating moments that can only be seen when we slow down. She sings to look deeper, see clearer, and know better. Her music is here to wake us up to our precious and unique lives.
Cherry Lena is an alternative Pop R&B singer-songwriter from Montreal, Canada. Having first captured the attention of audiences with her performances on The Voice Quebec in 2018, she has since been making a name for her stunning combination of warm R&B tones and subtle 1950’s jazz vocals. Her music is rich and timeless, resulting in a sound which effortlessly displays the musician’s undeniable talent and passionate delivery.
Her next single “Toxic Woman” explores the idea that people should not see their pain as a weakness, but rather as an opportunity to grow into an elevated version of themselves. Lena confides, “This song is a sort of letter to myself. I wrote it last summer, at a dark time of my life. Whenever I feel down, I have this strange sensation that I’m stuck in a web of eternal negativity. Losing my sense of time, It’s like my sadness overpowers every part of my being and I feel incapable of relating to others. Relying only on myself in these moments, this song kind of represents the interaction between myself and a past happier version of me.”
It’s official — the holiday season has begun! Minneapolis-based alternative R&B artist Mayyadda (may-YAH-duh) is ready to set the tone for the season with the release of her new EP, Holiday Joint, out Friday, November 11, 2022. The five-track project was crafted to encourage listeners to focus more on the spirit of the season rather than the sometimes-stressful commercial aspects that are typically associated with this time of year.
On the EP, the high vibe R&B artist created an original R&B-soaked holiday track, “Holiday Joint,” about resting as nature does in the wintertime, as well as her original soulful takes on the Christmas classics “Jingle Bells,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “Silent Night.” With her delicate guitar accompaniment and unique vocal arrangements, the artist seeks to provide listeners with a fresh perspective on the traditional sounds of the season.
As someone who doesn’t tend to subscribe to the tradition of this season, Mayyadda explains her intention and inspiration behind her new holiday EP, saying “I wanted to create a holiday project that my Grinchy self actually enjoyed.”
multi-platinum andsix-time GRAMMY® Award-winning, genre-bending pioneers Black Eyed Peas proudly present their anxiously awaited ninth full-length album, ELEVATION, out now. Listen to ELEVATION HERE.
The 15-track juggernaut kaleidoscopically spins together hip-hop, Latin, R&B, electronic, trap, and more into a larger-than-life vision of what pop can be in the 21st century without boundaries or borders. From the jump, uncontainable energy surges through this bold body of work. “MUEVELO” [feat. Anuel AA & Marshall Jefferson] glides along on bright keys and big handclaps offset by robotic transmissions, a command to “Move your body,” and a promise “We stay lit forever.” Elsewhere, “Dance 4 U” hinges on a slick bass line and punchy groove. The sample on “Jump” predicts the reaction perfectly, “Somebody said when you play this song all the girls will go loca.” The kinetic stomp of “Firestarter” leaves flames in the wake of its incendiary vocals. The group shine brighter than ever.
Cutting deeper than ever before, the Never Broke Again collective standout Meechy Baby presents his new solo album, Who Is Meechy 2, today via Never Broke Again, LLC/Motown Records. Stream it HERE.
To herald the record’s arrival, he also dropped an emotionally charged music video for “I Been Tryin”[feat. Quando Rondo]. Watch it HERE. On the track, piano encircles slick 808s as he and Quando trade catchy and confessional verses. Grasping for solace, he promises, “I swear I put my heart in this,” while the hook rings out, “Everything gonna be alright, heard that too many times.”
PLVTINUM is unveiling his much-anticipated new EP, ‘AN HONEST ACCOUNT OF THE MORE UNSAVORY ASPECTS OF MY BEING.’
A stylistic departure from his previous releases, ‘AN HONEST ACCOUNT OF THE MORE UNSAVORY ASPECTS OF MY BEING’ sees PLVTINUM exploring the darker aspects of his psyche. Exploding with propulsive and cinematic production, the record is not for the faint of heart. Over the course of the seven tracks, PLVTINUM takes listeners on a journey through the toxic and untamed sides of himself as a method of catharsis. “Instead of shying away from my ego problems and somewhat nihilistic tendencies, I highlight them in bold font,” he says.
Earlier this week, PLVTINUM released the first visual from the project, the music video for “STRESS ME OUT.” Directed by Eileen Yoon from Ozu Was Right, the video intercuts through several set ups within a studio: a shrine, a water tank, and performance takes with dramatic lighting. Through parallel storylines, these vignettes show the escalation of his god-complex and mania as he heads towards his inevitable downfall.
Rising pop singer and songwriter Alexa Cappelli, who MTV hailed as a “voice of a generation,” returns with her new single, “Lose Lose,” out on Arista Records.
Co-written with Skyler Stonestreet (Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber) and Pom Pom (mxmtoon, John Legend, renforshort), Alexa’s new single is an explosive alt-pop anthem about cutting the cord on a toxic friendship.
“I wrote ‘Lose Lose’ while going through a friend breakup,” says Alexa. “It helped me process and validate myself after consistently validating this person for years, only to still be blamed for their problems and sadness. I hope my fans can find relief in it from any toxic relationships, as a marker to realize enough is enough. Everyone is responsible for their own emotions and decisions, and friendships are meant to help build each other up, not tear down.”
In addition to sharing her new single, Alexa will also be opening for ANDI on November 15th at Los Angeles’ Moroccan Lounge. Tickets are available here.
Singer and songwriter ROSIE returns with her heart-wrenching new single, “Good For Me,” out on Arista Records.
Guided by ROSIE’s emotive vocals, “Good For Me” is a propulsive exploration of recovering from heartache. She adds, “‘Good For Me’ is about my journey with self-love and how it took me loving and losing someone else to see that I need to find my worth within myself. The song taught me that you can’t feel joy without feeling pain too and that love isn’t linear.”
“Good For Me” arrives as ROSIE embarks on her month-long US tour supporting Jake Scott. Tour dates and tickets can be found here.
What you see is what you get with 22-year-old singer-songwriter ROSIE— no filters, no Facetune, no VSCO, no makeup, no bullshit. The New York-native gained a massive online following over the course of the pandemic with her introspective songwriting and refreshing approach to discussing mental health. “I want to be transparent. Everything is exactly as it appears,” she says. “The scale of emotions that everyone feels is such a spectrum. The bad days are equally as important as the good days. Be strong when you’re feeling strong, be vulnerable when you’re feeling vulnerable.”
Since the start of his illustrious career, Platinum selling Billboard charting DJ and producer Borgeous has taken over the dance music scene with worldwide hits and sold out festivals. Recognized for his ferocious blend of melodic pop and anthemic house music, Borgeous has gained notoriety as one of the most exciting DJs in EDM today. As a go-to collaborator, he has worked with the likes of Julia Michaels, Lil Jon, Sean Paul, Dirty Heads, Waka Flocka, and more.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, John Borger immersed himself into the electronic dance scene soon after moving to Los Angeles and found musical inspiration through iconic artists such as Kaskade, Skrillex and David Guetta. Borger started off as a DJ in the Los Angeles nightclubs that he worked for. Dedicated to honing his craft, Borger would come in during the afternoons to practice his sets before performing them throughout the night. Soon, John Borger became “Borgeous”, and released his first single “Tsunami” in 2013.
“Tsunami” was created alongside acclaimed production duo DVBBS and quickly became a massive hit, reaching #1 in 15 different countries. A year later, Borgeous’ remix with Tinie Tempah “Tsunami (Jump)” reached #1 in the UK once again. “Tsunami” has become an iconic gametime track for American professional sports teams, including the US Army and Navy Academy Football teams. The hit song reached platinum status and has become one of the most popular dance tracks of all time.
Other Billboard charting hit songs by Borgeous include three tracks with Julia Michaels “Invincible”, “They Don’t Know Us”, and “Wildfire”, “This Could Be Love” feat. Delaney Jane and Shaun Frank, and “Zero Gravity” with Lights. His 2016 debut album,13, reached #1 on iTunes and showcased a collection of acclaimed tracks with collaborations including Lil Jon, Sean Paul, Loud Luxury, Fatman Scoop, Neon Hitch and more.
“Ruin LA” is Borgeous’ upcoming single six years in the making. The mesmerizingly dreamy and atmospheric electronic-drenched pop single narrates how love and loss can often taint a whole city, leaving with it bittersweet memories that are better off left behind. Written by Borgeous, Cara Salimando, and Jonny Price, the lyrics chronicle LA party vignettes met with retrospective outlooks on past heartbreak. Borgeous reveals, “ ‘Ruin LA’ touches me in a
way no song ever has before.”
After performing in over 110 countries around the world, Borgeous’ chart-topping dance anthems continue to break records. “Ruin LA” is his latest release.
Ahead of the release of We Got Love Project’s forthcoming EP dropping later this month, two of the project’s contributors, Becca Folkes and Tertia May, lead the charge with the EP title track, and the message that lays central to the project, as they release UKG drop, ‘We Got Love’.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD: WE GOT LOVE PROJECT – WE GOT LOVE
An instant get-up-and-groove number, the track kicks in with a shuffling, syncopated beat, infused with throwback percussive styles that sit as the backdrop to the uplifting vocals from Becca Folkes and Tertia May. Encouraging their listeners with sunshine vibes and feel-good lyricism, the track relays the poignant message in current times, that no matter what comes our way, ‘We Got Love’ to rely on.
Having previously gifted us with intoxicating performances for the likes of Boiler Room and COLORS, the latter of which has been viewed over 2 million times, Tertia May brings her soul-stirring talents to the record. Teamed with award winning UK star Becca Folkes, who has carved an incredible lane in the UK Gospel scene, the collaborative track is a celebration of talent, positively wrapped into a dancefloor filler.
Email: neill@outloudculture.com
