“9 Camels” finds Izzi Stone leaning into a restrained, atmospheric sound built for easy listening. The accompanying video uses desert visuals and camel imagery to mirror the track’s soft, Arabian-influenced tone, creating a simple, immersive setting for the song.
A neo-soul and alternative R&B artist with quiet confidence and emotional intention, Izzi Stone adopts theatrical tendencies from predecessors like David Bowie or St. Vincent, making her music feel unique and immersive. Rooted in jazz and avant-garde influence, Stone blends sultry restraint with forward optimism—creating an intimate, timeless, and powerful world.
Five weeks before her wedding in 2022, Danni Hoshino, aka Light Bird, realized she was trans. As her life unwound, she began to weave together the life she was always meant to live. Now, she’s introducing herself to the world with her first single of the year, “Williamsburg Bridge,” which details her move to NYC and her transition. PRE-SAVE / STREAM “WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE.”
“Williamsburg Bridge” is an ode to a tradition for all New Yorkers—crying on public transit. “This song is like the cold open of my movie. After I moved to Brooklyn, after I came out, after my former life imploded,” she says. “It’s about riding on the J train from Manhattan back to Bushwick and reflecting on all those changes: some beautiful, life-giving, mind-expanding; others hard and sad and incredibly costly. I also just love the experience of crying on the train. It’s cathartic. It’s both exposed and anonymous.”
The time after Hoshino came out was joyous, but also littered with fear, doubt, and questions. Was she really trans? Was she misinterpreting her feelings? Those thoughts were quickly trumped by gender euphoria when she caught her reflection in the mirror, changed the spelling of her name, or found herself dancing in the living room. These were pivotal moments in her story.
Fresh off receiving two 2026 JUNO Award nominations, Toronto’s “rising star” (Pitchfork) SadBoi returns with the start of a fresh new era, leading with the high energy single “Twisted,” available to stream now on all digital platforms via LVRN Records – STREAM HERE.
Co-produced by GRAMMY Award winner David “Dos Dias” Bishop (Usher, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Summer Walker) alongside Alexay Beats (Blanco, Amiga) and Jacob Lincoln (Ice Spice, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Lil Yachty), “Twisted” is the lead single off SadBoi’s upcoming project, GYAL 6, slated for release this year. The music continues to bring the vibes for girls who are a little messy, rebellious, and risky – even if only in their imagination. It’s music for the lover girls who never seem to get love right, but know how to make every night feel like it could fix everything, even if just temporarily. Musically, the project is genre-blurring, from confident rap to high-energy anthems. At its core GYAL 6 is where music, culture, and community intersect. A space to feel seen, inspired, and connected.
“’Twisted’ is about knowing something isn’t good for you and still wanting it anyway, almost like a night out with too many drinks,” shares SadBoi. “It’s the moment where logic leaves and feelings take over messy, honest, and a little embarrassing. I wanted it to feel like a late-night confession you probably shouldn’t send, but do.”
2026—Rapid-rising, genre-defying violinist, producer, curator, DJ and
multi-instrumentalist Elle Shimada rounds off a slew of captivating singles with her
highly-anticipated new forthcoming album LULLABY FOR THE RIVER IN MY BODY,
following last year’s key performances SXSW London and The Jazz Cafe.
With LULLABY FOR THE RIVER IN MY BODY, Shimada invites listeners to join her in
embracing softness as strength, and vulnerability as resistance. LULLABY FOR THE
RIVER IN MY BODY is a 14-track, comically tragic yet fiercely hopeful plunge into
grief, healing and rebirth—an unapologetically raw body of work that captures the
artist at her most fragile and ruthless. With contributions from acclaimed artists
such as Joe Armon-Jones, Jitwam, Pookie and Legzdina, the record moves through
the seven stages of grief with naked honesty, embracing the ugly, beautiful mess of
becoming whole before emerging into Chapter Two, Awakening of the River in My
Body, where inner guidance, renewed purpose, and long-forgotten dreams
resurface. The album is lived, felt, and bared, the album offers a sonic safe space to
bury old selves and rise braver and freer.
Brooklyn via South Carolina DIY cross-genre musician Sanford: shares his third record Big Tent Revival out now. “Pandora’s Box,” out today with its matching video, ponders the purpose and obstacles of creativity as art becomes increasingly artificial and algorithmic. Through a varied sonic landscape, the artist makes sense of a fast-changing world and sinks into nostalgia, fears of the future and current affairs and ways to find hope. Catch Sanford: live at Skinny Dennis Brooklyn on February 25th and in Nashville on March 6th.
Big Tent Revival, picks up where the second album, Extinguished Dreams, ends–down to the guitar notes. Written, arranged, recorded and performed entirely by Sanford: (aside from “Just Waiting” which features Jay Rattman on assorted woodwinds), the new project sheds light the modern music industry, fleeting love, the passage of time, religion and more on through a mix of jazz, country, Americana, folk, prog-rock and more.
Toronto-based Anishinaabe singer-songwriter and producer Natasha Fisher returns with “The Motions,” an emotionally charged pop-punk track that explores a rarely examined kind of heartbreak: realizing you’ve fallen out of love in a healthy relationship. Energetic, nostalgic, and aching with longing, the song captures the internal chaos of choosing yourself when nothing is overtly “wrong,” and leaving becomes the hardest option of all.
Inspired by adulthood breakups, “The Motions” pushes back against the dominance of young-love narratives in pop music. Instead, Fisher turns her focus toward the quiet devastation of building a life with someone only to recognize that the relationship no longer serves who you’re becoming. “This makes the decision to leave even harder,” she explains, “to the point where you wish that they had done something significant to make you feel the way you do.”
BRIT Award-nominated Artemas kicks off the new year with his first release of 2026, “professional heartbreaker” a captivating return to the dramatic alt-pop sound he’s helped define. LISTEN NOW. The standalone single arrives as Artemas continues to build on his alt-pop sound after the release of latest mixtape LOVERCORE in October. He’s launched what’s shaping up to be a defining year, with no signs of slowing down.
That undeniable momentum is carrying him straight into live arenas around the world with LOVERCORE On Tour. Artemas’ return to the stage begins February 3 in his hometown of London, before rolling through major cities across North America where Isabel LaRosa will join to offer opening support, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Miami. Following a run of sold-out shows and breakout festival performances, the tour marks the start of a major live chapter, with fans finally getting the chance to experience the LOVERCORE era up close. Buy tickets HERE.
Empire Child is the new musical project of Ruth Rothwell. Having spent decades shaping music culture from the inside out, Ruth—formerly a senior A&R manager at MCA/Universal—was a key figure in the UK dance music explosion of the 90s, starting out as a club promoter before becoming label manager at BCM Records, the most successful UK dance label of the era. During this time, she helped launch Digital Underground in the UK, worked closely with Andrew Weatherall, and later went on to manage and develop artists including Dina Carroll, Carleen Anderson, and Juan Atkins. At MCA Publishing, she signed and nurtured globally influential acts such as Zero 7, Basement Jaxx, and Air. Alongside artists, Ruth also nurtured key songwriters, most notably Rob Davis, during whose time with her he went on to co-write era-defining hits including Spiller’s “If This Ain’t Love” and Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”. While looking after Eg White she put him forward for a co-write with newly signed Adele. This resulted in the song “Chasing Pavements”.
Despite her success behind the scenes, songwriting was always her true calling. “Songwriting is really my calling and I could no longer ignore that fact,” Ruth says. That pull eventually led to Empire Child, her long-form artist project, with the forthcoming record produced by Madrid-based jazz professor and producer Mariano Diaz.
Sierra Carson, who co-wrote and features on “Lying To Your Face,” a brand-new track from Evan Honer’sEverything I Wanted (& more), out today. Will you listen? The deluxe album also features guest performers Winyah and flipturn.
Stream “Lying To Your Face” – https://ffm.to/lyingtoyourface
As one of the most visible success stories to come out of the current independent indie-folk space, Evan Honer has prioritized building community alongside his career. His championing of Sierra has resulted in frequent collaborations and live show opportunities. After touring with Evan in 2025 and co-writing “Not There Yet,” their latest collaboration on “Lying To Your Face” underscores a creative relationship that’s been developing organically, positioning Sierra as an artist firmly embedded in this next wave of the genre.
Operating as a consummate artist in her own right, Sierra has made a tremendous name for herself in her few short years in Nashville. Previous EP releases have made waves across social media, anchored by standout tracks “Holy, Holy” and “a song about Jesus” which highlight Sierra’s boldness to speak to culture, society, and religion.
I really believe there’s a story to be told here, as momentum is clearly building – her music has earned praise and shares from Olivia Rodrigo, Noah Kahan, Finneas, Sabrina Carpenter, Gigi Perez, and JP Saxe, with features on Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Pop, as well as Apple Music’s New In Alternative and Pop Latte. She also just headlined The Basement East last week to an audience of 250 claiming her rightful place as one of Nashville’s most respected up and comers.
Natalie Del Carmen, one of Americana’s burgeoning stars, has released her long-anticipated sophomore album,Pastures. The roots-driven record blends tender, earnest storytelling with classic folk instrumentation such as organ, fiddle, and the subtle strum of an acoustic guitar to create a quintessential entry into her career, solidifying her impact on the modern Americana canon. Pastures is out now on all digital streaming platforms worldwide via Torrez Music Group.
Pastures, a patiently developed, well-crafted record, grapples with self-imposed expectations and the tension they create in an artist. The album follows Natalie Del Carmen, now 24, as she navigates the challenges of newfound adulthood and the wisdom that comes with it. Constantly evolving, Del Carmen began to carry a persistent, stinging trepidation that she must find her way or make sense of her career, relationships, and the ties that shape her daily patterns and rituals with urgency. Across many of the album’s tracks, Del Carmen imagines herself navigating different pathways in her life from entirely new perspectives, consistently returning to a familiar feeling: restlessness. That restlessness centers on the illusion that, with enough effort, any goal can be achieved, any relationship’s fire can be stoked, and any moment can be transformed into something lasting and powerful. In pursuing it, she finds chaos in quiet moments as they morph into cacophonous pressure points, pushing her to try and produce more potent realities for herself and others. But Pastures ultimately reflects a belief system’s foundation cracking, giving way to change. Rather than holding onto that familiar, youthful anxiety, Del Carmen learned how to let go of some weighty expectations she placed upon herself. “Pastures is about the strange, quiet in-between that defined my early twenties—where I constantly felt on the verge of something, but never quite anywhere. I’ve been in a long season of transition—nothing’s ever certain, except the pressure to keep moving and prove something along the way,” Del Carmen says. “I’ve always felt a kind of urgency, like whatever I’m after is still way ahead of me. I wanted to write about what it feels like to be drifting between who you are and who you’re becoming.” Tracks like “What Should’ve Been (By Now)” reflect the endless wondering of a perpetually moving mind, while “Plans Upon Plans” reiterates how life can unhinge steadfast ideas about oneself. Ultimately, the album navigates the growing pains of continuously searching for a sense of control over one’s life, loosening the leash and instead allowing moments to pass without every step defined and every milestone deeply known. Simultaneously, many of the record’s tracks take a moment to pause and understand deeply cathartic feelings that come and go. Beautifully enriched tracks like “El Cortez” reimagine previously established, cherished memories of loved ones, painting them with the newfound light of age and wisdom. In this case, a family trip with Del Carmen’s father to a Vegas casino reminded her of his presence and ability to continue making memories. “Good Morning From Magnolia,” with its rich mandolin, swirling fiddles, and strong vocal refrains, calls toward a deeper homecoming, vibrating with warmth and passion for family, friends, and the things that bind people together.
Genre-fusing producer BRVMES today drops a new single ‘DOOM’ out now via HypnoVizion.
‘DOOM’ builds a cinematic soundscape where resonant cello lines intertwine with sharp, metallic synths. The track moves between brooding, tense passages and expansive, driving sections, creating a dynamic interplay that highlights both orchestral flare and electronic intensity. Each layer is meticulously crafted, resulting in a composition that is textured and nuanced, aligning with REZZ’s sonic curation and the direction of HypnoVizion’s catalog.
“With ‘DOOM’, I set out to merge my orchestral past with the heavy electronic sound I gravitate toward now. The cello has always held a dark, resonant beauty for me, and I wanted that brooding texture to collide with a big metallic synth. Bringing those two worlds together felt like the most honest expression of the tension that drives the new sound I am bringing into 2026 that I want to see more of.” – BRVMES
Oscar Maydon opens a new chapter in his artistic evolution with the release of “POEMA,” a cross-generational collaboration with J Balvin that bridges Música Mexicana and Latin pop. The track arrives as one of Maydon’s most romantic and emotionally charged releases, showcasing a more intimate side of the rising star while expanding his sound on an international scale.
Built on intimate storytelling and romantic detail, “POEMA” explores the idea of seeing someone beyond surface-level admiration. J Balvin enters the record with ease, adding depth and balance to its romantic tone. Together, they create a restrained yet emotionally rich moment that highlights the strength of subtlety over spectacle. With its understated energy, “POEMA” allows emotion to surface naturally, leaving a subtle yet lasting impression.
As he moves into 2026, Oscar Maydon continues to solidify his place as a defining voice of the new generation of Música Mexicana, earning a nomination for Best New Artist – Regional Mexican and three nominations at Univision’s Premio Lo Nuestro, including Mexican Music – Male Artist of the Year, Mexican Music – Best Electro Corrido for “Corridos y Alcohol” alongside Steve Aoki, and Mexican Music – Best Electro Corrido for “Triple Lavada (Remix)” with Esaú Ortiz, Luis R Conriquez, and Alemán.
Emerging alt folk-rock artist and producer Liv Bloore (she/they) returns with her second single, ‘Sing For Me’, a haunting and quietly unsettling track that places her vocals firmly at the centre. Gliding over swelling string arrangements, ethereal melodies, and vivid storytelling, the song carries a sense of weightlessness while maintaining a sinister, more ominous undercurrent.
‘Sing For Me’ is available now on your streaming service of choice via APOLLO Distribution.
Rising Los Angeles indie-rock quartet Sorry Ghost usher in a new chapter with dreamy single ‘inside voice’, a groove-driven track that leans into hushed vocals, twinkling guitar lines, and a distinctly West Coast ease. Laidback and beach-flecked at its core, the song slowly unfolds, building toward a more fiery, rock-leaning crescendo that reveals the band’s dynamic range.
GRAMMY-nominated duo SIDEPIECE and globally celebrated artist Aluna release “Misbehave,” a new single out now on Lip Service. A slick, attitude-forward club record, “Misbehave” pairs SIDEPIECE’s groove-driven production with Aluna’s unmistakable vocal presence. The release arrives alongside the official launch of Lip Service, SIDEPIECE’s new label.
SIDEPIECE have become fixtures of the global house circuit through a run of chart-topping releases that balance infectious grooves with a playful edge. Since their breakout, the duo have toured festival stages worldwide and earned a GRAMMY nomination in 2021 for “On My Mind” with Diplo.
Aluna is one of modern dance music’s most influential voices, with a career spanning chart-topping hits like “You Know You Like It,” critically acclaimed solo work, and era-defining collaborations with artists including Disclosure and Kaytranada. Beyond her music, she remains a leading advocate for Black representation and equity in electronic music culture.
“We had always wanted to work with Aluna, and the stars aligned last Spring when we got to get in with her in the studio. She has been a part of some of the biggest dance hits in the last 15 years. It was really fun to blend our two sounds together. We have loved playing this song out, and the reaction has been amazing every time. We are very excited for it to be finally out and for the rest of the world to hear it.” -SIDEPIECE
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
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