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Best Neo Soul Music Blog

SUMMARAE proves why the ‘haters gonna hate’ rhetoric is outdated in her latest single, ‘Mind Your Business’

Posted on 6 July 2021

SUMMARAE’s latest indie RnB Pop hit, Mind Your Business, is a soulfully unfuckwithable invitation to turn your attention away from the people you tear into to tame your insecurity.

The single marks a shift in our social tide that means that the ‘haters gonna hate’ rhetoric is almost an archaic principle. It may be a high-vibe summer RnB pop track, but SUMMARAE efficaciously succeeds in imparting the contempt that people with not enough emotional intelligence for introspection impart. Consider hitting play as your first step towards mindfulness.

Given the toxicity that seems to thrive in online spaces more than ever, Mind Your Business deserves to be the summer RnB hit of 2021.

Mind Your Business is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jesse Powers – Let It Slide: Poetically Profound Indie RnB Pop

Posted on 6 July 2021

RnB pop singer-songwriter Jessie has released her soulful, resonantly dark single, Let it Slide; on a scale of 1 – 10, the wisdom in the lyricism is profoundly off the charts.

By starting with such stark questioning, “Why do I wake up to the sun and see only dark”, then transgressing to the very real life-lessons, “you can’t make people stay, you can only change”, Let It Slide teaches you what no one else dares to. They say we live to learn, but we’re not still testing poisonous fruit; we have the capacity to drink in the straight-from-the-soul sincerity in singles such as Let it Slide instead of savouring the bitterness first-hand.

The official lyric video for Let it Slide is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Amber Prothero shares the secrets to sass with her vibrant soul-pop track, ‘Confident’.

Posted on 5 July 2021

UK-based pop artist Amber Prothero always takes an emotionally multifaceted approach to her lyricism; the best introduction to her confessional lyrical style is her latest single, Confident.

It’s practically a 101 guide on how to exude as much confidence as you will hear in the vibrant pop hit. Prothero’s soulful RnB-tinged vocals will throw you back to the 90s era of pop. While lyrically, you can expect the same introspective grit as found in a track by Lily Allen, Kate Nash or Marina and the Diamonds. The single was created over Zoom in collaboration with the Parisian songwriter and musician Ny Aina Ramangasalama.

With her former releases, Prothero became a BBC Introducing playlist staple; we are sure that Confident will allow her to work her way onto even more A-lists.

Confident released on June 18th; it is now available to stream and download on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ANGELICA LOPEZ energetically embraces multiculturalism in her new single, ‘New Gold’.

Posted on 5 July 2021

Columbian-born, London-based singer-songwriter ANGELICA LOPEZ has unleashed her latest single, New Gold, and reminded the world why she was accoladed as one of the best Latin artists in Europe.

With her vibrant vocal timbre and the progressively eclectic feel to the instrumentals, New Gold is an explosion of colour, culture and unadulterated talent that almost speaks to you on a primal level as you realise that, depressingly, music from different regions can coalesce far better than some of the people in the UK. With so much tension arising as a result of Brexit, New Gold feels like a soulful act of rebellion as it energetically embraces multiculturism.

New Gold carries the infectious pop appeal of ABBA, arrestingly authentic Latin rhythms and a few sonic elements of funk and rock to give the enlivening soundscape even more energy.

New Gold is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

London Pop Debut: Tyla Jay – To Be a Girl

Posted on 2 July 2021

Pop artists are often guilty of perpetuating toxic female stereotypes through their lyrics; refreshingly, with her debut single, ‘To Be a Girl’, London-based singer-songwriter Tyla Jay gave a far more relatable account of femininity.

While her sonically compelling sound is well and truly her own, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter takes influence from a dynamic array of artists, from Billie Eilish to Beyonce, from Aretha Franklin to Adele.

The amalgamation of eclectic inspiration allows Tyla Jay to bring an old school style of soul to release paired with a relatable, modern air. The contemporary feel mostly resonates through the lyrics which explore insecurity and scribe battles with self-scrutiny when we’re trying to find the self-acceptance that we pretend comes so easily.

Perhaps most admirably, Tyla Jay allowed To Be a Girl to unfold as an empowering and uplifting release despite the lyrics that scratch far beneath the surface on a subject that is already so raw for so many women. She has exactly what it takes to become one of the most inspiring pop artists of our generation.

To Be a Girl is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chrissie Huntley celebrates self-love with her uplifting RnB pop hit, ‘Me, Myself and I’.

Posted on 1 July 2021
Chrissie Huntley

Chrissie Huntley is set to bring swathes of class to the UK RnB pop scene with the release of her latest single, Me, Myself and I. Introverts; you’re going to want to make it a playlist staple.

For all too long, extroverts have dominated the airwaves. Chrissie Huntley’s angelic pop hit switches the narrative and gives the listener permission to surrender to some self-love and start looking for validation and satisfaction from within.

Sinking into the celestially uplifting single that is underscored by jazzy tones is made all too easy. With the effortless finesse found in Chrissie Huntley’s vocal notes, and the sense of realism in the lyrics, you get that relatable girl-next-door-vibe, paired with a first-class vocal performance that you would expect from the likes of Nina Simone, Alicia Keys and Beyonce.

Before the pandemic hit, Chrissie headlined the O2 Academy in Bristol, performed twice on BBC 1 Regional News Show – which amassed 2 million viewers – and provided a stellar performance in the House of Commons in aid of National Grief Awareness week. In this early stage in her career, her accolades are already endless.

Check out Chrissie Huntley on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mya Luv gives us another perspective on heartbreak with her single, ‘Fairytales and Lies’

Posted on 30 June 2021
Mya Luv

Mya Luv explores the relationship between fantasy and deception in her latest single, Fairytales and Lies that runs through as an ensemble of indie, jazz, blues and neo-soul; each progressive unpredictable twist leaves you more immersed in the tale that the soulstress alchemically weaved.

Mya’s rich, deep and direct vocals allow you to fall into the release, hook, line, and sinker while the soundscape shifts from accordant indie guitars to a jazz infusion complete with a soul-filling horn section. Discernibly, the sweetest spot in the soundscape is when the bluesy guitar work starts to bring a New Orleans-style into the experimental but instantly accessible soundscape.

Fairytales and Lies is available to stream via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marven Denis speaks to the romantic cynics in his summer pop track, ‘Close to Me’.

Posted on 30 June 2021
Marven Denis

Up and coming RnB pop artist Marven Denis speaks to the romantic cynics in his latest up-vibe sun-soaked single, Close to Me, which breaks the mono-cultural mould by allowing tropic reggae-style bass-riding beats to create a solid structure for Denis to lay down his serenading lyrics.

With infectiously catchy choruses and Denis’ fresh approach to his sound that spans across multiple genres and hemispheres, Close to Me has all the potential to become one of the biggest hits this summer.

Denis’ started his journey as an artist by learning bass playing traditional gospel music before he started to explore more genres and work on his composing, directing and producing talent. Which goes some way in explaining how there is so much soul and authenticity in this release.

Check out Marven Denis’ latest single via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zack Tomasko shows a softer side to the murder folk-style with ‘Let Tonight End’

Posted on 30 June 2021

‘Let Tonight End’ is the latest single released by singer-songwriter, artist and producer Zack Tomasko; the urgency and emotion contained in the release paired with the duality between the light and dark textures amplify the sincerity found in the lyricism. Discernibly, Tomasko tore his heart off his sleeve and poured it into the stormy, resonantly manic release.

Let Tonight End may start with stark reminiscence to the likes of Nick Cave and Jack Ladder but as the pensive piano-led soundscape progresses, warm, jazzy, and soulful tones start to work themselves into the score as Zack Tomasko’s vocals make a seamless shift from deadpan direct lyrical deliverances to ardent, soul-exposing indie crooning.

Let Tonight End is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DK Robin pays ode to his ‘Work Wife’ in his latest smooth RnB hip hop single.

Posted on 29 June 2021

There’s officially no better way to pass the time during a 9 – 5 than catching feelings for a colleague, which is exactly what hip hop artist DK Robin waxes lyrical on in his latest single, Work Wife. It’s potentially the most honest love song to have ever hit the airwaves.

The grooving RnB hip hop beats set an affectionate tone that DK Robin amplifies with his smoothly soulful vocals that will be a hit with any fans of J Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. We can’t wait to hear what off the cuff concept DK Robin chooses to explore next; whatever it is, we’re sure he’ll make a perennial urban earworm out of it.

You can check out the official music video to Work Wife that premiered on June 14th by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast