Browsing Tag

90s Pop

Kuya! Gave Indie RnB Pop a Fresh Lick of Soul with ‘What I Gotta Do’

Posted on 5 May 2022

The Floridian genre fusionist and 90s & 00s nostalgia peddler, Kuya! Is fresh from the release of his third single, What I Gotta Do, which takes you back to the bliss of old school while showing you the future of indie soul-pop. The unapologetically loved-up track would be exceptionally placed on playlists of fans of The Neptunes, Nelly and Gwen Stefani.

Through the Niles Roger-Esque guitars, Daft Punk dancey disco grooves, Kuya!’s effortlessly soulful creative charisma and the sonic curveballs with the rap verses, What I Gotta Do is an earworm that keeps on giving. It’s the fresh lick of soul that the airwaves have been crying out for. We can’t wait to eek the dopamine out of what follows.

What I Gotta Do is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Aberdeenshire’s most promising singer-songwriter, AJ Mclovely shared her luminous optimism in ‘Hold On’

Posted on 7 March 2022

AJ Mclovely proved how she came about her moniker in her intimately heartfelt alt-pop single, Hold On, which tackles the very real problem of our tendency to convince ourselves that misery is forever and happiness is fleeting.

Hold On soulfully narrates that our experience of reality is all just a matter of perspective as AJ Mclovely’s 90s pop-inspired vocals compassionately breeze over the folky pop guitars. The lockdown created single is just one of the reasons that the Aberdeenshire-based singer-songwriter and mental health advocate has developed a staunch fan base. So many pop artists have got into the habit of creating from the ego. Yet, with Hold On, there’s a real sense that it was created to resonate with souls that are lacking the light that is by the smorgasbord in this simple yet powerfully otherworldly single.

The official video to Hold On is available to stream on YouTube. And you can connect with AJ Mclovely via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Until the End of the World gave pop a noir twist in their latest single, Easy Come, Easy Go

Posted on 21 January 2022

For their latest single, Easy Come, Easy Go, the lockdown-born outfit, Until the End of the World, gave pop a noir twist. With the 90s-style pop harmonies that will throw you right back to the days when Say You’ll Be There was dominating the airwaves while simultaneously captivating you with the same haunting mystique as Mazzy Star, Easy Come, Easy Go couldn’t be more beguiling.

Until the End of the World consists of the Nashville-based singer-songwriter Meg Olden and the English ex-pat, Ian Webber; their sound is equally as international as their formation. There are obvious hints of Americana in the deserty guitar tones, with nods to the likes of the English singer-songwriter Richard Hawley in the melodies. It isn’t every day that you stumble across an artist as authentic as this. Until the End of the World definitely isn’t an outfit to underestimate.

Easy Come, Easy Go is due for official release on February 21st; check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abi Mia shares her infectious optimism in her latest single, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.

Posted on 22 December 2021

The London-based breakthrough alt-pop artist Abi Mia ended 2021 with the ultimate up-vibe bop, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. With the funk in the melodies and the fire in her vocals, the resilience in the 90s influenced triumph of a track is infectious from the first hit. And if we’re all being honest with ourselves, that’s exactly what we need right now.

In the verses and pre-choruses, she extends compassion and understanding to anyone feeling the apathy before proving how sweet it is to throw pessimism by the wayside and embrace a brighter perspective in the choruses. If you’re looking for a definitive definition of a perennial pop earworm, just hit play.

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nemos has released his Italian 90s revival album, La leggenda del soldato gentile

Posted on 1 December 2021

Italian aural visionary, Nemos, has released his expressively eccentric third album, La leggenda del soldato gentile.
With the title single carrying a similar rhythm to Blur’s Song 2 along with choral-orchestral stylings and Hanson vibes, the punchy high energy track is a European twist on the sonic palettes that we came to love in the 90s.

Even if the instrumentals fell flat, La leggenda del soldato gentile would still be a bop-worthy hit thanks to the unfaltering passion in the vocals as they verse the Italian lyrics. La leggenda del soldato gentile doesn’t just permit you to share the energy of the soul-sating track; it practically demands it of you.

Nemos’ third album, La leggenda del soldato gentile, is now available to stream in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Future-pop fuses with Britpop in Footless Kicks’ debut single, E1 2AM

Posted on 10 November 2021
Footless Kicks

In the ultimate pop-rock crossover, London-based rock guitarist, producer and songwriter, Footless Kicks sent us back to the Britpop era with his debut single, E1 2AM. The devilishly clever single carries the same blissful tones as the Roses along with the driving momentum of JBD’s anthemically charged riffs in The Manic’s most soul-sating hits. Vocally, Footless Kicks truly came into his own. The solo artist’s gruffly soulful vocal timbre is complemented by the dynamic range of the guest female vocalist whose dreamy harmonies sit between Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine.

With more singles in the pipeline and the teasing of an album, any alt-90s fan will want Footless Kicks on their radar.

E1 2AM is due for official release on November 8th; you can catch it for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get swept up in the romantic tides of Kristin Venae’s soul-pop single, Still Here.

Posted on 31 July 2021

With the same gripping, soulful eminence as Shania Twain, Celine Dion and Maria Carey, up and coming Australian singer-songwriter Kristin Venae’s latest single, Still Here, is simultaneously a hit of nostalgia and a refreshing blend of soul, pop and indie rock.

You’d be hard-pressed to find more stunning guitars in a pop single; the jangly effervescent notes give Still Here a sweet psychedelic kick while Venae’s vocals pay ode to everlasting love. You can’t help getting swept up in the romantic tides of Still Here which precedes the release of Venae’s upcoming debut album.

Still Here is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris Vega sends a siren call in his alt-pop single, ‘Dangerous’.

Posted on 19 July 2021
Chris Vega

Cincinnati-hailing self-taught singer-songwriter and music producer Chris Vega is set to release his stormy impassioned pop track, Dangerous. The single shines a light on the darker side of love, the side that tells you it is safer to play with the toaster in the bath than it is to fall in love, but we delve in regardless.

It’s no secret or exaggeration that relationships can allow our mental health to take a hit and vice-versa; Vega encapsulates this perfectly. It’s so much more than you’re archetypally prosaic ‘I can’t live without you’ love song; it’s an extension of compassion to everyone that has ever had to battle with affectionate feelings and mental health issues simultaneously.

Check out Chris Vega on Instagram and Twitter.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Revisit 90s RnB with Kule T’s new single, ‘The Deal’

Posted on 13 June 2021
Kule T

‘The Deal’ is just one of the tracks that feature on UK-based singer-songwriter Kule T’s debut RnB dance-pop EP, ‘Emotional Rollercoaster’; it eclipses the 90s while welcoming in the future of soul-infused dance-pop.

After spending time in the Sony/Columbia-signed band, MN8 in the 90s, Kule T definitely knows his way around the RnB sound. The happy grooves in The Deal capture the euphoria of getting hooked on someone, while the hooks themselves will draw you into a colourful soundscape that vibes with uniqueness, seduction, and soul.

You will be able to listen to The Deal from July 9th; check out Kule T via their website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Finley Clark explores growing pains in her latest bitter-sweet alt-pop track, ‘Lessons from a Great Cult Leader’.

Posted on 5 June 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPx0eseiYWE

With her latest single, ‘Lessons from a Great Cult Leader’, Finley Clark paid ode to her greatest lyrical inspiration, Bob Dylan, in collaboration with guitarist Alex Bunghez and producer Stefan Paraschiv. The lyrics tell a coming-of-age story that explores rights of passages and paths to maturity; instrumentally, the bitter-sweet melodies capture the innocence and ecstasy of youth along with the growing pains that eventually kick in when we leave our naivety behind.

With the fiery rockabilly guitar solos, Lessons from a Great Cult Leader is blazoned with some serious rock stripes; with Finley’s effect-laden vocals and the dancey beats, you’ll be thrown right back to 90s Britpop. Any fans of Garbage, The Cardigans and the Cranberries will definitely want to experience this authentically infectious track for themselves.

Lessons from a Great Cult Leader released on May 24th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast