Browsing Tag

afrobeat

Sixsense – AYANNA: A Darkly Luminous Journey in Alt-RnB

Posted on 26 March 2024

Sixsense, the London-based alt-RnB visionary, redefined the genre with his latest single ‘AYANNA’. The emotional odyssey blends Afrobeat and Latin RnB into a soundscape that is as dark as it is scintillating.

‘AYANNA’ opens with a floodgate of visceral emotion, drawing the listener into a world of rhythmic compulsion and painful introspection. Sixsense takes genres known for their bright, euphoric atmospheres and steers them into uncharted territories of depth and darkness. The result is a compelling contradiction: a track that resonates with the lightness of its tones yet delves into the profoundest of emotional depths.

The artist’s talent is undeniable. His voice, a commanding presence in the London music scene, is set to proliferate the charts. With ‘AYANNA’, Sixsense is not just on the cusp of contemporary trends; he is pioneering a new direction in genre-fluid, vibe-driven music.

Described as a love song intertwined with the pangs of growing up, ‘AYANNA’ encapsulates that bittersweet nostalgia of memories lost to time. Following the success of his 9th studio release, ‘CUENTAME’, this track continues to showcase Sixsense’s knack for crafting lyrics that resonate.

Raised in Santiago de Chile and London, and influenced by his Jewish-South American and Australian heritage, Sixsense brings a unique perspective to his music. His self-taught musical journey, beginning with an electric piano in his youth, is evident in the intricate blend of acoustic melodies and electronic rhythms in ‘AYANNA’.

AYANNA was officially released on March 8; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rukudzo called time in her fiery pop hit, Big Things

Posted on 6 November 2023
https://soundcloud.com/officialrukudzo/big-things/s-JAxKBcm0i5R?si=93386f371a984dd49ab5fd05eeee9c87&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The Hertfordshire, UK singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rukudzo exhibited what a perfect pop hit should sound like in 2023 with her latest hook-rife and soul-lavished single, Big Things, which allows indie guitars to weave an intricate melodic tapestry across the lush layers of reverb and the Afrobeat rhythms that give the genre-fluid track a solid backbeat.

The sonic ingenuity, which also leaves room for Rukudzo’s signature rock attitude, is only matched by the poignant lyrical message which unravels as a fiery vignette of a depiction of the necessity of knowing when to be forbearing in a relationship and when to draw the line and call time.

In every conceivable way, Rukudzo made an unforgettable impression with Big Things. You’ll be humming the melody for days and revelling in the introspection for even longer.

Big Things will drop on November 3rd, stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grab a Seat: Elevated Focusion embraced the future of fusionism with his alt-electro hit, Tabla Tea Party

Posted on 22 July 2023
https://on.soundcloud.com/KERbZ3gaPJ9vjupF8

The Queens, NY electronica pioneer Elevated Focusion, AKA Johnny Rhythms, caused a solid eight on the Richter scale by dropping his ground-breaking fusionist LP, featuring the standout single, Tabla Tea Party.

The rocksteady release became the ultimate celebration of the vibrant culture in NY by stitching a tapestry of contrasting facets of counterculture against each other to create a galvanic forcefield of friction your rhythmic pulses won’t want to resist.

With East Coast hip-hop and afrobeat bringing the danceable rhythm and the vocal lines breaking the monocultural mould while lavishing the soundscape with rock n roll attitude and soul, every new progression in Tabla Tea Party is a sonic revelation.

By putting mixing and mastering in the hands of Chris Conway, who worked on every LP that inspired the Elevated Focusion project, the East Coast flavour packs a mouth-watering punch; grab your seat at the Tabla Tea Party while the hype is hot.

Stream Tabla Tea Party with the rest of Elevated Focusion’s eponymous LP on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: OTH€LLO introduced the future of Afro Fusion with his debut single, SZA 4 NGAZ

Posted on 17 July 2023

The Montreal-born, Harlem-based Afrobeat innovator OTH€LLO took gospel out of church and implanted it firmly in his ethereal dream of an Afrobeat RnB debut single, SZA 4 NGAZ.

Fittingly, after his music journey began by being introduced to Congolese gospel and secular soukous tunes by his Congolese immigrant parents, the sensuous single, which celebrates staying true to your roots while practising radical acceptance, finds plenty of room for religious imagery and tonality.

After a sensuously ambient RnB intro complete with saturated in warm delay indie guitars, SZA 4 NGAZ starts to tease hip-hop elements with the fiery canter of his verses before winding it all back down in the dynamically versatile hit that reached the pinnacle of Afro-Fusionist authenticity.

SZA 4 NGAZ is a sublimely promising start to OTH€LLO’s career. His carresively pure vocal lines paired with his down-to-earth lyrical style are enough to kickstart a new revolution in soul.

In the words of OTH€LLO:

“This song is an exploration of how growing my dreads again after cutting my first set was like falling again. It sonically narrates the process of self-love and self-acceptance through a fiercely Afrocentric and sexual perspective.”

After releasing SZA 4 NGAZ, OTH€LLO is back in the studio orchestrating his debut EP. If the forthcoming material is as arcane as his debut, you’ll want to save plenty of room on your radar.

SZA 4 NGAZ was officially released on the 1st of July; hear it on Spotify and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Groove away heartbreak with the hot-to-handle afrobeat hit, Shakara Love, from Mr Yomi.

Posted on 11 June 2023

Waves of euphoria crashed in with the latest single from the heir to the UK afrobeat scene, Mr Yomi; Shakara Love is the perfect introduction to one of London’s hottest rising artists.

At tonal value, Shakara Love is your archetypal vibe-steady summer earworm, but lock into the captivating soundtrack and explore the depths of unrequited love, narrated by Yomi’s luxe with animated soul vocal lines which effervesce around the steamily ascending Afrobeat melodies that will leave you yearning to hit the dancehall floor.

It is one thing to create a high-vibe anthem from a track that gravitates around a bright lyrical theme. It is another entirely to hit the rhythmic ground running with a sunny-side-up sensibility while versing on raw emotion.

Shakara Love hit all major streaming platforms on May 26; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Tunde 2deep came in hot in his Afrobeat EDM hit, SUCCESS FEVER

Posted on 29 May 2023

Cape Town’s hottest independent artist, Tunde 2deep, elevated the emerging Afrobeat EDM scene with his euphorically mantric single, SUCCESS FEVER.

With Dancehall running right through the rhythmically intoxicating progressions, EDM beats that pound floor-filler material into the release and Tunde 2deep’s infectious brand of high-energy soul, SUCCESS FEVER is an introspective anthem that the Afrobeat scene will never forget.

All too often, high vibe anthems fail to speak to the people that need to hear that before the highs come the lows, SUCCESS FEVER conveys the fears and dark days which punctuate the journey to greatness and lets the listener know exactly how to overcome them. Regardless of the mood SUCCESS FEVER catches you in, it will be brighter once the entrancingly sun-slicked earworm has had its intrinsically rhythmic way with you.

“Afro-EDM has been gaining popularity in recent years; the hype inspired me to blend traditional African rhythms and instruments with electronic dance music. Success Fever is a high-energy track that celebrates achievements. I fully believe that greatness exists within us all; you just have to know how to unlock it; I hope this single is the key for my listeners.”

Add SUCCESS FEVER to your motivational Spotify playlists, or stream the official video via YouTube.

Follow Tunde2deep on Instagram and Twitter.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Daniel Aether poured soul into the fourth deadly sin with his afrobeat electro earworm, Envious

Posted on 25 February 2023

With his latest single, Envious, the Nigerian-Italian singer Daniel Aether raised the roof on Afrohouse while exploring the fourth deadly sin with flavourful soul.

There are few things in this world as disheartening as unveiling jealousy from someone that pretended to be a friend; we’ve all been there, and now we have the ultimate soundtrack for euphonic redemption. If success brings bitterness to your inner circle, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will be hoping for your downfall.

The 21-year-old Scotland-residing artist takes influence for his afrobeat electro earworms from a wide array of genres, resulting in a melodious sound that he can definitively call his own. While the Kaytranda-ESQUE beats bring the energy and colour, Aether’s opulently rich vocal lines spill the harmonised ad-libs that will undoubtedly become what he’s revered for in his promising career.

Envious will be available to stream from February 24th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alex Caban embraced the future of Afrobeat Hip-Hop with ‘Anything’, featuring Jessica Peros

Posted on 15 February 2023

Brooklyn-based Hip-hop and Afrobeat fusionist Alex Caban is in fiery fresh form in his latest visionary EP, Love Letters. In the standout single, Anything, dark, moody, and future-ready electronica motifs collide with more evocatively inclined instrumentals to balance soul and scorn; the lyrical interplay between Caban and the featuring artist Jessica Peros amplifies the evocatively torrid gravity of the release to the nth degree. If there is any track that alludes to the danger of limerence, it is this consistently evolving narrative of insecurity, jealousy and passion.

With Jessica Peros’ Lady Gaga-Esque sultry vocal lines against Caban’s rapid-fire canter that will leave heads in a rhythmic spin, Anything is an impassioned triumph that makes no bones about alluding to how deep emotions run. Instead of scratching the surface, the lyricality of Caban’s emotionally-rounded triumph digs affectionately deep.

With meta lines such as “You’re not an astronaut, so why are you needing space”, the stellar production and the sonic distinction, you can consider Alex Caban a triple-threat.

Stream the Love Letters EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Me and You: Peanut Butta knows who she is feeling love for on MEET ME IN DI GARDEN

Posted on 30 November 2022

Wishing for love to blossom and for no drama to ruin their romance, Peanut Butta just wants to dance all night with a sweet soul with striking blue hair on the sensual new single MEET ME IN DI GARDEN.

Peanut Butta is a New England, USA-based Afrobeat dancehall wizard who certainly has those natural skills to keep the party alive all night long.

As he chills out the steamy skies with a sizzling single to be enthused by, Peanut Butta is at his peak form, with a rather eye-opening track to play loud all night. Mellow to the core and never losing our attention, we are engulfed in a release with so much star quality to be impressed by.

MEET ME IN DI GARDEN from New England, USA-based Afrobeat dancehall artist Peanut Butta is a loving anthem for those who wish to slow things down for a little while. There is so much thriving energy attached to this single it might make some blush, as the sweet reverberations make everything better again.

When you know who you want to be with, everything shall fall into place if two hearts love each other.

Check out this new video on YouTube and see more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Broadway B – Heat Check: High Fire RnB Pop ft. Tara Louise & ThisIsJaySol

Posted on 14 October 2022

Carry the heat of summer with you through Broadway B’s fiery new pop track, Heat Check, which borrows Afrobeat and RnB flavour to bring the sun-bleached grooves, but the melodies are straight-up earworm pop.

With Tara Louise bringing the collaborative chemistry through her seductive harmonies and ThisIsJaySol bringing grit and gravitas through his rap bars, Heat Check is a firestorm of a pop hit that keeps giving.

Broadway B is already an icon in LA; he’s taken to the stages of some of the most renowned venues, including the Viper Room, Peppermint Club and Whisky a Go-Go. He’s also collaborated with high-calibre artists such as Rachel Platten, and opened for household names, such as Twista. His music that is always delivered straight from the soul is an unreckonable force – it is easy to see he has only got started in his bid to win over an international RnB fanbase.

Heat Check was officially released on September 23rd. Check it out on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast