Browsing Tag

Alt RnB

Nawniee reached the epitome of eloquence with her alt-soul hit, Words

Posted on 18 August 2023

When words aren’t enough, melodies fill in the gaps of expression, especially when they’re as ambiently arresting as the grooves that flow right through the latest alt-RnB single, Words, from the up-and-coming artist, Nawniee.

The slick with synthesised 80s nostalgia prelude arrests you from the first note before the downtempo flows start to act as a bedrock for Nawniee’s soaring vocal lines that share proclivities with hyper-pop icons through inventive the use of autotune.

It was a bold move to augment her glassy vocal lines to the nth degree, but it more than paid off; Words became all the more visceral for it as the singer and songwriter reached the epitome of eloquence with her lyricism. You’d be seriously hard-pressed to find a more convincing declaration of passion on the airwaves.

Check out the Radio Edit of Words by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bomb Voyage has debuted his compassionately choral RnB dream pop serenade, Serenity

Posted on 20 July 2023

With melodically intricate indie guitars and synths that wouldn’t be out of place in a Cigarettes After Sex single, Bomb Voyage created a hazily dreamy atmosphere for his classic RnB vocals to soak into in his latest single, Serenity.

Hedonistic and self-destructive behaviour may have been normalised to the point it has been glamorised in contemporary culture; instead of contributing to the acceptability of the toxicity of the trend, Bomb Voyage orchestrated a moody yet compassionate ballad to pay an ode to a female protagonist who has a proclivity towards excess.

Rather than painting a monster, Bomb Voyage used their lyrical empathy and beckoningly magnetic vocal lines to create a consoling release for anyone who needs the affirmation that even the most wayward souls deserve to be seen beyond their lifestyles.

Serenity is now available to stream on Spotify.

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

Get into the soulful hip-hop groove with the collaborative alchemy that spilt between Giuseppe Grondona, Lisabel & Nikola Kovacevic in ‘Mar My Mind’.

Posted on 22 June 2023

Giuseppe Grondona, Lisabel, and Nikola Kovacevic got into the urban groove with their collaborative RnB rendezvous, Mar My Mind, which is due for official release on June 22nd.

With the tantalising time signatures in the backbeat, the jazzy-with-soul melodious layers which allow the soundscape to gel with gravitas, and the affectionately easeful flow of the vocal harmonies, Mar My Mind is all too efficacious in its ability to leave an imprint on your sentimental senses.

Finding the perfect middle ground between syncopated innovation and 90s RnB nostalgia, the triad of luminary artists created the ultimate proclamation of resilience. Written within the lush layers of soul is the testament that, no matter what life throws at you, getting bitter is never the only inevitability.

Stream Mar My Mind via Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Deandre Sevon reached the pinnacle of sensuality with his innovative take on RnB in Does That Feel Good

Posted on 19 June 2023

It was about time a new wave of RnB crashed in; it came as a courtesy of the diaphanously artful debut single, Does That Feel Good, from the luminary Miami-based singer-songwriter and producer, Deandre Sevon, who honed his silkily honeyed vocal lines on Broadway.

With experimental electronica motifs that wouldn’t be out of place in an ELO record weaved into the ambiently exhilarant single that features sensuously reverb-swathed synths and vox that put the soul in romantic uncertainty, Sevon became one of the promising conduits of soul in 2023.

Around the delicate keys and lush synths are moody tones which reflect the weight of what is at stake in the sweetest ‘win you back’ record, allowing Does That Feel Good to resonate as an emotionally matured and well-rounded masterpiece of vulnerability.

Deandre Sevon clearly has a bright career ahead of him. We can’t wait to hear what is lingering in the pipeline from the artist who has exactly what it takes to smash through the monotonous mould many RnB artists are too afraid to break through and sonically step into their own.

Does That Feel Good was officially released on June 9th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Juan Tavano chased the ghosts of ephemeral connection in his alt-RnB single, Passing By

Posted on 19 June 2023

If you’re like a moth to the flames of quick-burning romances which scarcely give you time to become more than ideas in each other’s mind, you will find and lose yourself in the latest single, Passing By, from Juan Tavano.

While the lyrics lament our affinity for the ephemeral affection we chase and yearn for in an act of sadistic romanticism, the indie RnB instrumentals shimmer through the swathes of saturated delay around the pseudo-trap backbeat while Tavano vocally brings in nuances of afro-pop with his honeyed to the nines harmonies.

From start to finish, Passing By stands as a testament to Tavano’s ability to stir souls with his evolving melodies, create immersively conceptual atmospheres and break the monocultural mould with his ingenuity. If that doesn’t constitute a triple threat, I’m not entirely sure what does.

Passing By will hit the airwaves on June 19; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zae Aio has taken control of the sands of time with her ethereal indie RnB debut, Don’t Waste My Time

Posted on 9 June 2023
Zae Aio

For her debut release, Don’t Waste My Time, the up-and-coming soulstress, Zae Aio, created a dreamy RnB odyssey, which starts with a slow and mellow indie pop pre-chorus to emanate accommodating 90s nostalgia before amplifying the atmosphere with Prince-esque soaring guitars.

The sublimely textural release is a testament to the originality of Zae, who has always struggled to find her place and feel assured in her identity due to her multicultural roots stemming from Côte d’Ivoire and Norway and growing up in Oslo. Though, clearly, she’s right at home on the airways with her arcanely honeyed vocal lines and the ease with which she lays it all down on the expressive line.

Don’t Waste My Time is a devilishly delicious debut, which is all too efficacious in proving Zae has exactly what it takes to have dominion over the RnB genre.

Don’t Waste My Time will hit the airwaves on June 9th. Check it out on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unshackle your soul with Imelda Gabs’ latest alt-RnB single, Free Spirit

Posted on 29 April 2023

The innovative soul singer Imelda Gabs took back control in her empoweringly enlightening alt-RnB single, Free Spirit, which is just one of the standout singles on her debut LP, Synopsis. The track is for anyone that has ever encountered a fuckboy/girl and been left reeling with questions confounded by insecurity and self-doubt when actions have no cohesion with their words in the cold light of day when they’ve had the usury way.

Any fans of the Weeknd will be instantly enamoured by the synthetically sweet instrumentals that fuse elements of future pop with the soul of RnB to create the perfect platform for her vocal lines as they evolve from ethereal to convectively powerful.

‘Moving on’ songs proliferate the airwaves, but few lyricists prove that the pen is mightier than the sword as well as Imelda Gabs, who will take you on an inner-healing journey with this introspectively emboldening release which takes all of the guilt away from naivety.

Free Spirit hit the airwaves on April 14. Catch it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

bhxlu serenades novocaine in his melodically memorable hit, Wild

Posted on 7 April 2023

Indie RnB crooner bhxlu laid the laidback soul on thick in his latest single, Wild, which hit the airwaves on April 7th. The East London-hailing artist carries a fair amount of the dead innovative weight dropped by the rest of the contemporary RnB artists in the game with his fluidly smooth hit that pulls alt-pop, drill and trap tendencies into the colourfully sultry grooves.

With his tendency to mix dark themes with light instruments, you will always tune into a raw and real sonic rendezvous when immersing yourself in bhxlu’s innovation. Taking inspiration from Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown and The Weeknd could have resulted in an assimilated sound, but few artists hit the autonomous mark as distinctively as bhxlu, who never shies away from narrating toxic dynamics that are disturbingly rife in contemporary culture.

Stream Wild on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tre. Charles melded soulful undertones with resonantly mantric vocals in his ambient indie dream-pop single, Lately.

Posted on 15 March 2023
https://soundcloud.com/user-927736750/lately-2/s-0bEGiubGPfS?in=user-927736750/sets/tre-charles-currently-ep-demo/s-vyUjqvhKQ7t&si=b3399ccd97c44b2398eab32ecc2c9458&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I’ve been around the shoegaze and dream-pop block a fair few times, but the latest single, Lately., from the alt-indie artist, Tre. Charles, is a strikingly crystal-clear cut above the rest.

With his soulful vocals bleeding into the choral amalgam of trip-hop, Avant-Garde RnB, ambient electronica and indie rock, the quiescently powerful release is a feat of unparalleled consoling alchemy.

Staying true to his brand of soulful undertones, resonantly mantric vocals, and evocative crooning, the East Coast-born artist orchestrated an efficaciously disarming hit that will make your soul as perceptible as the one poured into the lyrics.

Any fans of James Blake, Frank Ocean, Sampha, and Moses Sumney won’t want to miss out on this reverb-drenched opportunity to form a connection with the award-winning D’angelico Guitars-sponsored artist. We’re officially stoked for the upcoming EP due for release in 2023.

Lately. will officially release on March 15th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast