Browsing Tag

Ariana Grande

Expectation meets self-preservation in Aleandro Valente’s blissfully tropic indie pop hit, Not O.K.

Posted on 25 October 2022

The up-and-coming NYC-residing pop artist Aleandro Valente tore off his façade in spectacular fashion in his single, Not O.K. to expose the duality of his determination of being what others perceive him to be and staying true to himself.

The angular indie jangle pop guitars around the sun-bleached tropic RnB pop keys create the perfect platform for the high dynamic stretches of Aleandro Valente’s smooth vocal timbre that pulls you right into the battle of self-preservation and will.

It is Ariana Grande meets the 1975 in this vulnerable earworm that will see the Italian artist and his candour go far. It will undoubtedly be resonant for plenty of his listeners that feel the expectation to amplify their true nature to tick boxes that we never agreed to fill in the first place.

Not O.K. is now available to stream along with the debut album it was taken from, Bite on a Lemon, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leeza traverses affectionate fear in her stormy synth pop serenade, Stars

Posted on 10 August 2022

Like swathes of pop fans, we have been caught up in the hype amassing around LA-based singer-songwriter Leeza’s latest single, Stars. A month on from the July release, the smoothly interstellar single has racked up almost 45k streams on Spotify alone.

With the honesty in the lyricism acting as the centre of gravity in this future-pop-meets-old-school-pop-serenade, it’s impossible not to succumb to the romanticism as the track explores our tendency to long for comfort after someone has knocked our emotions out of orbit.

Her commanding vocals over the seductively moody synth lines proved to be a stylish recipe for pop magnetism. It is far from just titularly beyond earth’s atmosphere. Leeza is a conduit of connection who deserves to be lauded for her ability to translate our deepest fears and desires into melodic bliss.

In her own words, here is what Leeza had to say about her latest single

“Stars is a song about finding new love, and all the scary things that come with it that make you want to distance yourself from the person. Regardless of those fears, you realise that you are already in too deep anyway, and just need to give in, fall and see where it takes you, hopefully to the stars!”

With her debut EP, which will also be produced by fellow Berklee alumni, Jordan Sweet, due for release this October, she is more than worth a spot on your radar.

Listen to Stars on Spotify & follow Leeza on Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LIV brings in the next generation of Pop with ‘Just Wait’

Posted on 12 November 2020

Aptly, Just Wait definitely isn’t about the instant gratification. LIV’s smoothly funk-riding electropop single kicks off with a tantalisingly beguiling start which makes it impossible to find any complacency in the progressions. Instead, you’ll be hooked into the delectably bold ingenuity right from the intro.

Vocally, Just Wait pays ode to 90s RnB, with the genre-crumbling grooves and beats, any time spent pigeonholing those instead of appreciating their authenticity would be wasted.

The track may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the Virginia-born, Nashville-based Pop artist is on a mission to bring in the next generation of Pop instead of assimilating what has been. (She’s succeeding).

You can check out Just Wait for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NIGHT RIDE Release New Single LAY YOU DOWN

Posted on 13 November 2017

Trailed by a captivating overall musical performance which was further adorned with a catchy electro-pop sound that leaves one twirling and swirling to its gracious vibe, Night Ride really proved that they are still belligerent, camera-ready and more focused to reach the zenith of their music career in their sojourn thus far. This duo is the next best thing to happen to the Electro-pop music industry.

No, this is not like the usual drudge we do take in with a hard pinch of salt, It only takes 3 seconds out 4 minutes total play time of this amazing song for you to be entrapped and unfurled into a forever porch light of beautiful reverie.

So out goes the pop-electro-rock hybrid; which in its place sits a broad EDM party mix that initially manifested itself as One Republic pastiche on a subtle tale of unrequited love and emotional trauma. It’s exactly when the beam of awesomely pitched melody and amazing sexy vocals entwines with the synth-pop vibe of this song that its power of transfixion sets in.

The accentuate music group; Night Ride, is an electronic pop duo embracing synth-pop and rock, and fusing it with theatre, fashion, technology and art which creates a comfort zone that feels genuine.

Night Ride band draws their inspiration on this song from the tale of their sexual experience and couple of situation-ships which isn’t really what you would likely notice at the first listen since the vibe would rather make you pay less attention to the lyrics of the song. This also further backed up the reason why their music influencers happen to be the likes The Weeknd, CHVRCHES, Grimes, GusGus, and Paramore.

As the first track to be released from their forthcoming E.P. ‘Neon Dreams’, Lay You Down gives a good insight of what to expect from the up and coming duo and I simply hope they’d surpass my imagination just like they did in this song when I eventually get my hands on their EP album when it’s released.

A north star in a psychedelic milky way is the overriding theme of Night Ride’s “Lay You Down”. Everything was more than I expected. Simply put, It was nothing short of class and quality.

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-Lilian-Debrah.

A&R Factory Present: Jade Naraine

Posted on 10 April 2017

Jade Naraine is 21 year old Pop artist from Toronto, ON. After her single; Cause I Can’t Take Missing You secured a spot in the 2015 top 100 on media base in the USA, she released a pop/country single called; You Decided to Stay. Country music stations began comparing her to old Taylor Swift. Jade is now back in the Pop genre to stay, with her latest radio single; “Princess.”

Princess is a song based on a true story, about a young girl who’s life spirals out of control to a point where she can hardly breathe. Within herself, she finds the strength to fight the pain, as she holds onto the same dream she had as a little girl, and tries one more time. The song was written to inspire and encourage anyone who is facing any obstacle, whether it be; bullying, physical, mental or emotional abuse, emotional trauma, mental illness/depression, PTSD, girls feeling taken advantage of, especially in today’s unhealthy world, where it’s heartbreaking to hear all of the stories… where the media teaches women and men, that women are to be put low, hurt, pain… anything and everything, to never give up, stay strong and get back up because things will get better once you become wiser and realize that all that matters in life are the good things.

Jade says “I think it’s an easy song for everyone to relate to in some way. I really hope it will reach a lot of people’s ears and remind them to stay strong and keep shining, and to protect and stay true to yourself. I also want to inspire kindness, warmth and compassion towards others. It’s really what I stand for. I wish to tell my fans, I’ve been there too and that things will get better, that I am sure of!”

https://www.facebook.com/pg/jadenaraineonline