Browsing Tag

Cinematic RnB

Scene by Scene: Shah Brielle’s Cinematic Sound in “Issues”

Posted on 19 September 2024

Shah Brielle injected filmic sophistication into the sphere of contemporary RnB with her latest single, Issues. With echoes of Latin guitars interwoven into the lush production, the Chicago singer-songwriter orchestrated a vignette which mirrors the tremulous journey through love’s intricate labyrinth. Her powerfully crystalline harmonies resound as a beacon through the fog of emotional turmoil, articulating the push and pull of a love that’s as intoxicating as it is flawed.

The track unfurls like a cinematic narrative, each lyric threading deeper into the listener’s consciousness, much like waiting for a film’s climax with bated breath. With lyrics such as “Will I continue to swim through the flood to find your flame?” she encapsulates the desperation and determination of clinging to a flickering hope in love. This emotional odyssey is paralleled visually in a gripping music video that portrays a groom’s resolve as his wedding day unfolds with unexpected trials, prompting viewers to question the resilience of love.

After breaking onto the Chicago music scene in 2013, Shah Brielle has amassed a loyal following with her syntheses of world-music-heightened RnB and soul, which reflects her adoration for icons like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.

Stream the official music video for Issues which premiered on September 6th on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jess Fuller lent her jazzy RnB etherealism to soulful realism in her post-breakup redemption arc, My Enemy

Posted on 29 January 2024

Jess Fuller’s seminal single, My Enemy, taken from her debut EP, Alchemy, unravels as a mesmerising blend of jazzy R&B grooves and soul-aching poetry. It’s a luxurious auditory journey, guided by Fuller’s smoky vocal timbre, her masterful command of the keyboard, and the equally as sharp command she holds over her audience as she keeps them captive to her luxe aura.

Fuller, a Los Angeles-based maestro of melody draws inspiration from eclectic influences like Hiatus Kaiyote and Stevie Wonder before crafting soundscapes that are as dreamy as they are grounded in soulful realism. The Jess Fuller Trio, with its rhythmic versatility, adds layers of depth to the track, making it resonate with anyone who’s ever navigated the turbulent waters of love and loss.

My Enemy delves into the complexities of affection turning into affliction. Fuller’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of the post-breakup journey. From the ashes of a relationship marred by control and power play to the triumphant stride into newfound independence and regained strength. The production is a cinematic masterpiece, directed by dreamy vox and catchy melodies. Yet, it is the fatalistic shots fired towards the protagonists who need to deplete your power to hold any of their own over you that become the defining feature of this scintillating redemption arc.

Stream the Alchemy EP by Jess Fuller in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

YXL AYO takes the title back from Eilish with his RnB hit “Bad Guy”

Posted on 15 October 2020

Billie Eilish certainly didn’t claim ‘Bad Guy’ as a title, but she made it hard for any other artists to make it their own. Up and coming RnB artist YXL AYO soulfully succeeded with their 2020 release.

Bad Guy is a return to form for YXL AYO. But this time, with producer Super Beats on side, he’s cooked up a melodic aural storm which the airwaves simply can’t ignore.

The transfixing grooving rhythms easily distinguish themselves as superior from the rest while YXL AYO will remind you why you fell in love with RnB in the first place with their vocals; the unfiltered and indulgent romanticism which you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

You can check out the evocatively cinematic official music video to YXL AYO’s single Bad Guy for yourselves by heading over to Vimeo.

Review by Amelia Vandergast