Seemingly, no genre was off-limits in The Violet Nines’ latest single, Dancing with Fire, which melds angular indie guitars with fiery soul-pop vocals, disco grooves, jazzy sax stabs and funk-to-the-core basslines.
It is rare to find an outfit that oozes talent and euphoria in equal measure; the rhythm-led Minneapolis-hailing ensemble is a dynamic exception to that rule. The record is rampant with that irreplicable live music feel; we can only imagine the energy when they are bringing their collaborative alchemy to life. It feels purely accidental that their sonic signature is so commercial, but that strips none of the gloss from their enlivening distinction.
The official video for Dancing with Fire will premiere on August 12th. Sample the funk for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.
After garnering tens of thousands of streams with his feel-good grooves released since his 2019 debut, the euphorically provocative pop sensation, Dante Beverley has declared The Party Never Dies with his latest single.
The 80s-inspired rhythmic riot exhibits a brand-new sonic signature that you’re going to want scribbled across your playlists; it also sets the tone for his forthcoming EP, due for release in early 2023.
The 22-year-old Rotterdam-hailing singer-songwriter takes influence from the likes of Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and Michael Jackson; notably, his inclination to enliven through disco and funk textures led the way in The Party Never Dies. Oscar Wilde would be proud of his revival of 80s synthy hedonistic pop.
The Party Never Dies is now available to stream on Spotify.
Connoisseur of melodic indie funk pop hooks, The Royal Leisure has tackled the human tendency of indecision with his latest nostalgically sweet single, Pastries. It will groove you right back to the synth-driven culture of the 80s, only after taking a pitstop in 90s noise rock.
The Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter (AKA Horace Tam), started the project with the inclination to offer a reflection point to listeners looking for a sense of perspective on themselves, the world, and all the connections we make along the way.
One thing is for sure; Pastries is a refreshing reprieve from the contemporary sonic trends. Its playful approach to aural nostalgia and even more affable inclination to drip some colour into your psyche while it forces you to question your tendency to want your cake and eat it won’t fail to stir your soul. The reprise of “this could be the only thing I want” around the endlessly ascending melodies makes for one hell of an oxytocin rush.
Take a bite for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.
Stoking the soul-pop fire that he started with his debut and sophomore single, the Columbia, US-hailing artist, Gemïny, has added even more fuel through his third single, Hesitation.
Around the snapping beats, the kaleidoscopic glow of the delayed guitars, and funk basslines that amplify the amorous energy, Gemïny’s soulfully forceful vocals drive the single forward through its myriad of expressive progressions.
Lyrically, Gemïny spoke to everyone who knows how it feels to lose composure and descend to the depths of destruction in affection-inspired mania, which proves that love & lust are some of the most powerful drugs of all.
After racking up over 50k streams on SoundCloud with his sophomore single, Too Close, there is seemingly little in the way of Gemïny’s ascent to soul-pop fame.
Here is what Gemïny had to say on his third single:
After the heavier content in my previous two releases, with Hesitation, I used a lighter narrative while addressing the story at hand. It speaks to everyone that has done crazy things for a crush (if you haven’t, please keep it to yourself, the thought helps me sleep at night).
It draws from when I uncharacteristically got into a fight at a house party over a girl. I’m extremely prideful, but there I was, a 12-shots-in freshman, breaking walls and smashing tables. A bad look overall, but it encapsulates the essence of hesitation. The juvenile way you impress a crush in grade school; that conflicting mix of excitement and fear that reeks of teen spirit.
Hesitation will release across all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud and Spotify on July 27th.
For the last two years, we’ve followed Super Love’s autonomously expressive career. Their latest single, The Real Me,which was released on July 22nd, is their most unapologetically authentic electro groove-led pop triumph to date.
The effect-laden, almost animatronic vocals fuse into the synthwave production, which keeps the funk rhythms rolling around the angular indie guitars that add to the cold, almost alien atmosphere of the single which acts as a harbingering warning of what it means to lose your sense of self.
We’re all guilty of going into auto-pilot mode from time to time and disassociating from our souls. With The Real Me on your playlist, you’re infinitely less likely to slip into that vacuous rabbit hole.
Check out Super Love’s latest single, The Real Me, via SoundCloud.
Escape reality with Emil’s latest feat of fusionist alchemy, Up in the Hills. At just 18 years old, the Sydney, Australia-hailing artist has already perfected the art of crafting soundscapes that scarcely seem of this world.
With the artful originality, which pairs dream pop with nuances of jazz and RnB, on par with the likes of Brian Eno and Kate Bush, Emil set himself apart from the rest with his hazy, smoky, summer serenade. The best part? The complete lack of pretence while the narrative lyrics are soulfully being run through. Up in the Hills is pure sonic expressive bliss.
Up in the Hills was officially released on June 26th, 2022. Check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.
The electro funk-pop trio, Monté, has been feeding the airwaves sticky-sweet euphoria since forming in 2019. They brought out their sharpest arsenal of pop hooks yet with their summer 2022 release, Heart2heart.
Far from your average fawny proclamation of passion, the track was written for those who deserve better. With the vibrant energy in the Disco-Esque crescendos, the seductively smoky horn stabs, and the sheer soul oozing through Leah’s vocals, with Heart2heart on your playlists, you’d be hard-pressed to forget to have self-worth. There’s something subversively genius about the lyrics “you’re a piece of shit” versed through butter wouldn’t melt vocals.
Heart2heart is now available to stream on Spotify.
For his latest single, Just a Dog, the Ireland-born, Tokyo-based artist Mark Earnest served a stellar slice of lush RnB pop. You can’t help but drift away with the mellow funky grooves, the soulfully resonant vocals that are pinched by melancholy instead of overarched with it, and the mellow guitar-centric rhythms.
With the bedroom artist’s greatest motivation centred on bringing catharsis and compassion, he gave his soul free reign over Just a Dog, which lyrically sees him changing species to allude to his need for simplicity. If you aren’t on board with that sentiment, have you even been alive for the past few years?!
Just a Dog will officially release on July 1st. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.
Interest in the LP format may have waned in recent years. If anyone can make a case for them in 2022, it is the Sydney singer-songwriter Robbie Maroon, with his riotously eclectic blend of funk, pop, RnB and rock in his third album, Reckoning.
The opening single, The Fighter,doesn’t set the tone for the album that throws everything from soulful ballads to rock anthems to groove-led jams. Instead, it throws you head-first into the captivating energy and expressive soul that Reckoning was created with. The consistently evolving nature of the release never allows you to get complacent with the unpredictable transitions in tone, style and lyrical influence. Yet, each visceral piece of the puzzle binds together seamlessly.
After the early Faith No More meets Go West opener, the album careers into funkier and playfully synthy territory with Track 2, Cyberlovestory, which will resonate with everyone who had the displeasure of experiencing the surrealism of dating during the lockdowns. Crafting the track in the form of an 80s synthwave love song was cunningly clever. I think the extent of the ridiculousness of the past few years finally just hit me with its full force.
After two infectiously protestive tracks, in track 3, Maria, Maroon delivers the indie funk-pop ballad, which celebrates the sanctuary that only certain people can open the door to. The upraising vocal layering, Men at Work-reminiscent horn stabs, and the sticky sweet melodious essence is enough to make you pick up your phone and tell your favourite person you love them.
Track 4, Rewind, is the perennial soul-pop earworm of the album that gives you a view into just how much command the Prince-inspired artist has over funk-bridled rhythm. From rap bars to vocal lines that would give Seal’s soul a run for its impassioned currency, the vocals stick to your synapses like superglue.
Track 5, My Love, allows Maroon to wear his James Brown and George Michael influences on his sleeve through the slick-with-salacious-funk-disco-grooves. The hand claps against the Nile Rodgers-Esque chops bolster the nostalgic euphoria, while the smooth vocals and equally as smooth lyrics scribe Maroon’s unrelentingly sonic signature.
With track 6, Falling out of Love, Maroon proves that love goes as quickly as it comes in quick to burn love affairs before he grooves into the striking funk aesthetics of Stand. Track 7 gives plenty of limelight to the female backing vocals that raise the energy throughout the album with their shimmering old-school soul.
Track 8, I Won’t Be Doing That, leaves a similar question springing to mind as Meatloaf’s I Won’t Do That. The intriguing ambiguity in the rock-licked track grips onto grooves reminiscent of Hall & Oats, and there is plenty of room for the unpretentiously virtuoso solos. Strangely, they amplify the sense morality mystery while you wait for more clues.
In Track 9, Maroon is out of his funk in the harbingering 80s rock title single, which grieves the normalcy that forgot to get a return ticket after the pandemic. I can quite honestly say that listening to The Reckoning was one of the most vindicating and affirming aural experiences I’ve indulged in this year. While the mainstream media keeps trying to sell us fear and hate, the masses find new brands of tribalism, and everyone secretly loses their sanity in the privacy of their bedrooms; it is impossible to find a voice of reason. Thank god one exists on my playlists now.
I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing the closing single, Take a Bow before, but my tear ducts still opened the floodgates to the ode to Prince. Simultaneously a celebration of his legacy and an illustration of the impact that inspirational people have on us, the subtle and quiescently yearning single is a tribute like no other. Hell, it’s a ballad like no other.
Nu-disco meets funk-pop in the latest single from the UK pop luminary, MACY. ‘Pink Bandana’pops the bubblegum pop bubble with the overdriven guitar riffs, funk-laced bass guitar and vocals that will leave any Marina and the Diamonds fan with the inclination to make the perennial pop earworm a playlist staple.
Pink Bandana, which was produced by Owain Felstead, runs you through the early stages of heartache, seen through a sticky-sweet prism of self-empowered optimism. The emboldening energy reads through the high vibe hook-filled instrumentals and MACY’s playfully fiery vocal charisma. Together, they’e a powerfully infectious combination.
Pink Bandana is now available to stream via Spotify.
