Browsing Tag

Gospel RnB

Darius Marquis weaved RnB, Retro-Pop & Gospel into a Folklore Serenade with ‘Fairytales’

Posted on 15 April 2024

Like every good folk tale, Darius Marquis’ standout single, Fairytales, alters the mind through expansions of the imagination. The slick with soul and swathed with experimentation release exists between the borders of genres, exploring untrodden intersections of RnB, retro pop and gospel, allowing Fairytales to unravel as an exploratively sincere extension of candour.

Fairytales nuancedly exposits how stories shape our perceptions of the world while we’re too innocent to experience the unfair brutality of it only for those illusions to be shattered, one shot to the heart at a time. The Houston-based artist and producer charted these emotional themes with folk-esque eloquent ease, allowing the poetic fragments of introspection to flow throughout the hazy instrumental currents with melodious ease. With gospel infused into the grooves, the melodies endlessly ascend beneath Darius Marquis’ honeyed harmonies which bring luminescence to the most bitter-sweet facets of life.

If there was as much justice in the world as fairytales would have us believe, Marquis would be a #1 phenomenon.

Stream Fairytales on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Go down the rabbit hole with TaQuan MonChez’s ode to 80s soul, Wonderland

Posted on 20 March 2024

Start your 80s RnB love story by slipping into TaQuan MonChez’s latest single, ‘Wonderland’, which pours the essence of gospel into the heart of RnB. After honing his skills in a 20-year tenure as a church musician and a self-taught pianist, Wonderland showcases TaQuan’s journey and his ability to construct auditory embraces, capable of enveloping listeners in lush, hazy tones.

The ode to an ethereal kind of love, one that allows the material world to dissolve into insignificance, ensures this emotional theme resounds through each element – especially through his velvety magnetic vocals as they effortlessly ascend into a higher vocal register.

The guitar lines in ‘Wonderland’ are also a standout feature, dancing through the track with a pop and groove that’s infectious, intricate, and definitively 80s. These melodies underpin TaQuan’s vocal prowess, creating a layered and immersive soundscape.

Moreover, ‘Wonderland’ is a showcase of TaQuan MonChez’s exceptional songwriting ability. Each musical element is meticulously woven to create a tapestry that visually and sonically represents the sanctity of transcendent love. The song is a testament to TaQuan’s belief in music that resonates with integrity and decency.

Wonderland was officially released on February 16; stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Amoré The Songstress & Kolby Cordell showcased synchronicity of the soul in ‘Date Night’

Posted on 6 February 2024

Amoré The Songstress & Kolby Cordell gave the ultimate 101 on how to keep the spark alive in their collaborative contemporary soul release, Date Night, which busts the myth that dates are only for people trying to lock down a relationship.

As the smoothly impassioned gospel-esque lyrical delivery elucidates, there’s no better way of showing appreciation to your partner than putting them on your arm and giving them attention undivided by the distractions that deplete connections.

The dynamism between Amoré The Songstress & Kolby Cordell in the release couldn’t be stronger as they work together to paint a portrait of romantic idealism over the wavy layers of soul-infused lush reverb. Amorousness oozes from every euphonic pore in this superlative Valentine’s Day hit; yet, the alchemic duo grounded Date Night in a sense of realism, ensuring that by the time the intro rolls around, you won’t be left with a wanton desire for unrealistic expectations.

Date Night debuted on January 26th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Issara can make any house a ‘Home’ with the soul in her latest single

Posted on 3 December 2023

With all the grace and beguile of a chanteuse fused with a retro soul aesthetic, the up-and-coming singer-songwriter Issara can make any house a ‘Home’ with her latest single, which offers a sanctuary of sound for anyone in search of solace.

By lyrically painting a protagonist who tends to the universal yet unseen needs that we all silently crave, Issara burned bright in the consoling warmth of the vignette of unconditional affection, which spins a narrative with threads of deep-rooted connection and understanding.

Home is a homage to the concept that home transcends physical spaces, echoing Issara’s journey across continents, and encapsulating the essence that home is indeed where the heart resides.

The production is steeped in a lush retro aesthetic, where the luminous timbres of the organ interlace with Issara’s vocals to create an ambience that is both comforting and soul-stirring. The hues of gospel spilling from the arrangement are a nod to her American church roots, bringing forth a nostalgic yet timeless quality that grips the listener’s soul. This track is not just heard; it’s felt, ensuring that by the outro, one’s soul is thoroughly sated.

With an ability to blend soul, pop, rock, gospel, French yéyé, and Thai funk, Issara has created a sound that is as diverse as her heritage. The song is a promise of what is to come from her upcoming debut album ‘222’, set for release on the befitting date of February 22, 2024.

As a mother of two and a beacon for late bloomers in the arts, Issara’s voice transcends mere melody to become a vessel of inspiration, encouraging others to find their place of belonging, their ‘home’, in whatever form it may take.

Home was officially released on November 17; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Janockeil transcended with his standout RnB single, Heaven for Two

Posted on 13 September 2023

In the standout single, Heaven for Two, from Janockeil’s debut RnB LP, Wait for the Day, the intricately upraising instrumentation is stripped right back, enabling the singer, songwriter, and musician to lead his listeners to transcendence through his luxe with ethereal soul vocal lines.

His high vocal register effortlessly compliments the timbre of the indie RnB instrumental arrangement, featuring swooningly guitar work, shimmering organs, and steady percussion which beats sensuality into the soundscape that wraps around the roots of the RnB genre.

The Charleston-born, Newark-based artist found his voice by singing gospel in church before evolving into an originator within the realm of RnB, pop, and soul. His debut LP is a testament to how honed his sound has come; the catchy melodies and lyricism, which are never shy on the topics of love, intimacy, and self-examination, hit the spot in the same cathartic way as an elixir alchemised to stir your soul and lead it on a transformative journey.

Stream the Wait for the Day LP in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keep your RnB playlists pious with Freedom Worship’s single, I’m Gone

Posted on 17 July 2023

Keep your summer RnB playlists pious with ‘Summer Vibes The EP’ from Freedom Worship; the collaborative sun-soaked EP was created with the vision of providing the ultimate soundtrack to the summer while keeping gospel at the core of the soul. It is safe to say the passionate group of enthusiastic artists who banded together from a range of backgrounds succeeded in their mission.

Driven by their belief that they can positively influence the direction of culture, the limitless artists and innovators orchestrated one of the smoothest RnB releases of 2023. The standout single, I’m Gone, featuring vocals from Charlie Hill, is the perfect reflective soundscape for chilled summer nights. With lyrics that show you the way to humbled and emboldened gratitude and vocal lines so consoling that the single becomes a sanctuary, I’m Gone delivers endless solace to faith followers and those who find their own path alike.

Stream I’m Gone with the rest of the 5-track EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gonçalo Santana penned a reflectively compelling RnB memorandum with ‘Note to Self’

Posted on 6 February 2023

Swiss RnB visionary, Gonçalo Santana, has spent the last two years spilling soul onto the airwaves with his distinctively potent approach to the genre. At the start of 2023, he released his debut EP, Brainless, which concludes with the reflective philosophy in Note to Self.

Note to Self keeps 90s RnB at its core while elevating the multi-sensory experience with elements of gospel, which will easily leave you pious to the singer-songwriter’s poetic graceful beguile. The neo-classic-ESQUE piano melodies also go a long way in implanting gravitas within the soul-stirring intimate memorandum.

Like the best things in life, there’s a bitter-sweet emotionally complex sentimentality to the quiescent RnB ballad, delivering the definitive proof that Gonçalo Santana is the real sincere deal.

Note to Self was officially released on January 27th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DMK takes us ‘Higher’ with his alt-RnB single

Posted on 17 January 2023

With a similar tonal palette to the one used in Nirvana’s iconic track, Something in the Way, in addition to the faint reminiscences to Hozier, the up-and-coming independent RnB artist DMK, well and truly came into his own through his artfully experimental single, Higher.

We fully attest to the single’s ability to take you higher through the transcendental feel of the soundscape, which breaks through from the grungy indie guitars in the prelude. The calm and collected nature of the vocals makes it all too easy to meditate on the laidback lyrics that illuminate a more mindful way of living. For your own sake, make it a playlist staple. The hypnotic textures of the track have what it takes to strip ennui from the soul by sonically alluding to the emotional quiescence we should all be striving for. The Houston-hailing artist and producer is definitively one to watch.

Watch the official music video for Higher on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Janockeil showed us ‘The Way’ in his latest RnB single and official music video

Posted on 22 November 2022

The up-and-coming RnB artist, Janockeil smoothed out the airwaves with the release of his sensuously fervid single, The Way, which dropped with the official music video that packs in plenty of hot under-the-collar flavour.

The Charleston-born Newark-residing singer-songwriter and musician transcended to the RnB, pop and soul genres after refining his incandescent vocal timbre by singing gospel in church from a young age. But clearly, there was no outgrowing the uplifting style of gospel, which resonates within the passionate vocal performance as Janockeil shows us the way to sated satisfaction through the lyrics that enlighten the soft touch of the contemporary RnB instrumentals.

The Way was officially released on November 4th. Check it out on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lank G brought in a new era of pure soul with his contemporary RnB single, I’LL SEE YOU SOON

Posted on 15 October 2022
Lank G

In his fervid music career, the dynamic up-and-coming artist and producer Lank G has eclectically experimented with RnB, hip hop, and gospel. In his latest single, I’LL SEE YOU SOON, he euphonically converged them all to bring in a new era of pure soul.

At just 20 years old, Lank G is bringing an air of ethereal maturity to his soundscapes, especially on the basis of I’LL SEE YOU SOON, which goes all in on the sincerity to the tune of the ambient lush reverb that cushions his soft percussion and velvety vocal timbre that reaches the pinnacle of smooth. Within the lyrics, Lank G finds the perfect balance between cheeky grit and ride-or-die devotion. It’s a potent mix, one that is sure to leave RnB fans hooked.

I’ll SEE YOU SOON will be available to stream from October 15th. Check it out via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast