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Indie RnB

Indie RnB Meets Jazzy Neo-Pop in JOSÉ’s debut single, In Love With You

Posted on 12 February 2024

JOSÉ wore his diehard romantic heart on his indie RnB meets jazzy neo-pop melodies in his debut release, In Love With You, which makes no bones about flooding the melodiously succinct score with the hazy hues of affection and proclamations of unbridled passion.

The hit that boasts swathes of cross-over appeal wouldn’t be out of place on a prom dancefloor, a Hollywood OST score, or your easy-listening playlists. As soon as you hit play, the lush layers of reverb which swell around the seductive instrumentals and hushed-with-luxe-style harmonies envelop you in a dream-like atmosphere, which you’ll want to revisit time after time for the way the head-over-heels aesthetics remind you that there’s no other drug like love.

It’s an incredibly strong debut for the Chicago-born and raised singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. With the promise of more releases in the pipeline, we can’t wait to hear the next installation of soulful candour from JOSÉ.

In Love With You was officially released on February 2nd; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abeni embarked on a soulful journey between past and present with her seminal single, Better Days

Posted on 19 December 2023

Abeni tapped into the collective distaste for the present through the heartfelt expression in her single, Better Days, from the debut EP, Lesson Learned. The track is a poignant narrative that encapsulates the essence of nostalgia, introspection, and the deeply human tendency to yearn for days gone by.

Abeni, whose journey from a shy, music-averse child to a multifaceted artist, infuses Better Days with a depth that is both personal and universally relatable. The song is a lament on the present, a reflection of fear towards an uncertain future, and a longing to recapture the bliss of the past.

Sonically, Better Days is a masterful blend of genres. Abeni’s background, spanning from classical to jazz and pop, is evident in the way she weaves these influences into a soulful tapestry. The track is underpinned by grooves reminiscent of 90s R&B, yet it feels utterly contemporary. Her voice, rich and emotive, acts as a guiding light through the layers of sound, ensuring that the listener feels every ounce of the song’s emotional weight.

The song traverses the personal and the universal, touching on the collective desire to find solace in the past as we navigate an often-tumultuous present. It’s a testament to her skill as a songwriter and her sensitivity as an artist.

Abeni Mason-Draffen is not just a singer; she’s a storyteller, and her stories need to be heard. As she continues on her musical journey, one thing is certain: the future is bright for this talented artist.

Stream Abeni’s debut EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Self-reflection transcended passion in FATEFROMMARS’ experimental RnB single, I DO CARE

Posted on 9 September 2023

The up-and-coming NYC-residing artist FATEFROMMARS averted all the cliché RnB tropes in the standout single, I DO CARE, taken from her debut album, HIATUS, by prioritising self-compassion over passion and favouring self-care over seduction.

I DO CARE invites you to gaze into the intimacy of the singer-songwriter’s candour-fuelled introspection by providing an exposition into how powerful it is to focus on your growth instead of depending on ephemeral love stories to fill the void and become your sole narrative.

With a kicking beat and sultry smooth indie RnB instrumentals that break into reverb-drenched soul rock riffs mellifluously flowing beneath her velveteen vocal lines, I DO CARE is the perfect track to kick back to and remind yourself that avoidance is sometimes a necessary detour on your path to healing.

By giving her experimentalism ample earworm appeal and never shying away from versing on the negatives to inspire authentic growth, FATEFROMMARS became the most seminal new RnB artist of 2023. If I could entrust one artist with the future of the genre, I wouldn’t think twice about handing the evolution over to her.

The debut LP dropped on August 31; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Move Over Eilish, Rallen is Reigning Supreme as the Ultimate Bad Guy in His New RnB Hit, Berserk

Posted on 10 August 2023

Winnipeg-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Rallen caressed the roots of RnB with the dreamily nostalgic melodicism in his latest single, Berserk.

Much like the rest of his discography, the short and salaciously sweet release gives an intimate view into his psyche around the soaring sax notes and 80s-esque synth lines. The contrast between his candour and honeyed harmonies gives the release an oceanic depth as he attests to choosing pleasure over peace and professes to be anything but the perfect romantic protagonist.

If any single proves that we’re all just tormented people trying to get by, using sexual currency to find our worth, it is Berserk. Rallen’s commitment to sonically visualising his experience of adversity and affliction has established him as one of the most authentic acts on the RnB scene. It is only a matter of time before he reigns as supreme as the Weeknd.

Berserk was officially released on July 14th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fatmowf created an odyssey of romantically die-hard soul-pop fantasy with ‘Imaginary Lover’

Posted on 3 August 2023

Get lost in the romantically die-hard soul-pop odyssey, Imaginary Lover, from the up-and-coming San Diego artist Fatmowf, who established himself as a rap artist before wearing his heart on his hazy RnB vocal lines in this pastel-hued daydream of a release.

Just as we constructed imaginary friends in childhood, who helped us to feel more assured and connected in an alienating world, the tendency to create idealised romantic relationships as our needs become more amorous is more prevalent than we acknowledge.

Who can truly say that the mere idea of someone has never created an obsessive tailspin that becomes all-consuming as a perfect future is depicted while the other person is completely unaware that they’re the co-creator of your sticky-sweet fantasies that will never materialise?

We’ve all been there, and we’ve all dealt with the subsequent disappointment when we note the disparity between idealism and realism. Fatmowf is just in the minority of people willing to admit it. The breezy indie R&B euphonic melodicism of the track is just the added bonus to his vulnerably magnetic candour. Ironically, we are now obsessed.

In his own words:

“I made the song after I met this girl at Starbucks. I got her phone number and started daydreaming about her…. a lot. Probably way too fucking much to be honest. But I did. And the crazy part was I barely even knew her! I knew her name, what she did for work (obviously) and the fact that she likes cats. She could have been a serial killer for all I knew but I was so attracted to her. Wrong, I was attracted to the idea of her, and the person I wanted her to be…”

Check out the official video for Imaginary Lover, which premiered on July 7th on YouTube.

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

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

Spotlight Feature: Ella Rossi negated adorated anxiety in her ethereal indie soul pop sophomore single, Linen

Posted on 16 June 2023
Ella Rossi

After finding her voice as a jazz singer, the LA-born, Montreal-based artist Ella Rossi has flourished as one of the most seminal RnB Pop singers of her generation. With a vocal timbre as rich as the staccato guitar chords, few ethereal indie RnB Pop soundscapes spill as much tonal sanctity as her sophomore single, Linen, which explores the sensual highs and the tormenting lows of a relationship you can’t leave in the rearview mirror, despite never knowing where you stand in it, or how the severe the wounds will be when time finally closes on it.

With a vocal range so luxe and rich it would make Elon Musk feel inferior, Ella Rossi is a diamond in the rough; it is only a matter of time before major record labels want to mine her. Her capacity to captivate with her honeyed harmonies and so-radiant-they-glow soundscapes is second to none. Rossi is the ultimate proof that if you stay in your own creative lane, there will be no one out of your expressive league.

Ella Rossi said:

“Linen is about a passionate but complicated relationship and being unable to resist the attraction, despite the potential consequences. The lyric, “wrapped in this linen”, represents a sense of comfort and intimacy while alluding to a feeling of entrapment in a dynamic where there is no longer a clear view of how the other person feels.”

Linen will release ahead of Ella Rossi’s debut EP; stream it via Spotify and SoundCloud from June 16th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sanniyah Antoinette – Because I Can: Transcendently Transformative RnB

Posted on 10 June 2023

Proving that there is nothing as liberating as thriving on internal validation and never having to justify the path you’re on as you towards your own idea of sanctity and success, Sanniyah Antoinette’s latest single, Because I Can, is a quiescent lesson in empowerment.

Forget the ‘haters gonna hate narrative’ and reach your destination with good karma in your soul by following in the footsteps of Sanniyah. With confident mantric proclamations against candourous confessions of crying just to break the silence, the singer-songwriter shared a captivating performance which left the airwaves infinitely richer in introspection.

With touches of Bjork in the ethereally spellbinding production and Sanniyah Antoinette’s diaphanously resounding vocal lines, Because I Can is a transcendently transformative hit. You owe it to yourself to place it on your playlists; it serves as a scintillating reminder that perseverance isn’t supposed to be easy, but by staying true to your autonomy and values, you can never lose.

Because I Can was officially released on June 2 – hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast