Browsing Tag

Moody Pop

CARLOTTA answered existential questions with etherealism in her debut single, Angel

Posted on 16 June 2024

Fans of The Neighbourhood, Lana Del Ray, and boygenius have a brand-new emissary of ethereally-hued indie pop to affix to their radar after CARLOTTA, an openly avowed poetic symphonist to the dreamers and lovers, released her debut single, Angel.

Her artful approach to poignantly reflecting on how love, faith, and self-discovery often intersect as we try to comprehend our intrinsic identity while grappling with external factors capable of knocking our authenticity out of kilter tracks the highs and lows through the juxtaposing transcendent and turbulent tones.

The singer-songwriter’s vocal register is rendered with the same raw evocative power as Angel Olsen as she pours her heartbroken candour on the instrumentals that allow Angel to become so much more than your average lovelorn hit. CARLOTTA existentially questions what it means to believe in something that has dematerialised and how possible it is to find hope in desolation.

“The message behind ‘Angel’ is that even when love is hard or fails to last, it’s important to believe that it exists in the world and most importantly, that you remain a believer in the goodness of people despite your heartbreak. It’s a song about faith and holding onto nothing except this exact moment.”

Angel was officially released on June 6th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Excavate yourself away from anxiety with Jennifer Jess’ alt-pop tour de force, Evergreen

Posted on 18 May 2024

After hitting the 1 million Spotify streams mark with her debut single, Blue, in 2019 and building a loyal 18,000+-strong fanbase, Jennifer Jess has always been dangerous to underestimate. Yet, there was no anticipating what the Atlanta singer, songwriter and producer would bring with her latest single, Evergreen, which digs deep into how fear is the ultimate inhibitor, especially when it plasters a façade on our authenticity and locks us into the stagnation of paralysis.

The lyrical centrepiece, “I’ve been afraid before but more afraid of fear itself”, is all the more resounding when projected through the visceral soul of Jennifer Jess’ striking delivery which cuts as sharp as the orchestral strings which quiver over the dark and moody electronica aesthetic which sonically visualises the metaphorical storm Jess is breaking free from.

Strident, striking and artfully intense, Evergreen is far more than an aurally powerful alt-pop release; it forces you to accept that no one can help you break away from fear or keep your dog in the fight for you. The hurricane force of the production is formidable enough to convince you to create a defining point in your reality by excavating yourself away from anxiety, and that is exactly why Jess has a legion of fans behind her.

Evergreen will be available to stream on all platforms, including SoundCloud, from May 17th.

Discover more ways to connect with Jennifer Jess through her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lana Oniel reached the pinnacle of cerebral electro-pop with her darkly ensnaring sophomore single, hypothalamus

Posted on 14 November 2023

After finding her fire in the City of Angels, Lana Oniel put the devil on her shoulder to release her darkly ensnaring sophomore single, hypothalamus, which reaches the pinnacle of cerebral electro-pop.

The moodily spectral release seductively defies the pop mould with a vocal delivery which finds a way to stylise histrionic eccentricity and a beat that consistently switches, never allowing you to feel complacent in the aesthetic. hypothalamus wasn’t orchestrated to entice you into comfort; Oniel efficaciously used her early years in musical theatre to confront her rapidly growing audience with an earworm which makes no bones about using its claws to sink into your synapses.

If you can imagine meeting Lady Gaga in a dark and nefarious dream soundtracked by Melleefresh and Chelsea Wolfe, you’ll get an idea of what awaits when you delve into this perfect follow-up to Oniel’s debut, Hard Just to Be.

Hypothalamus was officially released on November 2nd. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hell hath no fury like YME scorned in her moody alt-electro pop hit, ENEMY

Posted on 8 May 2023

If you like your electro-pop dark, moody, and Avant-Garde, YME’s latest vindicating artful earworm, ENEMY, is a viciously hooked hit that will reel you in hook, line and scintillating sinker.

Never one to mince her lyrics, the Netherlands-based songstress who exudes the experimental spirituality of Bjork and a sense of conviction that leaves her in a hell hath no fury league of her own, is in the habit of cutting right to the core of vulnerable emotion and proving just how much power resides within the protagonists who wear their hearts on their sleeves. All too often, abusers mistake their ability to beat people down as a sign of strength; YME dispels that insipid myth with her highly originated demure style and candour.

ENEMY is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hila reclaimed her autonomy with her trailblazingly moody twist on bubblegum pop, Sorry?

Posted on 3 January 2023

After thriving through 2022 with her extensively playlisted singles, Easy to Lose Control and Thoughts Out Loud, the alt-pop sensation, Hila is delivering vindication hand over inexplicably talented fist in her latest single, Sorry?

The moody pop instrumentals following the staccato guitar prelude contrastingly illuminate the shimmering soul that spills from her dreamily pitch-perfect vocal timbre to the nth degree as the lyrics capture the evocative complexity of relationships that leave you doubting your self-worth before you arrive at the epiphany that people beneath you will always drag you down to their depraved depths.

With both of Hila’s previous 2022 singles reaching the 300k+ stream mark on Spotify alone, if any breakthrough artist is going to make 2023 their own, it’s Hila. The strength of her sonic palettes could carry her alone; with her proclivity to dig deep lyrically to help her growing fanbase grapple with their own anxiety and heartbreak, she’s worth her weight in gold. What Gwen Stefani was to the 90s, Lila is to the 21st century.

Sorry? Officially released on December 27th, it is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shayla Hamady – LMWYC V2 featuring KnovaT27: horror trap pop has never been hotter

Posted on 25 March 2022

With a music video that could rival American Horror Story and the way that Shayla Hamady entwines horror with moody trap melody, her latest release, LMWYC V2, featuring KnovaT27, is a work of scintillating multi-media art.

The sultry timbre of her dark pop vocals brings a transfixing edge to the track that gets even sharper when KnovaT27 brings his cutting rap bars to break up the accordance that lingers after Shayla Hamady’s ultra-vivid lyricism, which plays with dark themes and romanticism. We didn’t need the Detroit born and raised artist’s bio to tell us that she’s inspired by Eilish. Yet, Hamady still came into her authentic own in LMWYC which stands as a testament to her commitment to expressive art.

The official music video for LMWYC is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

West London singer-songwriter and producer Kai Justine released the ultimate break-up playlist staple with Don’t Worry.

Posted on 12 March 2022

In her latest single, Don’t Worry, the West London singer, songwriter and producer Kai Justine proved that she has got exactly what it takes to be the next alt-pop icon.

The moody yet energetic beats may not be a sonic signature that you’re familiar with. Yet, with the RnB pop vocals super-charging the self-produced mix with emboldening soul, it is all too easy to get in the dancey groove with Don’t Worry. The chorus of “don’t worry about me, I ain’t thinking about you” bites into the liberation that sparks when a toxic dynamic finally becomes obsolete.

Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey are three muses that inspired Kai to tap into her talent; even though that influence rings through in Don’t Worry, it doesn’t override Kai’s autonomy. She is definitely one to watch.

Don’t Worry was officially released on February 25th. It is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Melancholic Pop Meets Nordic Soul in Maren Davidsen’s Sophomore Single, Back to You

Posted on 1 March 2022

After garnering over 50k streams on Spotify with her 2021 debut single, Damage Done, the London-based Norwegian singer-songwriter, Maren Davidsen, has returned to the airwaves with her equally as phenomenal indie-pop sophomore single, Back to You.

Any fans of Big Thief, Daughter, and London Grammar will quickly come to be consumed by the toxic tale of love that is narrated through the melancholic-pop-meets-Nordic-soul arrangement and Davidsen’s vocal vulnerability.

The hypnotically harrowing yet hooky all the same single lays bare on the subject of heartbreak following an equally as soul-crushing relationship. For anyone that is still carrying buried relationship trauma, Back to You will hit bruisingly hard.

If you’re as hooked as we are, you’ll want the singer-songwriter and guitarist on your radar for the release of her debut 5-track EP, which will hit the airwaves this summer.

Back to You is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The UK singer-songwriter, Mea has released her sad-girl-empowering debut single, Sad Girl Vibes

Posted on 25 February 2022

The up-and-coming independent alt-pop artist, Mea’s exceptionally promising debut single, Sad Girl Vibes, is everything that it metaphorically says on the tin, and so much more for the way it puts to shame toxic positivity tropes and empowers through resonance.

The artfully vulnerable release melds the moody beats with lighter textures and sensibilities to make it all too easy to get on the same wavelength as the UK-based singer-songwriter and her trip-hoppy, indie RnB nuanced track. Any fans of Warpaint will want to pay attention.

The bruisingly honest lyrics in the earworm stand as the ultimate testament to the fact that just because someone errs on the side of melancholy, that doesn’t make their psyche synonymous with obnoxious misery. If anyone can tempt people into owning their sad girl vibes, it is Mea.

You can vibe with Mea’s debut single, Sad Girl Vibes, for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Natalie Lane has released the bitter-sweet dark-pop ballad of the year with ‘Lonely’.

Posted on 14 October 2021

Californian singer-songwriter, Natalie Lane, has released her most captivating single to date with ‘Lonely’. The experimentally stormy production of the atmospheric downtempo ballad amplifies the intensity of the confessionally raw single to a visceral degree.

With a sonic style that sits in between Angel Olsen, St. Vincent and Billie Eilish combined with hints of bluesy Americana, Natalie Lane’s alchemic single hits like no other. It’s heart-wrenching tracks like this that take the stigma away from the admission of loneliness. Given that loneliness is a fundamental part of our human existence, we’re sure the weight in this track will resonate with anyone that takes a chance on it.

The official video for Lonely premiered on October 2nd; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast