Browsing Tag

pop ballad

Angie Hakeem clutches the sands of time in her cinematic pop ballad, Too Soon to Die

Posted on 11 July 2022

Too Soon to Die is the latest classically cut pop single from Ohio’s sincerest singer-songwriter Angie Hakeem, who stretched her glassily dynamic vocals back through the decades to remind us of how sweet our perspectives on love and life used to be.

The real beauty within Too Soon to Die is the lyrical ambiguity that allows you to implant your own experiences with loss, grief, and fear of losing into the cinematic ballad. It certainly wouldn’t be out of place in the Disney music genre with its orchestral arrangement, swoon-worthy crescendos and vocal highs that tempt the floodgates to open.

Too Soon to Die will officially release on July 8th. You can stream it for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Laura Loh delivered deeply entrenched empathy in her seminal self-produced single, Closer

Posted on 20 May 2022

After releasing her 2020 debut EP, which instantly attracted attention from BBC Introducing, Laura Loh has continued to move into her profoundly empathetic pop own. The Hampshire, UK-based classically-trained vocalist and instrumentalist is fresh from the release of her self-recorded and produced latest single, Closer.

Closer contends with the very real issue of our innate human tendency to put ourselves through the wringer every time we have realised that we aren’t infallible. In a therapeutically intimate way, the alt-pop single lulls you into a state of self-compassion, guided by Loh’s glassy vocals, the ethereal organ layers and massive percussion that aurally shows you the beauty in resilience.

If only all sonic mental health advocacy had the same visceral pull of Closer, we’d be an infinitely more self-actualised society. The deeply entrenched empathy in the single is an evocative bruiser. We can’t wait to hear what follows from Loh’s freshly discovered production boldness.

In her own words, here is what Loh had to say about her latest single:

“Closer is a song about recovery and personal growth, inspired by my experience with mental health; it is a reminder that it is okay to fall and take your time picking yourself back up. We all tend to be too hard on ourselves; I hope this song can encourage people to celebrate the progress they make every day, no matter how small.”

Closer will officially drop on May 20th; hear it on SoundCloud & Spotify.

Follow Laura Loh on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

December Fades has released his ornately anticipatory pop single, Waiting

Posted on 11 February 2022

It is always a pleasure to discover an artist that has broken through their fear of expressive vulnerability, and few do it with as much panache as December Fades in his latest single, Waiting. The LA singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist always leaves us guessing what form of pop alchemy will follow the last. Waiting is an ornately passionate score of synths, keys and other ambiently minimal effects that serve as the platform for his effortlessly outreaching vocals.

Lyrically, the single goes so far past the old adage of anything worth having is worth waiting for. Waiting is a stunning reminder that life can’t always be in motion; waiting is just a part of the human experience as another verb.

Waiting will officially release on February 11th. You can check it out for yourselves here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tyler Shamy has already released the breakup track of the year with ‘without a trace’

Posted on 13 January 2022

There are few sadder things than watching the co-creator of your memories disappear and become past tense; the up and coming pop sensation, Tyler Shamy, explored just that in his latest artfully crafted electro-pop ballad, without a trace.

Beyond the sonic finesse, it is the sentiment the single was created with that allows it to resonate as breathtaking from the first hit. With its vulnerability, the single calls all those possessive ‘I will never let you go’ pop singles into question as Shamy gives a far less toxic perspective on mourning an amorous loss. The visceral pain is there, but in place of the bitterness, there’s an acknowledgement of the tenderness in the intimacy that once existed. This gravitas-bursting break-up track should be on every coupled-up person’s playlists – just in case. The LA-based artist is evidently one to watch. Whether he’s scoring for TV and film or creating for the airwaves, he always knows how to deliver the maximum evocative effect.

Tyler Shamy’s latest single, without a trace, is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Adam Wedd reaches the pinnacle of pensive piano pop with ‘Home N Away’.

Posted on 1 October 2021

Pensive piano pop has never been quite as bitter-sweet as the latest stormy release, Home N Away, by up and coming artist Adam Wedd. The emotionally charged semi-orchestral soundscape is fraught with loss and mourning and still manages to hit a compassionate soft spot as you’re swept up in the fanfare of the theatrical elements and straight from the soul sentiment.

Despite a global pandemic, the London-based singer-songwriter’s career hasn’t failed to pick up traction. With a sell-out debut EP under his belt, accolades from BBC introducing and the freedom to tour Europe and the USA once more, he is definitely one to watch.

Home N Away was officially released on October 1st. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TIBIBI proves that romanticism still thrives in dystopic times through her celestial ballad, Aura

Posted on 28 September 2021
TIBIBI

‘Aura’ is the third confessionally passionate pop track from the alternative singer-songwriter, producer and engineer, TIBIBI. The dark and moody yet ethereally tender contemporary ballad spins a tale of loneliness and absolution through love. In a melodically powerful way, it reminds you that life is no fairy tale, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t wind up finding the salvation that you yearned for.

I can’t help admire how TIBIBI explored the fraught emotions as deeply as she delved into the euphoria of finally finding someone on your level. Aura is easily one of the sincerest songs that you will hear this year.

Aura is due for release on September 28th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abi Mia’s orchestral ballad, Shadow, resounds with empowerment

Posted on 22 September 2021
Abi Mia

Abi Mia’s latest piano pop ballad, Shadow, is easily one of the timeliest singles that we’ve heard this year; for the lyrics, she looked deep into the collective misery and burnout surrounding her, sonically, she constructed a compelling case for self-care that is impossible to ignore.

Our self-destructive need to work ourselves to exhaustion determination to be fine with everything our chaotic world throws at us is something that has been eating away at us since long before the lockdowns, but right now is the perfect time for a conversation. Abi Mia leads that dialogue with her soul-baring single that will quickly convince you to strip away your façade and allow the single to resonate with you on a deeper level.

The only question that the radio-ready orchestral ballad leaves you with is why isn’t she already a multi-platinum artist? It is only a matter of time before Abi Mia is scouted for her distinct vocals that only allow fleeting reminiscence while boasting the same robust propensities as Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Adele.

Shadow is due for release on September 17th. Check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lesse has released the most powerful ballad of the year with Runaway.

Posted on 14 September 2021

After racking up over 110k streams with his folky dark pop debut single, The Ghost, breaking pop artist Lesse is here with his latest deeply melancholic single, Runaway.

If Hozier carried the same pensive edge of Tom Odell, the sonic result wouldn’t be worlds away from this captivating ballad which uses minimalist minor-key piano notes and plenty of spatial effects to allow Lesse’s evocative vocal harmonies to resound in the atmosphere of the neo-classically inclined soundscape

The artist’s songwriting ability, paired with his vocal talent and lyrical vulnerability, make Runaway one of the most powerful ballads to have hit the airwaves this year.

Runaway is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sarah Proctor has released her essential LGBTQ+ ballad, Tired

Posted on 22 August 2021

In her latest single, ‘Tired’, Sarah Proctor treated her ever-growing fanbase to a stripped-back world-weary piano ballad that evades heteronormative stereotypes and hyper-normalised queer archetypes to paint a depiction of two women in love.

The semi-orchestral ballad carries all of the tenderness of a single by Bill Ryder-Jones, Tom Odell, Daughter and Bon Ivor. As her gentle, profound vocal timbre resonates above the sombrely minimalist keys, the vulnerability almost starts to feel like gravity.

As a queer woman who often feels ostracised by many facets of LGBTQ+ culture, it is beyond refreshing to find a relatable voice, a sincere artist looking to introduce reality onto the airwaves.

Since making her debut in 2020, the UK artist has garnered over 1 million streams on Spotify alone. Fans from all over the globe are drawn to the UK-born, LA-based artist’s intoxicatingly honest take on romanticism away from hyper-sexual toxic narratives.

The official video for Tired premiered on August 20th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat has gone viral with his bittersweet folk-pop track, Summer Fireworks

Posted on 28 July 2021

Since premiering on June 18th, the official music video for Thailand-based singer-songwriter Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat’s latest single, Summer Fireworks, has racked up in excess of 9 million streams on YouTube alone. The addictive quality of the bittersweet folk-pop melody is irresistible from the first hit.

The cinematically progressive single starts with accordant acoustic guitar notes before the soundscape shifts into a semi-orchestral lovelorn ballad that captures the aching feeling of longing. The release seriously wouldn’t be out of place in a Hollywood Blockbuster with the panoramic production and the gentle yet dramatic nature of the ballad.

You can check out the official music video for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast