Browsing Tag

pop ballad

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

Shir Tal-Ezer has released the most intense ballad of the year with ‘I Don’t Know How to Let Go’.

Posted on 23 July 2021

Shir Tal-Ezer tells the time-old tale of our human incapacity to let go with her phenomenal contemporary ballad ‘I Don’t Know How to Let Go’.

The singer-songwriter incorporated stabbing neo-classic keys, searing rock n roll guitar solos and stomach-churning crescendos alongside her conversational balladic vocals for maximum evocative impact. The progressive single ensures that your rhythmic pulses are intrinsically combined with the bitter-sweet melodies. The unpredictable time signatures and progressions leave you broadsided every time the soundscape takes another dramatic turn. Calling Shir Tal-Ezer’s single ingenious is far from hyperbolic.

I Don’t Know How to Let Go is now available to stream on Spotify. Or, you can check out the official music video here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mad Gallica evokes awe and emotion in her cinematic ballad, ‘Souls on Fire’.

Posted on 4 July 2021
Mad Gallica

For her latest single, the classically trained singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Mad Gallica wrote a cinematic pop ballad about supernatural romance; the orchestral soundscape is just as immersive as the deeply meta story weaved by the LA-based artist.

‘Souls on Fire’ is one of those tragically rare singles that evokes the perfect balance of awe and emotion as you listen to the fierce yet flawlessly pitched vocal crescendos. The LA/Nashville-based artist’s degree in vocal performance from the Musician’s Institute in LA was discernibly worth every cent.

She has toured the world as a keyboardist and backup vocalist, although I couldn’t easily name many voices that Mad Gallica couldn’t easily outshine. She has opened for the likes of Metallica, System of a Down, Ozzy and Guns and Roses.

Check out Mad Gallica via her website, YouTube and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast