Browsing Tag

Pop Debut

Forget your ex, fixate on Good Time Locomotive’s debut new wave pop-rock hit, Lines of Symmetry

Posted on 13 May 2023

The London-hailing prodigal sons of jangly new wave pop-rock, Good Time Locomotive, put the silver lining on your last sanity stripper of a relationship with their debut single, Lines of Symmetry, which allowed them to more than stay true to their moniker.

If you thought that Stranger Things delivered a potent shot of 80s nostalgia, you’ll be wishing your hair was bigger from the first time the crooned-over chorus hits in Lines of Symmetry. This wholly relatable dance-worthy hit is the nearest thing to closure that most disenfranchised hopeless romantics out there will get; consider the absolute earworm of a melody as bonus material.

Good Time Locomotive may be a fresh-faced outfit, but it comprises a collective of seasoned musicians who have enough musical chops between them to officially dub themselves as a powerhouse. We can’t wait to roll with the emotional punches in their forthcoming EP, due for release this summer.

Lines of Symmetry will officially release on May 13; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chelsea Silva reclaimed power in her vindicatingly catchy electro-pop debut, hades has a daughter

Posted on 30 November 2022

Alt-indie-pop singer-songwriter Chelsea Silva spilt fabled glamour all over the standout single, hades has a daughter, from her spell-binding EP, But What if You Fly?

Using Greek Mythology for her narratively clever exposition on how this mortal world puts kinks in our soul, the Sydney, Australia luminary newcomer proved that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Not even the god of the underworld can match a woman determined to reclaim power and question, “why do the happiest ones leave a trail behind?”.

The catchy, moody electro-pop beats playfully pop around Silva’s sultry theatrical vocal timbre to ensure that everyone who tunes into hades has a daughter gets a shot of vindication through the quirky arrestive sensation of a debut. She shimmers with all of the star power of Marina and the Diamonds while ensuring her own autonomy is the centre of gravity in the infectious hit.

hades has a daughter will be available to stream from November 30th. Catch the earworm on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Life is but a melancholic dream in ALCHA’s candied cinematic alt-pop debut, Steady

Posted on 4 November 2022

‘Steady’ is stylishly cinematic alt-pop debut from the Parisian singer-songwriter, composer, and producer ALCHA (Alec Chassain), who amassed ample creative inspiration during his time in London before getting to work on his introspective dream pop project in 2021.

With the melodies containing blisters of Beach House and a touch of Grandaddy, ALCHA orchestrated a refreshingly original soundscape to pour his uninhibitedly honest vocals into, which will undoubtedly be a hit with any fans of John Grant. Although, admittedly, ALCHA boasts infinitely more affability than John Grant in his nuancedly quirky vocal delivery that rings with a sting of melancholy. Yet, Steady is the ultimate testament to his ability to pull luminous creativity out of dark spaces. If Steady doesn’t give you a soft spot for ALCHA, you’re officially made of stone.

Steady was officially released on November 4th. It is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Divina Blackson made the most promising pop debut of the year with her single, Twisted Fantasy

Posted on 7 September 2022

In her debut single, Twisted Fantasy, the artful soul-pop sensation Divina Blackson explored the depraved depths that lust and love can take us to in a completely candid exposition of affectionate insanity. We’ve all been there; if you haven’t, you haven’t lived.

After an intro of dream pop guitars, her sonorous vocal timbre lulls you into a state of transfixion as the compelling lyrical narrative unfurls; evading every trite cliché along the way as it traverses poetic metaphors to make the ultimate first impression.

She is well and truly one in a million; from the very first vocal note in Twisted Fantasy, the emotional weight of the release slams into your psyche. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Twisted Fantasy is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Georgia Jones digs through ‘Ruins’ in her melancholically cold debut pop track

Posted on 24 August 2022

Contrasting the warm climate that she hails from, the 23-year-old Australian singer-songwriter, Georgia Jones, unleashed a sombrely cold serenade with her debut single, Ruins.

With a penchant for poetry and influences from Taylor Swift, Lorde, Bon Ivor and Billie Eilish, Georgia Jones found her signature somewhere in between her inspirational artists. From the bruisingly raw lyricism of Eilish, the tender melodicism of Bon Ivor and the stylishly melancholic edge of Lorde, Ruins serves as a candidly contemporary introduction to the artist, who frequently traverses fear as the prevalent theme in her music. Considering that there’s little else but fear in the atmosphere these days, you would struggle to find a more timely release.

As far as pop debuts go, Georgia Jones left nothing to be desired – apart from the sophomore single.

Ruins was officially released on August 12th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shanaya gave us the 80s pop anthem to ‘Dance the Night Away’ to

Posted on 3 August 2022

Fleetwood Mac meets ABBA in the up-and-coming pop artist, Shanaya’s debut single, Dance the Night Away, which borrows a few of the iconic 80s tones before turning them into textures which form the artist’s sonic signature.

The orchestral sweeps, popping beats and Shanaya’s yearning for something more vocals pull you right into the essence of the single, which pays ode to those who are worth painting the town red with. A somewhat archetypal concept, yet, there’s a sense of mysticism to Shanaya, which won’t be getting old any time soon.

This upbeat originated debut is a sure sign of even bigger things to come from the rising artist.

Dance the Night Away is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Gemïny delivered a vindicating high in his soul-pop debut Too Close

Posted on 17 June 2022

Don’t look to your icons for the hottest soul-pop drop of the year. Find a new one by hitting play on the debut single, Too Close, from the artist and mental health advocate, Gemïny.

I don’t know what I love more, the juicy efficacious hooks up against the stridently raucous energy of rock or the Columbia-based artist’s lyrical vulnerability and intellect. Too Close isn’t just one hell of a debut. It’s a public service announcement to those confined in toxic dynamics wrapped up in an earworm that demands repeat attention.

After experiencing the crazy-making fallout of a toxic relationship that had an appetite for boundless destruction, Gemïny stepped up to the plate to speak for everyone carrying trauma from past relationships and those still confined within the malevolent grips of one. It’s enough to change your perception of Crazy in Love for life.

The inspiration for the track may be heavy; with the poetic wordplay, the nuance in Gemïny’s narrative, the Usher-Esque vocals and the seductively lush production, few singles will leave you on a better vindicating high.

In his own words,

“Too Close is a song that places you in a climactic chapter of a toxic love story, where limits are pushed past desperately failing actions, and everything spins out of control. It is a reflection on my role, a separation from the damage done, and an acceptance of how my actions played into the traumas placed on me.

My biggest goal is to resonate with those in a darker place and show them that there is life beyond that darkness. Not saying you have to put on a smile like Batman, but there is still light out there, and I’m trying to bring that out, despite everything.”

After garnering over 20k streams on Spotify alone with his debut, the humbly prodigal artist is definitively one to watch. Especially with the release of his sophomore single, Avalanche, in the pipeline.

Too Close is now available to stream on Spotify & SoundCloud.

Follow Gemïny via Facebook and Instagram

Tanisha Sharma has made her euphoria-breeding debut with her single, Ecstasy

Posted on 28 March 2022

Tanisha Sharma made her prodigious dance-pop debut earlier this year with the release of the progressive indie synth-pop hit Ecstasy, which definitively proves that style and soul against substance is always a winning combination.

When anyone creates music for any reason but the true love for it and the inclination to breed positive sensation within the listener, it’s as disappointing as it is notable. Sharma finds a way to let her intent effortlessly resonate in the dance-worthy hit that more than has the capacity to fill a floor.

Tanisha Sharma has been honing in on her songwriting craft since the age of eight years old. It more than shows in the way Ecstasy doesn’t falter after making euphoria a theme; it resounds in every energised progression. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Ecstasy is now available to stream via Spotify.

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

 

Nikkita prescribes optimism in her debut EDM pop hit, Looking Up

Posted on 4 February 2022

From the suburbs of Perth, the breaking EDM pop artist, Nikkita delivered her internationally resonant synth-driven debut single, Looking Up. Usually, there is a compromise between evocative power and sonic momentum in the pop genre; Looking Up finds the perfect balance of optimistic vulnerability and sheer perennial pop earworm potential.

Debut releases don’t often come as euphoria-inducing as Looking Up, which uses dizzying crescendos and massive future bass breaks to remind you of the visceral sensation that comes as a consequence of finding the freedom in optimism. Yet, I do not doubt that Nikkita’s vocal timbre would be as enlivening in acapella. She has everything it takes to become the next big pop sensation; with plenty of material in the pipeline, she is one to watch.

Looking Up was officially released on January 28th; you can check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast