Browsing Tag

Pop Hip Hop

The dynamic collective of emcees, High Frequency, have released their seminally sweet RnB pop track, Part Ways.

Posted on 6 November 2021

High Frequency’s latest single, ‘Part Ways’, is potentially the sweetest RnB pop breakup track to have ever hit the airwaves. Between the melodic sticky sweet indie instrumentals, the sentimental lyrics which run through the inner turmoil that transpired in spite of the affection and the velvety smooth vocals, you’d need to be dead from the soul down not to feel the weight in this frankly genius hit.

High Frequency is a music collective featuring five true-to-their-own-style emcees who respectively bring their hometown influence to the table, resulting in a mash of Memphis rap, NYC grooves, 90s hip hop flows, modern trap styles and modern gospel roots. We can’t wait to hear more infatuation-worthy tracks from this powerhouse of a collective.

Part Ways is due for official release on November 6th. You can check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Zeke Smyth – Secrets, featuring Lando Strand; tropic urban pop perfection.

Posted on 29 October 2021

Cleveland, Ohio aural experimentalist, Zeke Smyth, pulls his inspiration from a diverse pool of pop, rock, hip hop and soul; he doesn’t break boundaries; he refuses to acknowledge their existence when orchestrating his pop-rap hits.

His latest single, Secrets, featuring Lando Strand, is tropic pop perfection. The catchy vocal melodies never allow your attention to falter while the sticky with soul track unfolds. Vibes don’t get much higher than Secrets which explores verbal intimacy through sentimental lyrics and up-vibe tranquil 808s that will leave you hooked on Zeke’s sound.

Secrets is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

CPTime brings it ‘Home’ in his latest high-vibe poppy hip hop single.

Posted on 19 October 2021

Douglassville-hailing artist CPTime has sent ripples through the Pennsylvania hip hop scene with his dynamic flows, constantly evolving style and commitment to keeping his lyricism clean.

His latest single, Home, pays ode to the people that instantly make us feel right at home in their company – regardless of where we are or how long they’ve been lighting up our lives. The grooving pop elements in this old school-inspired hip hop track ensure that right from the intro, you ironically feel right at home in the smooth, chill, soul-infused soundscape.

Home is a major sonic shift from CPTime’s popular Halloween track, Let Us Out, which saw his lyricism go conceptually dark as he channelled Freddy, Jason and Chucky to offer nefarious high vibes. There’s no anticipating where CPTime will take his sound next with his tendency to bounce between party hip hop, inspirational tracks and holiday tracks; high-quality remains the only constant.

Since 2012, he has released over 50 tracks on official streaming services; the most popular has racked up over 350,000 streams on YouTube alone.

Home is now available to stream on Spotify.

Follow CPTime on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK urban pop duo Rara Loud have made an anthemic comeback with Forever Love.

Posted on 5 October 2021

The trailblazing urban pop duo monikered Rara Loud have made an anthemic comeback with their bass-dubbed, orchestrally infused hit, Forever Love.

The British duo consistently strives for authenticity; through Forever Love, they discernibly delivered. Their floor-filler consistently twists and turns around the progressive bass lines while their contrastingly magnetic personalities flood the mix with high vibes that are nothing short of infectious. Do your serotonin levels a favour and hit play.

The official music video for Forever Love launched on September 24th; you can check it out for yourselves on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MoonLee brings the funk in his hip hop track, Lights Camera Action.

Posted on 28 September 2021

Any artist taking inspiration from the vastness of the universe is worth taking a chance on; we’re all too glad that we delved into MoonLee’s standout single, Lights Camera Action, from his latest album Moonrise.

With his intellectual approach to hip hop that makes reclamations from the darkness to bring vibrance, Lights Camera Action is as infectious as a dance hit as it is soulful. It is all too easy to quote good vibe tropes in lyrics but you immediately get the sense that the single came from an infinitely more mindful place that acknowledges the darkness before defiantly resisting it with a euphoric track that brings the soul around the romantically inclined sticky-sweet sentiment.

Lights Camera Action is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ism has dropped his iconic cross over single, Grey Matter.

Posted on 24 August 2021

Any fans of John Grant’s deadpan witty drawl, Daft Punk’s danceable grooves and Nile Rodger’s guitars will soon get suckered into the latest electrifying indie synthpop track, Grey Matter, by up and coming artist Ism, featuring the soulful vocals from Roo.

Grey Matter is just one of the infectiously experimental singles found on Ism’s latest album, Blue Artist, that seamlessly entwines disco, funk, hip hop, synthpop and indie – to energizing effect. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Grey Matter is one of the best crossover tracks since RZA and Paul Banks formed Banks & Steelz.

Grey Matter is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

V!V passes the vibe check with her electronic funk-pop earworm, ‘MY NRG’.

Posted on 2 June 2021

Funky moody pop may sound like a paradox, but that’s exactly what will greet you when you hit play on the latest single released by alt-pop singer-songwriter V!V.

MY NRG is the sophomore single from the Detroit-born Chicago-raised artist that delved into Chicago’s music scene by collaborating with up and coming rappers and vocalists. After taking plenty of inspiration from Tyler, the Creator, V!V started to create her grooving loops to flow with her vocals that can only be described as radiant.

MY NRG comes with a smorgasbord of attitude, but it is all in the name of demonstrating the importance of protecting your energy and knowing your worth. It is an infectiously empowering track that you will need on your summer pop playlists as soon as you hear it.

MY NRG is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kubota got experimental with his indie-pop hip hop single, ‘Nothing for Today’

Posted on 2 June 2021
Kubota

LA-born and raised Asian-American artist Kubota found his signature sound in a fusion of hip hop and indie pop, the perfect introduction to his sound is his latest single, Nothing for Today, that captures relatable apathy, productivity guilt and that inescapable feeling of being over faced by reality.

Trappy 808s may feature in Nothing for Today, but, refreshingly, they are far more than the main course percussion-wise. The trap beats work around 8-bit style chiptune electronica to create a bed for Kubota’s endearingly deadpan vocals.

The Pacific Records signed artist is steadily racking up the streams with his prolific rate of new releases. Nothing for Today is just one of the singles released ahead of his upcoming EP that promises to be an evocatively eccentric playlist staple.

Nothing for Today will officially release on June 4th. Check out Kubota via his website or Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Belly has dropped another feat of riotous dance-pop with her sophomore single ‘Taking What I Want’.

Posted on 14 May 2021
https://soundcloud.com/iambelly/taking-what-i-want

After the success of her dance-pop debut, up and coming alternative artist Belly is here with her entrancingly riotous pop hip hop anthem, ‘Taking What I Want’,

With similarities to Neuroticfish’s industrial-electronica production style mixed with nods to the fearless icon, Lauryn Hill, Taking What I Want is an act of filthy unapologetic aural rebellion. Fleeting reminiscences may be there, but everything about Belly feels authentically candid. From her constraint-less sonic style to the galvanising energy she brings vocally to the playfully antagonising vocals.

Even if Taking What I Want was a downtempo track, it would have still left me stoked for finding such a charismatic punk-pop-hip-hop pioneer. Taking What I Want is the antithesis of plastic pop.

You can check out Taking What I Want for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ZH Livid – Why Did You Leave featuring Kaylee Hailey.

Posted on 6 May 2021
ZH Livid

For his latest single, ‘Why Did You Leave’, up and coming hip hop artist ZH Livid collaborated with RnB Pop vocalist Kaylee Hailey to weave a narratively immersive love story. The collaborative chemistry breathes between them as intensely as it does in any of Eminem & Rihanna’s tracks.

With his sights set on gracing the billboard charts, it is easy to see the Oklahoma-born-and-raised artist’s vision coming into fruition. When you consider his catchy yet poignant lyrics, contemporary yet familiar trap beats and the sheer amount of passion he pours into each vocal note, ZH Livid is a triple threat. Why Did You Leave unravels as the ultimate poetic earworm by illustrating the art-inspiring beauty within romantic regret.

Why Did You Leave is now available to stream and purchase via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast