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Pop

Red Lips and Chanel Armour: Ches Barrow’s “Parisian Chic” Unveils the Femme Fatale Mystique

Posted on 10 October 2024
Ches Barrow

More Parisian than wearing a red lip and Chanel No. 5, Ches Barrow’s latest single, Parisian Chic, reaches the pinnacle of suave sophistication. With lively piano melodies bubbling beneath Barrow’s demure harmonies, the cabaret pop hit encapsulates a femme fatale’s power and mystique with a striking style befitting the track title.

This single, which sees Barrow return with the Schimmel piano she has composed on since she was 8, exhibits her as an artist who is as style-conscious in fashion as she is in music. Known for her success in the fashion world, collaborating with the likes of Dior and Manolo Blahnik, Barrow fuses her aesthetic with her sonic identity; the results are nothing short of alchemic.

The melody, which remains poised before descending into chaotic beauty in the second verse, mirrors the emotional depth of her lyrics – where glamour masks a world of internal turmoil. Much like her previous hit, Wild, this single is a reflection of Barrow’s talent for capturing complex emotions and translating them into art that scratches far beyond the surface.

With her love of dark, introspective themes clashing against a backdrop of superficial perfection, Parisian Chic sees Barrow at her most raw and empowered. If any single can elevate her status in the alt-pop world, it’s this.

Parisian Chic was officially released on October 9th; stream the single on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get your synth-pop serotonin fix with Skinny G Radio’s Sophomore LP, Skinny Mini Opus

Posted on 5 October 2024

Skinny G Radio’s sound always kicks straight into the soul. His latest project, his Skinny Mini Opus LP, delivers everything we have come to love about the Connecticut-born and raised singer, songwriter and performer while exhibiting the extent of his artistic evolution since his debut single in 2016.

The cheeky, cerebral and cleverly cultivated standout single, Unravel Me, is a rapturous riot of unfeigned euphoria. With all the grandeur of a synth-rock opera, all the grit of an 80s rock anthem and more pop hooks than your average earworm can carry, the single subverts pop tropes to unravel as an explosion of high-vibe energy.

Between the horn stabs, sticky-sweet synth lines and vocals, which buzz with eccentrically infectious charisma, there are plenty of ways to get your sonically intravenous serotonin fix with this hit which pays tribute to classic pop-rock songwriting while playing all of the melodic wild cards.

Skinny Mini Opus was officially released on September 20; stream the album in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indie pop’s most endearingly ruthless renegade, Stella., struck again with his latest earworm, Friendly Reminder

Posted on 1 October 2024

Stella. reached his subversive zenith with his latest alt-indie pop earworm, Friendly Reminder, which is anything but what it says on the tin. The neon-lit synth lines may deliver nothing but pure euphoria, but the lyrics, as they pour from the singer-songwriter’s euphonic vocal register, reach the epitome of ruthlessness to remedy anyone who still carries contempt for their toxic exes.

The sticky-sweet synth-pop hooks and Stella.’s organically seraphic harmonies honey the cathartically cut-throat lyrics, making you almost second guess the reprises given the juxtaposition between the butter-wouldn’t-melt textures and the vindicating attestations to how healing doesn’t always need to lead to wishing the best for someone who deserves to discover that karma is an even bigger bitch than they are.

If you constantly find yourself tied to trauma bonds, follow Stella. like your life depends on it; he’s a rare artist that can cut through the static of superficial pop, hit close to the bone and deliver anthems that are as infectious as they are empowering.

As an ingenious way of supporting his new release, the NYC singer-songwriter developed his own dating app; swipe your way into your next clusterfuck situationship here.

Friendly Reminder was officially released on September 27; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Follow Stella. on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Arlo Boe ignited a dark electro-pop inferno of infatuation and insanity with ‘Manic’

Posted on 30 September 2024

In her fiercest pop hit to date, Manic, the trailblazing siren Arlo Boe delivered a veritable earworm that could devour a dancefloor. With EDM pop aesthetics, which are as dark as they are kinetic, the electrifying anthem adrenalizes as it empowers listeners who are tired of tempering their manic proclivities when it comes to obsessive infatuation.

There are nods to Lady Gaga in her ‘The Fame’ era in the scathing spoken word increments which interrupt the Goldfrapp-esque production, which harks back to the 00s pop era while simultaneously flirting with the energy and euphoria of 80s pop. Yet, Manic is so much more than a revisitation of pop’s past; Arlo Boe ensured that her latest single won’t be out of place on contemporary pop playlists.

Arlo says, “I have always been fascinated by obsessive loves and the way people can just form these intense infatuations overnight. My favourite movie is Gone Girl and after I wrote this all I could think of was Amy Dunne, this is what semi-inspired the video which I planned, shot, and edited myself. I love the troupe of “If I can’t have you, no one can” … in an entertainment sense of course!”

Manic stormed the airwaves on September 27; stream the single on Spotify now or watch the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lauren Presley lost the past to history in her empowering rock-licked EDM pop anthem, H-I-N-T

Posted on 28 September 2024
https://on.soundcloud.com/XqdqHcpudoAN7A7Z9

Texas’ freshest pop icon-in-the-making Lauren Presley shunted Taylor Momsen and Hayley Williams to the wayside when she dropped, H-I-N-T, her latest dark pop anthem, which uses the augmentation of rock to add even more electricity to the head-spinningly hot EDM pop choruses.

The only thing bigger than the sound in H-I-N-T is the cross-over appeal of this high-octane earworm which sends pulsating surges of adrenaline to your rhythmic pulses as Lauren Presley harmonises over the distortion-slicked hyper-sonic guitars which caustically cut their way through the Grammy-worthy production.

The energy in H-I-N-T gives the recently romantically scorned all the empowerment they could possibly harness to walk away from a toxic dynamic. With this hit on your playlists, you will be unreckonable.

Presley may have gone viral since her debut single, A Little Longer,  after garnering 1 million streams on Spotify and 5.6 million views on YouTube. Yet, she remains committed to delivering unpretentious pop with universally relatable lyrics. Even if she reached the same heights as Chappell Roan, there’s a sense that Presley would never be out of touch.

H-I-N-T will drop on September 27; stream the single on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kimi Nickerson – Boundaries: The Ultimate Dark-Pop Anthem for Self-Reclamation

Posted on 26 September 2024
Kimi Nickerson

For anyone who has felt the desperation to shed the facades worn to appease others and unapologetically don their own unfeigned guise, Kimi Nickerson’s latest alt-pop tour de force is the ultimate anthem for self-reclamation.

Boundaries is an artfully moody electronic pop ballad that quickly breaks away from convention with its dark reverberant synth-driven melodies and bass-punched syncopated beats. As Nickerson layers her vocals to create a one-woman choir, the track takes on an arcane atmosphere that is guaranteed to spill from the soundwaves into your soul.

The production paints a scene of gritty defiance with its cinematic instrumentation and delicate high-end frequencies that purposefully carry the vocal narration. It is a haunting exploration of reclaiming personal power, and if you’ve ever shrunk into yourself to please someone else, Boundaries will scratch far beyond the surface.

Drawing inspiration from NF, Jon Bellion, and BANKS, Kimi fused electronic synths with modern trap and drill drums to create a genre-defying synthesis to platform her raw, thought-provoking lyrics and memorable alternative melodies.

The track is a paradoxical cocktail of soulful spirituality and dark, domineering aesthetics. It’s a juxtaposition that not only underscores the thematic power of the track but also elevates it as a defining moment in Nickerson’s discography.

Boundaries will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from September 26th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JANAYAH balanced power and vulnerability in her neo-classic pop ballad, Back to You

Posted on 24 September 2024

After JANAYAH stormed our radar with her single, ‘Can’t Get Enough,’ we knew she had her forte in high-octane pop earworms. With her latest release, ‘Back to You,’ she defied all expectations while straying from the trend of breathy, emotionally void pop ballads. This stripped-back outpour of candour sees JANAYAH laying her soul bare over near-frantic, intricately sharp neo-classical piano keys that skilfully underscore her powerhouse vocals.

The achingly sublime track explores the turmoil of trying to emotionally disconnect from a relationship once it has ended, while the mind, in its relentless tenacity, continues to chart paths back ‘home’, even when the door is firmly closed.

With roots in Auckland, New Zealand, and a growing career in London, JANAYAH has shown her versatility across multiple genres, from pop and rock to dance and DnB. Her latest single is a stark departure from her previous work, such as the EDM-infused ‘Remedy’ and the dancefloor-driven ‘Nothing To Lose’. ‘Back to You’ serves as a testament to her vocal power and ability to channel raw emotion into her music.

Currently working on her debut EP, JANAYAH is undoubtedly on a trajectory to becoming a household name. Her powerful live performances and ability to connect with audiences have already earned her significant acclaim, including features on the iconic Piccadilly Lights and a recent set at Trafalgar Square. If ‘Back to You’ is anything to go by, we can expect her forthcoming releases to be just as phenomenal.

Back to You was officially released on August 30th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anirban Jee is soul searching in the lush landscape of his RnB Pop earworm, Looking for Something

Posted on 23 September 2024

Anirban Jee serenaded his staunch fan base once again with his soulfully smooth tribute to 80s RnB and Soul, Looking for Something.

Passion permeates every progression in the lush landscape of pop hooks, funky guitar chops and reverb-radiating synth lines which carry the Australian singer-songwriter’s honeyed timbres right into your soul as he narrates the emotions which rush to the surface when you’re yearning for something far beyond the superficial without knowing exactly what you’re looking for.

The award-winning artist has done so much more than found the perfect RnB pop formula; he’s found the key to connection and it is opening all the right doors in the industry with his profoundly sophisticated and magnetised sonic signature which listeners the world over have fallen head over heels for.

Looking for Something is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Syd Taylor became the new iconic alt-pop siren with her debut single, Love of Your Life

Posted on 23 September 2024

After breaking away from the twin duo, Stereo Jane, the indie alt-pop siren, Syd Taylor, came into her own with her paradox of a self-produced debut single, Love of Your Life, which haunts with its vintage tones as much as it uplifts and empowers through euphoric pop hooks.

The symbiosis between the brashy, saturated-in-delay lo-fi intimacy and the sleeker aesthetics in the single enabled Taylor to cut away from the monotonous fray of polished with superficiality pop and establish herself as a singer-songwriter and producer in the same league as Angel Olsen and Adrianne Lenker. If you’ve ever known the red flag fear of being the subject of obsessive attraction, Love of Your Life is the ultimate reparation.

As a signifier of how much of a phenomenon Syd Taylor is destined to become, the launch party for Love of Your Life happened between the unhallowed walls of the Viper Room on September 20th. With her debut LP in the pipeline, she’s the definition of one to watch as she works her way into the alt-pop pantheon.

Stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

From Berlin with Flavour: WRY’s ‘Sweet n Salty’ Mixes Up Alt-RnB

Posted on 15 September 2024

The Berlin-based artist WRY doesn’t just fit into the contemporary alt-RnB dynamic, she has reached the zenith of it with her debut EP, Sweet n Salty, which she has been gearing up towards since she hit the airwaves running with her first single, Anywhere, in 2021.

The title track drenches the senses in the sublimity of the downtempo soul which harnesses the quintessence of RnB while pushing the genre forward through rhythmically eloquent innovation. The reverb-drenched melodies seamlessly float above perfectly syncopated beats which mimic the rapid thumping of a heartfelt emotion, crafting an atmosphere thick with anticipation and serenity.

WRY’s vocal delivery is a fiery cascade, yet it possesses a sensuous lightness that whispers secrets only the most attentive listeners will discern. With influences from iconic figures like Amy Winehouse, Banks, and Charlotte Cardin, WRY constructed a solid foundation of inspiration to construct her own authentic aural aura.

Each track in her growing discography is a shift away from the predictable, and Sweet n Salty is no exception. The emotional discourse, articulated through a minimalist yet powerful arrangement solidifies WRY’s position as one of the most promising names in the Berlin alt-RnB scene.

Stream the Sweet n Salty EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast