Browsing Tag

RnB Pop

Andrew Brown looks for the light in his debut RnB single, In the Dark

Posted on 17 June 2022

For his alt-RnB debut, the independent artist and producer, Andrew Brown, went all-in with the trippy minor-key melodies in his poised yet profoundly raw single, In the Dark, which lasciviously flirts with elements of pop and new wave hip hop after its sombre and ballad-like intro.

When in full momentum, In the Dark is a visceral triumph of experimentalism and straight from the sad boi soul expression. While there is a little room for improvement in the production with the slightly excessive use of phasing, all in all, In the Dark stands as an all too promising debut for Andrew Brown. You can hear it for yourselves by heading to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DRCY preserved the timelessness of old school soul in ‘Small Talk’

Posted on 6 June 2022

Pairing old school Olivia Dean soul vocals with contemporary and conversational lyrics, the Liverpool/London-residing singer-songwriter DRCY brought a resonant air of modernity to the timeless style in her latest RnB pop single, Small Talk.

The sophomore single is a natural continuation of the artist’s debut single, Butterflies, which also mused on the honeymoon phase of new relationships. This time, there is a particular focus on the addictiveness of small talk during the early stages of a relationship, where every trivial fact feels like a new beguiling piece of the puzzle.

Her radiant vocals paired with the bass-carved grooves and jazzy instrumentals don’t make for the average 2022 love song; DRCY could never be that unauthentically pedestrian.

In her own words

“For so long I have cared about what other people think of me. Insecurities held me back for so long, I just need to own it now. I want my music to inspire people to feel good in their own skin, to feel sexy in their own skin. And I hope that everyone who listens to my music knows that life is not as serious as you’ve been told.”

Small Talk is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lamar Creation soulfully hates the player and the game in his RnB pop hit, Feeling Me

Posted on 30 May 2022

Chicago born and raised artist, Lamar Creation, has dropped the ultimate 2022 RnB pop summer anthem with his latest hip hop influenced single, Feeling Me, which gives all the luxe grooves as Jay Z, the fiery passion of Frank Ocean and all of the contemporary funk of Daft Punk.

The sun-bleached electronic textures, which also find enough room to throw in nuances of Afrobeat, create the perfect platform for Lamar and collaborator, RichDaPhatt’s vocals as they seemingly drift through the entire emotional spectrum to lay it all down on the line on a relationship that is as much of a mental mindfuck as spending an hour watching the news.

The old adage may tell us to hate the game and not the player, but Feeling Me stands as a testament to the dissonance that playing games can cause in a way that may (hopefully) make people think twice about dealing with that kind of hand.

We scarcely needed his bio to tell us that Lamar is as much of a poet as he is a lyricist. It is all too perceptible through the jarring lines that keep on delivering the evocative hammering blows.

Feeling Me is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kuya! Gave Indie RnB Pop a Fresh Lick of Soul with ‘What I Gotta Do’

Posted on 5 May 2022

The Floridian genre fusionist and 90s & 00s nostalgia peddler, Kuya! Is fresh from the release of his third single, What I Gotta Do, which takes you back to the bliss of old school while showing you the future of indie soul-pop. The unapologetically loved-up track would be exceptionally placed on playlists of fans of The Neptunes, Nelly and Gwen Stefani.

Through the Niles Roger-Esque guitars, Daft Punk dancey disco grooves, Kuya!’s effortlessly soulful creative charisma and the sonic curveballs with the rap verses, What I Gotta Do is an earworm that keeps on giving. It’s the fresh lick of soul that the airwaves have been crying out for. We can’t wait to eek the dopamine out of what follows.

What I Gotta Do is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Elocin Cole brought contemporary style to classic soul with her artfully aware single, There You Are

Posted on 24 April 2022
https://soundcloud.com/locinole/there-you-are/s-FiOeguaCz2P?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Elocin Cole brought swathes of contemporary style to her classic soul meets RnB single, There You Are, which explores the adage “wherever you go, there you are”. Elocin Cole artfully intellectualised the idiom by running it through a prism of self-awareness and translating it as a signifier that the past will always catch up to you unless you turn and face it.

The single has the capacity to move you emotionally through the honeyed vocals and make you want to move through the drum beats colliding with the sticky-sweet synth lines. We can’t wait to hear what the eloquent soulstress has in the pipeline.

There You Are dropped on April 21st. You can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jspino has released the ultimate you-will-see-me single with his latest RnB-Latin-Pop earworm, Noticing

Posted on 22 April 2022

Indie RnB artist, Jspino, laid it out all on the line in his latest Latin pop-spliced hit, Noticing. The track sinks its teeth into the frustration that manifests when there is that soul-obliterating feeling of knowing that the person you want to see you the most have their blinkers on to your autonomy.

As the perfect contrast to the fiery RnB pop vocals, there’s a deep sense of melodicism that cushions the blow of the hard-hitting beats which match the progressively intense vocal momentum. It is hardly a stretch to say that Noticing is easily one of the rawest RnB tracks we’ve heard this year. We hope Jspino follows his own trend.

Noticing officially dropped on April 15th; you can check it out via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DJBrandice is more than ‘Good Enough’ in her latest gospel-inspired RnB single.

Posted on 20 April 2022

Houston TX RnB artist and producer, DJBrandice has released her gospel & hip-hop-infused latest single, Good Enough. Over a simple yet striking melody, the deeply compassionate lyrics smoothly move through notions of self-worth in the context of relationships that plant seeds of doubt.

Even with the heart-wrenching honesty in the lyrics, the nuances of Christian music brings a resolving dynamic to the release that is full of aural salvation for anyone with a confusing sense of self-worth. The instrumentals may be minimal, but with DJBrandice’s unique sonic signature written in the mix and her resoundingly evocative vocals, Good Enough is more than that; it’s exceptional.

Good Enough is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sharnelle McLean has released her artfully emboldening soul-pop single, Little Girl

Posted on 17 April 2022

One of the most artistic soulstresses of her generation, Sharnelle McLean, is back on uplifting form in her consolingly resounding latest single, Little Girl. Instead of just leaning into one genre, the inexplicably talented London-based singer-songwriter, composer and producer melded RnB, poetry, gospel, pop, hip hop and orchestral sounds under the influence of Hans Zimmer’s style to achieve her achingly stunning sonic palette.

The lyrical quality of the single easily rests on a par with the aural alchemy that spills around McLean’s organically vibrant vocal timbre. Whether you’re 13 or 59, Little Girl should be on everyone’s playlists for the way that it reminds you to speak to your inner child and make sure that she’s getting all of the mental sanctity she deserves.

Little Girl is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SAL delivered a ‘Bullet in the Heart’ in her latest retro pop earworm

Posted on 13 April 2022

It was only a few days ago that Amanda Palmer’s tweet “all I can handle right now is Enya” deservedly went viral; the up-and-coming artist, SAL may just be an exception to that rule with her latest 80s-inspired pop earworm, Bullet in the Heart.

The smooth release is as heavy on the nostalgia as it is on the soul as it moves through the retro synth chord progressions and endlessly cathartic melodies which fuse with SAL’s sweeter than honey vocal timbre that brings a vibrant and vital sense of warmth to Bullet in the Heart. The indie RnB pop nuances also bring yet another intimately hypnotic element to the single that deserves to be on every radio station’s A-list.

Bullet in the Heart officially launched on April 8th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jundae Hassan is a diamond in the rough in his vibe-driven RnB debut

Posted on 13 April 2022

Taken from his debut album, Good Vibes Only, Jundae Hassan’s standout single, Diamonds, is an evocative vibe-driven feat of experimentally bold RnB hip hop.

He promised good vibes only in his debut LP; he notably delivered in the tenderly sweet track, Diamonds which is decorated in unbridled soul and the kind of trap pop ingenuity that makes Hassan a worthy contender for the 2022 billboard charts.

After this extremely promising debut, it is safe to assume that Jundae Hassan is primed and ready to make a serious impression on the airwaves. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

You can check out Hassan’s debut LP for yourselves by heading over to Spotify or Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast