Browsing Tag

RnB Pop

TUNJI ALADE breaks the monocultural mould with his alt-RnB track, Closer

Posted on 5 April 2022
TUNJI ALADE

New York’s most experimental RnB artist, TUNJI ALADE, is fresh from the innovative release of his latest single, Closer, which moves old school soul into a trippy new wave trap pop territory.

While breaking the monocultural mould with his exotic Asian melodies, ALADE runs with his own distinctive vocal style that bridges the gap between trap, pop, RnB and Afrobeat. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but anyone that commends visceral high vibes and true originality in their RnB will easily be able to make a playlist staple of Closer.

Listen to TUNJI ALADE’s latest release here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lauren Tuchscherer shows how gravitas is brought to raw moody alt-indie RnB pop with her seminal single, Complicating

Posted on 2 April 2022

After garnering plenty of hype with her previous releases, the up-and-coming RnB alt-pop trailblazer, Lauren Tuchscherer, has released her seminally raw single ‘Complicating’.

The moody and barbed-soul-steeped track unravels as an indulgent juxtaposition for the way it feels so candid and vulnerable but still carries a slick and resounding production that effortlessly sets Lauren Tuchscherer apart from her contemporaries.

With a vocal style that sits somewhere between Lady Gaga and Eilish and lyrics that get to the core of dissonant frustration, there’s no evading the weight of Complicating. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Check out Complicating for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

West London singer-songwriter and producer Kai Justine released the ultimate break-up playlist staple with Don’t Worry.

Posted on 12 March 2022

In her latest single, Don’t Worry, the West London singer, songwriter and producer Kai Justine proved that she has got exactly what it takes to be the next alt-pop icon.

The moody yet energetic beats may not be a sonic signature that you’re familiar with. Yet, with the RnB pop vocals super-charging the self-produced mix with emboldening soul, it is all too easy to get in the dancey groove with Don’t Worry. The chorus of “don’t worry about me, I ain’t thinking about you” bites into the liberation that sparks when a toxic dynamic finally becomes obsolete.

Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey are three muses that inspired Kai to tap into her talent; even though that influence rings through in Don’t Worry, it doesn’t override Kai’s autonomy. She is definitely one to watch.

Don’t Worry was officially released on February 25th. It is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

KANITHA has us gripped in her trauma-bond exploring indie alt-pop hit, VICES.

Posted on 11 March 2022

The San Diego-hailing Cambodian-American alt-pop artist KANITHA (Marjorie Huot) has released her most arrestive RnB pop single to date with VICES, which captures the people-pleasing and co-dependent tendencies that can form through trauma-bond-forming tumultuous relationships.

If you know, you know. If you don’t, VICES will open your eyes Clockwork Orange style to the type of trauma that emotional abuse can bury within us. The lyric, “he only likes me when I’m on my on my knees begging him to give a fuck about me”, is soberingly succinct; few lyrics have captured the nefarious nature of abusers so vividly.

We can’t wait to hear what KANITHA has in store with her upcoming EP; the depth of her emotional intelligence is enough to put most artists on the airwaves to shame. And that is without mentioning the evocative weight of her light vocal timbre against the chamber pop style RnB instrumentals. We’re officially infatuated.

VICES will officially release on March 11th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gemma Danielle is the Chanteuse of 2022 in Her Latest Cinematic Jazz Pop Single, End Game

Posted on 6 March 2022

With all the class and gravitas of a 1920s Chanteuse, the Nottingham-based singer-songwriter Gemma Danielle filled her latest single, End Game, with a wicked sense of soul. The stormily cinematic single starts as a sultry ballad; it’s the aural equivalent of doe eyes, but as it progresses, Gemma Danielle delivers the parting shot in a relationship that has reached the death roll stage of dissatisfaction and despair.

To parallel her timeless style, Gemma Danielle brought a potent serving of lyrical vindication to the table in the track that hits its sonic sweet spot in the ingeniously jazzy pop-soul-rock interlude, which allows the single to groove to an unforgettable close. If any pop artist deserves to climb the charts in 2022, it is the best chanteuse we could have possibly asked for.

End Game is now available via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Moodytlb ignites sparks in his seductive Afrobeat hit, NAUGHTY

Posted on 2 March 2022

For his latest single, NAUGHTY, the Nigerian-born-and-raised singer-songwriter and artist, Moodytlb collaborated with the equally sensational Yvng Chriis to create a smooth, trappy Afrobeat hit that will get you more than ready for summer and the salacious sparks that ignite under the summer sun.

Since making his debut with his single, Letter to Aisha, in 2019, Moodytlb has come a long way in polishing his distinctive style and ensuring that the soul he pours into all of his mixes resonates. Each of his tracks is deeply personal, created as a means of expression, and produced to help others make sense of their feelings. On that basis, Moodytlb became one of our first loves in 2022. We can’t wait to see how far his gorgeously candid style takes him.

NAUGHTY is now available to streams on all major platforms via this link.

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

 

Mike Marshall reached the pinnacle of impassioned pious pop with his debut single, Jesus.

Posted on 22 February 2022

Columbus, GA singer-songwriter Mike Marshall introduced his momentously evocative vocals to the airwaves in 2020 through his debut single, Jesus. If you are yet to introduce yourselves to his impassioned pious gospel pop style, there’s no better track to acquaint yourselves with.

Sonically, the debut single, which features Darren Parrish, carries all of the hallmarks of an epic soul-pop ballad. Yet, instead of fixating on interpersonal storms, the single stands as a testament to Mike Marshall’s mission to introduce humanity to the love of and healing which comes hand in hand with faith.

Even if it doesn’t leave you inclined to run off to church, the incandescent soul in the celestially arresting soundscape is enough to lift you alone; the gorgeously layered choral vocals are enough to leave you reaching for the tissues. Based on his debut, we can’t wait to hear what his debut LP, Come On In, will deliver. Come On In was created via a crowd-funded campaign, and it will be due for release in March 2022. It scarcely comes as a surprise that his community wants to get behind his talent. Our radar is an infinitely more vibrantly soulful place with his name on it.

Jesus. Is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maria Manuel takes us to her Happy Place in her soul-pop single

Posted on 8 February 2022

“Happy Place” is the intensely soulful latest single from the up and coming London-based pop singer Maria Manuel. With the opening lyrics, “it was pretty when I thought I could have it all, it was pretty when I thought I could do it all”, you’re instantly disarmed by the vulnerable confession of previous naivety.

What few people prepare you for is how much growth can hurt when we detach ourselves from our innocence and fantasy-like expectations of the world. Maria Manuel softens the blow with the sincerity of her balladic RnB pop vocals and the minimalist yet consumingly resounding score of soft RnB instrumentals against orchestral strings. Happy Place is a track that you will want to delve into time after time for its consoling power and its minor-key earworm potential. You could listen to the radio all day and still never encounter an artist with as much soulful presence as Manuel.

You can check out Happy Place for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Santi Castro showed us the depth of his affectionate introspection with his indie RnB pop track, Best I Can Do

Posted on 5 February 2022

Since making his debut two years ago, the Richmond, US-hailing indie RnB pop artist, Santi Castro, has consistently proven to be the total package. With lyrics that reel you in as much as the juicy choral indie hooks and the sweet soulful sincerity in the harmonies, his single, Best I Can Do, is the perfect introduction.

Thanks to the finesse in the lyrics “I would give you answers even where your questions felt playing lost and found”, “I’ve been looking for you in all these other women but they don’t have a heart like you” Castro transcends the usual cliché tropes and affirms that this track came straight from the soul. Lyrical poetry like this doesn’t come cheap.

You can delve into Best I Can Do yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast