Browsing Tag

RnB Pop

West Ingston brings the Jekyll and Hyde vibes in his alt-pop hit, Bone Apple Tea.

Houston-born, Chicago-based alt-pop artist West Ingston’s standout 2021 single, Bone Apple Tea, is just as ingenious as the inventive title implies. His melodic hooks are just as clever as the conceptuality of his music.

With spoken word increments that are rough enough to make Iggy Pop’s vocals sound polished around the artist’s RnB pop vocals, Bone Apple Tea tells a story of duality that you can’t help but be hooked in by. The Jekyll and Hyde vibe adds an incredible dynamic to the tender jazzy indie-pop track that serves as an incredible testament to West Ingston’s boundary-breaking avant-garde expressionism.

You can drink in Bone Apple Tea by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dj. K-Phi made Medusa his muse in his latest single featuring Waxtheproducer & Rocky Sandoval

Medusa has been the muse of countless creatives, but few have paid ode to her powerful mystique as aptly as Dj. K-Phil did with his latest RnB single, created in collaboration with Waxtheproducer & Rocky Sandoval.

The single is a soulfully-lavish mash of RnB, trap and moody alt-pop that goes further than keeping in line with contemporary trends. The old school sense of unbridled passion is perceptible in the lyrics and vocals; what sets the release leagues apart from the rest is the resonant sense of despondency and realism when it comes to modern affection. It is impossible not to get hooked on K-Phil’s sound; he could easily reach the same heights as Yungblud and Lil Nas X with their fusing of alt and urban textures. Save a spot on your radar.

Check out Medusa for yourselves by heading over to apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stef Amadeus – Can’t Stop: Bitter-Sweet Dark Soul-Pop

Moody soul-pop may sound like a paradox, but that is exactly what up and coming artist Stef Amadeus served in her latest single, Can’t Stop, which blends contemporary dark electro-pop stylings with her imploringly powerful vocal timbre.

When she effortlessly stretches to the high notes, her harmonies carry the arresting appeal of Kate Bush; through the verses, she’ll treat you to a far more vocally vulnerable performance that breathes life into the all too relatable vocals. Can’t Stop is sure to resonate with anyone who finds themselves harbouring an avoidant personality through lines such as ‘you will never break my heart if I never even let you through, I can’t stop avoiding you’.

Amadeus’ talent is only matched by her emotional intellect that raised the airwaves’ collective IQ with the release of Can’t Stop.

The official music for Can’t Stop is now available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: Aisyah – The Way You Make Me Feel

Brunei-based alt-RnB artist, Aisyah, has been on our radar since the release of her seminal 2021 single, Slow Down. With her latest release, The Way You Make Me Feel, her sound resounds with even more cinematic emotion and brevity.

The Way You Make Me Feel was released on September 3rd; it was written to celebrate the desire and intimacy that transpires when we find someone on our wavelength and create deep and meaningful connections. The single itself is just as touching as the sentiment; with the smooth pace, ambient textures and hypnotic vocals, you’re almost lulled into a dreamlike state as the single unravels.

Her sound may carry an old school sense of soul, but Aisyah’s sound is distinctively leagues apart from other artists experimenting in the realms of alternative RnB. In addition to creating her own music, Aisyah came away from Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions studio with a discernible talent in creating an absorbing aural Mise-en-scène. She also became the first Bruneian artist to work in the American film music industry.

After working on Walt Disney’s Christopher Robin, Netflix’s Daybreak, and Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, Aisyah turned to her solo career. She wrote her debut single for James Abrams’ short film, ‘Walls’. In 2021 she moved back to her hometown to expand her reach in the Southeast Asian music industry and beyond. Judging by the success of her 2021 releases, it is safe to say that she is succeeding.

The Way You Make Me Feel is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Nashville indie-pop icon Tanner Carlson has released his latest single, Stuck 

For his latest single, 21-year-old Nashville pop artist Tanner Carlson created an indie RnB pop track that won’t fail to win you over with the dreamy melodies, intimate lyrics and straight from the soul vocals that make ‘Stuck’ anything but your average love song.
With his contemporary indie vibes that allow you to get swept up in the cinematography of the Broadway pop single, Carlson put themselves in the same league as artists such as Post Malone, Lil Nas X and Mac Miller for the way he can leave you utterly arrested by the narratives he weaves. Stuck is just one of the singles that you will find on Carlson’s 2021 4-track EP that explores coming of age quandaries with poetry, vulnerability and pure emotion.
His EP, Stuck, is now available to stream on SoundCloud. 
Review by Amelia Vandergast

JIJI brings the cinematic passion of old school soul in her debut indie-pop hit, My Place

RnB pop artist JIJI has released her debut single, My Place, which brings the intimacy of contemporary indie and all of the cinematic passion of old school soul. My Place starts as a minimalist acoustic track, led by the warm, lush tones of the guitar; as JIJI raises the energy with her vocals and girl-next-door-style-lyrics, the full-bodied production starts to resound with accordance that almost feels celestial.

After such a promising debut, naturally, we can’t wait to hear more from the up and coming luminary.

Check out JIJI’s debut for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maria Manuel – True: A Veraciously Soulful Take on Love

London-based singer-songwriter Maria Manuel has released her soulfully luxe single, True, which takes RnB pop to an artfully ethereal level. With the moody pop atmosphere lingering around the pensive RnB melodies, Maria Manuel’s scorned ballad gives the evolution of RnB a brand-new trajectory.

The lyrics are as affectionate as they are ingenious and the soulful vocal timbre that brings a cinematic edge to the noir pop soundscape also makes sure that True emanates plenty of mainstream appeal.

True is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get swept up in the romantic tides of Kristin Venae’s soul-pop single, Still Here.

With the same gripping, soulful eminence as Shania Twain, Celine Dion and Maria Carey, up and coming Australian singer-songwriter Kristin Venae’s latest single, Still Here, is simultaneously a hit of nostalgia and a refreshing blend of soul, pop and indie rock.

You’d be hard-pressed to find more stunning guitars in a pop single; the jangly effervescent notes give Still Here a sweet psychedelic kick while Venae’s vocals pay ode to everlasting love. You can’t help getting swept up in the romantic tides of Still Here which precedes the release of Venae’s upcoming debut album.

Still Here is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Yona Marie has dropped her interstellar hit single, Take Me to the Moon.

With her seductive style and snipingly clever lyricism, up and coming artist, songwriter and producer Yona Marie has exactly what it takes to become the Peaches of RnB. Her interstellar hit, Take Me to the Moon, dropped on June 21st; it is the perfect introduction to her devious yet undeniably soulful class and style.

Any fans of 90s and 00s RnB will feel right at home in the empowering energetic single that follows a female protagonist trying to bank on her social capital while contending with lavish hunger. In essence, it’s a soulful affirmation that if you can get it, you’re worth it.

You can check out the sensual sassy grooves in Take Me to the Moon for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Independent RnB artist PLAZA is set to go viral again with his achingly seductive single, Still Alive.

Many RnB artists get the adjective ‘smooth’ affixed to their releases; the luminary artist PLAZA transcended smooth with his achingly blunt single, Still Alive, which resounds with the same fiery defiance that finds you when you’ve found your first shred of resilience after losing it all.

The Toronto-based RnB singer-songwriter succeeded in both capturing the tumultuous nature of the storms that can drown us in our own minds and creating a viscerally seductive release that won’t fail to evoke the same amount of passion.

PLAZA’s most popular release so far, All Mine, has garnered over 19 million streams on Spotify alone; Still Alive is well on its way to the same heights of notoriety.

Still Alive is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast