Browsing Tag

RnB Pop

Sellah reworked Frank Ocean’s ‘Thinkin Bout You’ in his latest release.

Posted on 24 June 2021

For his latest single, the international artist Sellah (Whitney-Michael McCloud) reworked Frank Ocean’s iconic single, Thinkin Bout You; he well and truly made the soundscape his own while still keeping the soulfully alchemic appeal of the original burning right through the release.

With the darker and more reverberant beats paired with Sellah’s stunning vocal range and the sweet sentimentality that he brings to the single through his deep emotional connection to it, it’s impossible not to be drawn in.

The artist, brand manager and editor-in-chief for IMMO magazine has set his sights on becoming a household name. After hearing his Thinkin Bout You cover, it is safe to say that he is on the right trajectory.

The seriously stylistic official video that premiered on YouTube on June 11th has already amassed over 14,000 streams. Check it out for yourselves here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Just Love makes ‘No Promises’

Posted on 17 June 2021
Just Love

Hailing from Long Island, New York, Just Love’s knack for narrative lyrics started out as a penchant for short-story writing; switching that word-craft from prose to song-writing, spinning colourful, evocative verses and catchy little hooks in the style of Drake, The Weeknd, or Jay Z.

‘No Promises’ is Just Love’s debut single, produced by the perennial Lucas Quinn; it’s chilled, pulled-back, JL’s flow sitting tidily atop swelling synth parts and stop-start old-school hi hat beats. There’s an easy confidence about the track, rolling vocal delivery meshing tidily with the backing, the whole thing grooving and grinding in equal measure; ‘No Promises’ might be Just Love’s debut, but despite the title this certainly shows promise for the future.

Check out Just Love here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Revisit 90s RnB with Kule T’s new single, ‘The Deal’

Posted on 13 June 2021
Kule T

‘The Deal’ is just one of the tracks that feature on UK-based singer-songwriter Kule T’s debut RnB dance-pop EP, ‘Emotional Rollercoaster’; it eclipses the 90s while welcoming in the future of soul-infused dance-pop.

After spending time in the Sony/Columbia-signed band, MN8 in the 90s, Kule T definitely knows his way around the RnB sound. The happy grooves in The Deal capture the euphoria of getting hooked on someone, while the hooks themselves will draw you into a colourful soundscape that vibes with uniqueness, seduction, and soul.

You will be able to listen to The Deal from July 9th; check out Kule T via their website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stormin’⚡️Norman gives us a shot of ‘Novacane’ in his latest single

Posted on 9 June 2021

RnB pop takes a dark turn in Boston, New York-born rap artist Stormin’⚡️Norman’s single, Novacane, taken from his debut EP Before I Go. The single poignantly shines a light on the despair that the loss of love can bring broiling to the surface as the cold chilling tones mimic the emptiness of a noted absence.

Starting with a delicate yet cavernous intro, Novacane hooks you in from the atmospheric prelude; when Stormin’⚡️Norman starts to lay down his authentic RnB pop vocals around the hip hop beats, you’ll already be hooked, allowing everything that follows to hit with bruising impact.

Since making his debut in 2020, he has garnered over 11k monthly listeners on Spotify alone. His ability to connect with his fans through candid lyrics and evocative mixes is sure to see him go even further in 2021 and beyond.

Novacane is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lizzie Hosking sends us grooving back to the 70s with her latest pop single, ‘Lose My Mind’.

Posted on 29 May 2021

After making an unforgettable 2020 debut, Adelaide’s quickly ascending pop artist Lizzie Hosking has amassed a loyal fan following with her reflectively poignant lyrics and her soulfully funk-infused instrumentals that send you grooving back to the seventies while you listen to Hosking bring in a new era of pop.

Her latest single, ‘Lose My Mind’, starts with an ethereal ballad-style intro before the acoustic instrumentals lace the soundscape with enlivening melodies that allow Lose My Mind to unravel as a feel-good feat of pop. Even if you spent all day listening to the radio, you would struggle to find better instrumentals in a contemporary pop track. Even the most pretentious music fan in your life couldn’t turn their nose up to the delicious guitar licks in Lose Your Mind.

We can’t wait to hear what else Lizzie has to offer with her upcoming material. She’s definitely worth a spot on your radar.

Lose My Mind is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Antonio Didiano pays ode to 80s pop with his RnB single, ‘I Want You Baby’,

Posted on 22 May 2021
Antonio Didiano

RnB meets 80s Pop in Canadian-born artist Antonio Didiano’s latest single, I Want You Baby, which pays ode to the lyrical, vocal and production styles of Antonio Didiano’s biggest influence, George Michael.

The sonic reminiscences may be plentiful in the synth-driven track but Antonio Didiano still manages to put his signature sound into the mix with the entrancing deep house beats that groove along with the infectiously amorous melodies. As much as we appreciated the serious talent on display in I Want You, Baby, we would still like to hear Didiano finding a more even balance between his own sound and his icon’s.

I Want You Baby is due for release on May 28th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Antonio Didiano’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Strike gold with Sirota’s self-aware RnB pop earworm, ‘Matches’

Posted on 21 May 2021

21-year-old singer-songwriter Sirota is set to release her debut alt-RnB-Pop EP, ‘Grey’; an exploration of the transitional moments in early adulthood which teach us a thing or two about self-reflection. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more self-aware artist on the airwaves.

The standout single, ‘Matches’, showcases the best of the South Brooklyn born and raised artist’s talent when it comes to painting vivid imagery with her lyricism. With the repetition of lines such as, “You just want to love me and burn”, Sirota normalises the experience of being disposed of while proving that it is possible to take being burned in your stride. The jazz-infused RnB pop instrumentals easily parallel the affable nature of the vocals through infectious electronically crafted melodies that will hazily linger in your mind for days.

Matches will be available to stream from May 21st. You can check it out for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

AK Diorr. takes us on a ride with his latest melodic hip hop single, ‘CHROME FORGIATOS’.

Posted on 12 May 2021

With so much hype around LA-based singer-songwriter AK Diorr., we dove into his latest single, CHROME FORGIATOS. The grooves in the light and ambient feat of melodically sun-bleached hip hop instantly affirmed how Diorr. has garnered so much acclaim since his debut single, ‘Eager’, dropped in 2020.

CHROME FORGIATOS may explore lavish excess, but the through his magnetism and the romanticism of the soundscape that breaks the monocultural mould, the track becomes so much more than just another series of status symbol boasts. You would struggle to find more soul in a contemporary hip hop track.

It’s easy to predict his trajectory to the top soaring in 2021 and beyond. Save a space for him on your radar.

CHROME FORGIATOS is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TAYLOR ESPOSITO breaks though with her hyperpop debut single ‘KISS ME LIKE IT’S NOT OVER’.

Posted on 10 May 2021

Shaking off her small-town-girl status, TAYLOR ESPOSITO is here with her impassioned hyperpop earworm, ‘KISS ME LIKE IT’S NOT OVER’. In the same vein as anthemic tracks by Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Cardi B, the single resounds with fervent energy but you would be hard-pressed to find any singles by the aforementioned artists with a bassline that slaps as hard.

The debut is an unapologetically archetypal pop track but with the formula perfected under TAYLOR ESPOSITO’s meticulous approach to production and her fierce attitude colliding with the bass-riding beats. There’s no denying that KISS ME LIKE IT’S NOT OVER doesn’t leave you adrenalized and insatiable to hear what ESPOSITO has in the pipeline.

If her music wasn’t exciting enough, the artist and influencer has made it safe to see pop stars as role models again.

KISS ME LIKE IT’S NOT OVER is now available to stream via Spotify. Follow the artist via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find the beauty in endings with BNZA’s RnB pop hit, ‘Dangerous’.

Posted on 8 May 2021

If you’re looking for the perfect RnB pop track for those chilled summer nights, you’ve found it with the latest single from BNZA. With its urban grooves and deeply introspective lyrics, ‘Dangerous’, explores the uncertainties which endings bring.

As BNZA’s velvety vocals flow to the kicking, ardent beats, you may start to feel your attitude towards endings shift as the lyrics address the complexity and make room for new perceptions. The repetition of the lyric, “being alone saved me, being alone made me”, affirms that a solo status isn’t a life sentence. Instead of spinning the self-deprecating rhetoric, you can follow BNZA’s lead and find empowerment in solitude.

Dangerous is available to stream and download on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast