Browsing Tag

RnB Pop

Divina Blackson made the most promising pop debut of the year with her single, Twisted Fantasy

In her debut single, Twisted Fantasy, the artful soul-pop sensation Divina Blackson explored the depraved depths that lust and love can take us to in a completely candid exposition of affectionate insanity. We’ve all been there; if you haven’t, you haven’t lived.

After an intro of dream pop guitars, her sonorous vocal timbre lulls you into a state of transfixion as the compelling lyrical narrative unfurls; evading every trite cliché along the way as it traverses poetic metaphors to make the ultimate first impression.

She is well and truly one in a million; from the very first vocal note in Twisted Fantasy, the emotional weight of the release slams into your psyche. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Twisted Fantasy is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The claws are out in Harmonical’s latest single, Cat on Heat, featuring Élan Noelle

It has been a phenomenal run for the effortlessly distinctive RnB artist Harmonical (AKA songwriter & producer James Stretten) with his cinematically contemporary songs appearing on the credits of Hollyoaks and constantly spun on BBC Introducing.

His latest single, Cat on Heat, featuring the enrapturing robust vocals of Washington RnB soul singer, Élan Noelle, is yet another reason to fall head over heels for his funk-riding euphonic sonic signature.

With a narrative as compelling as the Copacabana, the lyrics in Cat on Heat are almost enough to bring out the popcorn. The dynamic that the lyric “she’s my best friend, but she is like a cat on heat” sets up a scenario that most will be able to relate to.

The music video to Cat on Heat premiered on August 11th. Check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vonsíwel – I Love It: And So Do We

Urban fusionist, Vonsíwel is hotter than a fever dream in his latest single, I Love It, which melds layers of RnB with smoothly evocative pop textures to pay a romantic ode to the object of his all-consuming desire.

The boundary-pushing singer-songwriter may be uniquely wired, but that hasn’t stopped tens of thousands of fans from revelling in the resonance of his modernist spin on RnB.

Honestly, I Love It is enough to give me unrealistic romantic expectations (as if I don’t have those anyway). Although, bravely, Vonsíwel isn’t afraid to explore the lows in life as intrepidly as the highs with his music, which is inspired by the likes of Ne-Yo, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Prince and Michael Jackson.

I Love It is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Char Elizabeth – Rock with Me: An RnB Meditation in Passion

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=EQbW7vI0FmY&feature=share

Taken from her latest EP, In2me, which delivers 20 minutes of unadulterated ethereal soul, Char Elizabeth’s standout single, Rock with Me, is a meditation in passion.

With the prominence of the trappy bass-driven beats in the minimalist production, it is all too easy to get lost in the sultry flow of Rock with Me as it acts as the ultimate soundtrack to sensual seduction.

The Canadian-born NY-based award-winning singer-songwriter and producer started by working with local bands at the outset of her career; today, her list of successes is almost as infinite as her gravitas. To name a few, she has signed to a sub-label of Def Jam records, contributed to Run DMC’s album, Crown Royal, and her vocals have appeared in Disney films. In other words, she’s an unstoppable force in the industry. Affix her to your radar and watch her ascend.

Check out Rock with Me on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Janel became the voice of emboldening reason in her RnB pop track, The Signs

If you want to hear the epitome of empowering pop, take a hit on Janel’s latest single, The Signs. The Philadelphia-hailing independent 23-year-old singer-songwriter transfuses her love for 00s pop & RnB into her always soulful tracks. But her sonic signature falls to the wayside of her unique voice and motivation to build up her listeners by sharing her experiences with love and self-identity.

The snapping beats give the softly composed melodies plenty of body under her sonorous yet shimmering vocal timbre, which you can’t help getting emboldened by.

The Signs was officially released on July 26th; check it out for yourselves by heading to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maysun reveals the dark side of the ‘Friends with Benefits’ arrangement in her latest jazz-pop serenade.

With a single as heart-wrenchingly stunning as Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Good, the LA sultry songstress, Maysun, has left us floored with her latest single, Friends with Benefits.

‘Who cares the least is the winner’ is straight-up lyrical gold; it carries as much wordsmith wit as it does harrowingly candid introspection. The friends with benefits arrangements are often synonymous with ‘fun’, but Maysun exposes the very real dark side with this jazzy pop jam.

Countering the sombre concept is the sweeter than honey instrumental arrangement, which gently sends soul carousing through this unforgettable triumph; produced by Arthur Pingrey.

Friends with Benefits will officially release on August 12th. Check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Christelle brings out her inner-saboteur in her urban dance-pop single, Piccadilly

After a break from the airwaves, London’s Christelle is back to remind indie synth pop fans why she’s the Kate Nash of this generation with her latest single, Piccadilly. Keeping the pace with her hyper-dancey beats is the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s cleaver-sharp wit, which juxtapoxingly exhibits her relatability and iconic lyrical flair in the same breath.

Piccadilly is for every one that falls hard and runs just as fast when their inner saboteur takes control. It may be the most self-aware single we have heard this year with its increasing depth and playful self-effacing personality, amplified by the magnetic sense of expressive vulnerability. Few artists deserve to climb the charts more. She’s the whole package.

Piccadilly was officially released on July 29th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Los Alva bares his introspective soul in the poetry and vibe-driven alt-hip hop single, SLDN

So far in his career, every release has been an emotionally complex blend of heavy lyrics and upbeat instrumentals to take some of the weight of the introspection away. Los Alva’s latest single, SLDN, which reached the airwaves in June 2022, is another blister of balanced resonance.

With his modernistic RnB vocals riding on the bass of the Afrobeat-inspired hip hop beats, SLDN stirs the soul as much as it speaks to it with the lyricism that does more than border on poetry. It climbs right into bed with it to tear away the boundary between rap and poetry.

While some lyricists let their ego and determination to write hits allow the pen to hit paper, Los Alva is evidently perpetually soulfully inspired.

SLDN is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mark Earnest – Just a Dog: his beats aren’t as bad as his bite

For his latest single, Just a Dog, the Ireland-born, Tokyo-based artist Mark Earnest served a stellar slice of lush RnB pop. You can’t help but drift away with the mellow funky grooves, the soulfully resonant vocals that are pinched by melancholy instead of overarched with it, and the mellow guitar-centric rhythms.

With the bedroom artist’s greatest motivation centred on bringing catharsis and compassion, he gave his soul free reign over Just a Dog, which lyrically sees him changing species to allude to his need for simplicity. If you aren’t on board with that sentiment, have you even been alive for the past few years?!

Just a Dog will officially release on July 1st. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Gemïny delivered a vindicating high in his soul-pop debut Too Close

Don’t look to your icons for the hottest soul-pop drop of the year. Find a new one by hitting play on the debut single, Too Close, from the artist and mental health advocate, Gemïny.

I don’t know what I love more, the juicy efficacious hooks up against the stridently raucous energy of rock or the Columbia-based artist’s lyrical vulnerability and intellect. Too Close isn’t just one hell of a debut. It’s a public service announcement to those confined in toxic dynamics wrapped up in an earworm that demands repeat attention.

After experiencing the crazy-making fallout of a toxic relationship that had an appetite for boundless destruction, Gemïny stepped up to the plate to speak for everyone carrying trauma from past relationships and those still confined within the malevolent grips of one. It’s enough to change your perception of Crazy in Love for life.

The inspiration for the track may be heavy; with the poetic wordplay, the nuance in Gemïny’s narrative, the Usher-Esque vocals and the seductively lush production, few singles will leave you on a better vindicating high.

In his own words,

“Too Close is a song that places you in a climactic chapter of a toxic love story, where limits are pushed past desperately failing actions, and everything spins out of control. It is a reflection on my role, a separation from the damage done, and an acceptance of how my actions played into the traumas placed on me.

My biggest goal is to resonate with those in a darker place and show them that there is life beyond that darkness. Not saying you have to put on a smile like Batman, but there is still light out there, and I’m trying to bring that out, despite everything.”

After garnering over 20k streams on Spotify alone with his debut, the humbly prodigal artist is definitively one to watch. Especially with the release of his sophomore single, Avalanche, in the pipeline.

Too Close is now available to stream on Spotify & SoundCloud.

Follow Gemïny via Facebook and Instagram