Browsing Tag

RnB Trap

Get high with the Dancehall rhythms in Yugí’s RnB release, CHEMSEX

Stan Smith, known artistically as Yugí, intoxicated through his fluid fusion of RnB, Dancehall, and trap in his latest single CHEMSEX. The Melbourne-based, French-English artist weaved his cross-continental influences into the track that locks you into its groove and gets you in the mood. Yugí’s unique sonic identity in CHEMSEX is imbued with the salacious magnetism you would expect from a track so provocatively named; it’s a red-hot escapade into the sensory depths of Dancehall.

At just 25 years old, Yugí, who began his musical journey in Le Chesnay, France, has evolved from a casual experimentationist into a defining voice within the modern music landscape. CHEMSEX encapsulates Yugí’s daringness to defy and his ability to synthesise a sound unmistakably his own. This track is not merely a nod to influential giants like The Weeknd; it’s a bold statement of individuality and artistic sovereignty.

Yugí’s artistic palette is broad, drawing inspiration from a spectrum of genres and icons—from the emotive power of Billie Eilish to the raw intensity of XXXTentacion. Yet, with CHEMSEX, he firmly establishes himself not just as a follower of trends but as a pioneer of modern soul with infectious rhythms to literally and metaphorically move his audience.

CHEMSEX was officially released on August 23rd and is now available to stream on Spotify and Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zel? darkened the corridors of trap with his indomitably infectious release, Swag Musik

Knowing exactly how to make his flows infectious, his hooks sharp, and his beats pop, Zel? staked his claim as one of the most seminal up-and-coming artists of his generation with his 2024 LP, Mode de vie.

The standout single, Swag Musik, is an urban autograph of sheer innovation; by darkening the corridors of trap, injecting the indomitable conviction of old-school hip-hop and working in RnB aesthetics around the heavy basslines, the Maryland-hailing recording artist delivered a hit that doesn’t just live up to the hype, it leaves you hyped through exposure to Zel?’s cunningly meticulous alchemic presence on the airwaves.

After studying beats and music and consistently staying on his grind, Zel?’s music became a cultivated and twisted take on the familiar; menacing and jarringly magnetic in equal measure, Swag Musik is everything it says on the tin; the shadowy noir-esque hit is a harbingering sign of even bigger things to come for Zel?

Stream Swag Musik on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get lost in the twilight reverberations of TayFiinesse’s RnB-trap heartbreak anthem, The Party’s Over

TayFiinesse

The sun set on the conventional boundaries of RnB, pop, and trap as TayFiinesse emerged with ‘The Party’s Over’, a track that doesn’t just ride the wave of genre fusion but creates its own tsunami. This 18-year-old prodigy from Memphis, Tennessee, who grew up absorbing the rhythms of Soul Train and the genius of Michael Jackson, now channels his eclectic influences into a sound that’s uniquely his own.

‘The Party’s Over’ is a journey through the labyrinth of heartbreak, where each turn is a new shade of emotional depth. TayFiinesse doesn’t just sing about heartache; he makes you feel the shards of a shattered heart with every beat. The track is a bold foray into the realm of experimental sound, where the artist’s raw, unfiltered emotions are laid bare against a backdrop of innovative beats and rhythms.

The genius of TayFiinesse lies in his ability to blend the familiar with the unexpected. His influences, ranging from The Weeknd to Andre 3000, Dua Lipa to Prince, are woven seamlessly into his music. ‘The Party’s Over’ is a testament to this, with its smooth grooves and sudden, jarring transitions that mimic the unpredictable nature of love and loss.

Perhaps the most striking element of the track is its closing, where TayFiinesse daringly samples a monologue from ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. This unexpected twist adds layers of complexity to the song, turning it into a crafty, multifaceted soundscape that lingers in the mind.

As TayFiinesse prepares to take on New York and beyond, one thing is clear: the party may be over, but for this trailblazing artist, the celebration of music has only just begun.

The Party’s Over will call time on serotonin on January 15. stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

All that glitters isn’t gold, but Yoko Gold is luminary in his latest release, Mirage

After reading reality as one big script with social cues, the virally successful melody maker Yoko Gold injected his epiphany into his latest single, Mirage.

The Toronto-hailing artist has already achieved mainstream appeal with his debut single, Hurts Me, created in collaboration with Tory Lanez and Trippie Redd and racked up over 60 million streams. Simultaneously having nothing and everything left to prove with his third release saw him re-enter the music industry all alt-RnB grooves blazing.

Attaching genre labels to the scintillatingly sensory release feels wholly derivative to the artistry exhibited in the luxe production, which rides on new-wave reverb-swathed lines to create a sense of ambience beneath his luminous and evocatively sharp vocal lines that will ensnare you from the first poetic verse.

Mirage dropped on September 29 add it to your Spotify vibe-out playlists and get to grips with the wavy introspection.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

P wE$t pushed away pretence in his latest trap hit, This Side of Me

Since stepping onto the airwaves in 2020, the trap trailblazer, P wE$T, has run a successful campaign with his singles and debut LP, Permanent Timing. His latest single, This Side of Me, is an aphrodisiacal installation of exotic urban rhythmics, which delivers indie RnB guitars and Afrobeat flavours around his wavy with autotune rap bars that run evocatively hard.

Lyrically, This Side of Me strips away all sense of pretence to introduce the authentic P wE$T, free from facades and guises. The melancholic sting of the candour is potent, but with the intricately melodic Spanish classic guitar motifs, the blows are cushioned by the accordance.

This Side of Me dropped on September 7th; stream it on Spotify and join P wE$T’s 11.5k followers on Instagram to stay up to date with his new releases; there’s always something new in the artist’s dynamic pipeline.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Essilfie took gospel out of the church with her lush trap hit, Prayed Up

Since making her debut, the Ghanaian soul and R&B singer-songwriter, Essilfie, has established herself as one of the most dynamic artists in the game. With no genre off the table, anticipating her next move is impossible, but it is always effortless to get in the groove of her latest releases; take her latest trap and hip-hop-infused hit, Prayed Up as the perfect example.

The gritty conviction in her spoken-word rap bars is only matched by the lush sultry appeal of the reverb that spills from the instrumentals in the single that breaks the monocultural could for starters and obliterates genre and geographical boundaries for a triadic triumphant exhibition of authenticity.

As luxe as a Jay Z hip-hop production, as soulful as a Sade single, and as introspective as, well, she set her own bar here, the single that speaks through an alter-ego to traverse themes of resilience and faith is one to meditate on.

Check out Prayed Up on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Texas trap crooner, brody, is back in motion with his latest single, RIDE WITH ME

Trap trailblazer brody is back in motion with his latest 2022 single, RIDE WITH ME. The vibe-driven track proves that soulful crooning hooks more than have a place within the genre, especially when they grind along to dance-worthy colourful melodies that will get serotonin spilling to their flow.

The Independent Fort Worth, Texas hailing artist has been turning up the heat even more in the South since his debut single, Roses, dropped in 2020. In addition to cooking up his own energetic hooks, he is the founder and owner of Good Intentions Entertainment, which is set to change the shape of hip hop in the South for the better.

RIDE WITH ME is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

RnB and Trap Intertwine in Ta’Sj Pure’s Seminal Single, Lies

Taken from his debut album, So Sincere, the up-and-coming RnB artist Ta’Sj Pure’s single, Lies, is one of the best introductions to his melodically soulful sonic signature.

After a wavey intro, the New Jersey native goes in heavy with the lyrical evocative weight in his effect-laden Trap-style harmonised vocal timbre while the single progresses into experimentalism scarcely seen in the RnB scene. His tendency to play with melody and swathes of off-kilter bass transforms Lies into a completely unique RnB aesthetic that any innovation seekers will easily be sated by.

Check out Ta’Sj Pure’s debut album, So Sincere, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sham Parker has made his bruisingly confessional debut with his alt-trap track, XIX.

“Someone told me I wouldn’t reach 19, I’m trying to guess who it was, I guess it was probably me” is potentially the hardest hitting opening lyric in hip hop history. Even more impressively, it features in the debut single, XIX, by London-based alternative artist Sham Parker.

Despite the confessional candour that runs through thoughts that most would be too afraid to proclaim, there’s a sense of warmth and nihilist playfulness that instantly leaves you endeared. Sham Parker deserves to blow up for the same reason Lil Peep did; XIX exposes you to the artist’s demons as much as his sweet, creative sound that we hope to hear plenty more of.

You can stream the alt trap track for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Izzy St. Shaw takes the lead with the melody-driven RnB trap track, Money Long.

https://youtu.be/-NsRUXOuFn4

Texas-born, Atlanta-based RnB trailblazer Izzy St. Shaw has dropped his trippiest track to date with the release of his modern twist on Southern roots, Money Long. Whatever mindset you are in when you hit play, Money Long will make it sweeter as it explores the paradoxical place of money in our lives.

The wavy lo-fi RnB trap pop track comes as a result of Shaw’s eclectic affinity for Coldplay, Tame Impala and Kendrick Lamar, and, of course, his authentic talent that we can’t wait to hear more of. He’s got the soul, he’s got the style, and the lyrical intellect. What more could you possibly ask for?

The official video for Money Long dropped on October 14th; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast