Browsing Tag

Soul Trap

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

Posted on 13 August 2023

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

Chill trap prodigy Young Monte teases his hypnotically soulful sound in his latest demo.

Posted on 15 November 2021

Chill trap newcomer, Young Monte, has been teasing the airwaves with his short and sweet demo releases; his latest chillwave demo efficaciously caught our attention; it is enough to change your definition of mellow.

Despite the minimalism in the instrumentals, there is nothing about the easy, wavy grooves that feels sparse. The clever use of rhythmic ambience and spatial effect allowed the demo to deliver catharsis with a serious side-serve of soul, which mostly comes as a side-effect of the artists hypnotically smooth vocal timbre. We can’t wait to hear a full chillwave trap track from Young Monte; he’s discernibly one to watch.

You can get a taste of Young Monte’s fresh sound by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Neel Shah paints the dark side of romanticism in ‘no honeymoon’

Posted on 22 October 2021

Connecticut-hailing singer-songwriter neel shah discernibly came into his own with his latest single, no honeymoon. The first single from his upcoming EP follows the contemporary trend of pairing ambient wavy beats with pensive candour; while managing to be completely at the forefront of trippy aural ingenuity.

Mental health, self-love and compassion always fall into focus through the Queer artist’s lyrics, and no honeymoon is no exception. The confessional lyrics run through the impact of dealing with relationships while contending with mental health issues, the way he delivers romanticism and realism hand in hand is practically Shakespearean.

no honeymoon will officially release on October 22nd; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over here

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Amba Tremain gets smooth, soulful, and heartfelt with new single ‘Honestly’

Posted on 22 March 2021

South Coast soulstress and Sofar Sounds regular Amba Tremain mixed R’n’B and jazzy soul on her brand new second single ‘Honestly’, an old school classic earworm of love, longing, and loss which showcases Tremain’s superb rich, soulful voice over shimmering guitar chords, echoey drums, and slow, grooving bass. It’s a perfect track to show off that timbre, the sparse instrumentation allowing plenty of space for Tremain’s vocal to sit front and centre, warm and powerful and wrapped around the music.

There’s obvious Motown influences in here – James Brown, Aretha, maybe a little Irma Franklin too, but there’s more contemporary parts too; Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, or Beverly Knight. It’s sublime and beautiful, heartfelt and honest, and it bodes very well for Amba Tremain in 2021.

You can hear ‘Honestly’ on Spotify, and follow Amba Tremain on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Jaron Smalls – Vibes Only: Amorously Arrestive RnB Soul

Posted on 9 January 2021
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=CD07ynzzf_Y&list=OLAK5uy_me7VZtv8cbc6L_K9COPqInykNP8E27Tms

Jaron Smalls’ standout release ‘Vibes Only’ may be a short, sweet and succinct hit, but the weight of emotion allows the modern mix of RnB, Trap, Pop and Soul to hit harder than any archetypal stylistically-uninspired RnB track ever could.

The boundlessly dynamic artist has proven himself to be the vibe alchemist that everyone needs on the airwaves and their playlists in 2021 and beyond. If Jaron Smalls isn’t already on your radar, with his ability to offer arrestive escapism as you fall into his soundscapes, your sanity may ultimately depend on their amorously accessible sound.

You can check out Vibes Only for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

RnB Hip Hop artist Jay Towers has transcribed his soul with ‘Love Note’

Posted on 18 December 2020

Jay Towers dropped their most soulful single to date with the release of their fusion Indie, Hip Hop, RnB and Pop, ‘Love Note’. The vocal melody may just be the second most infectious thing to have come into fruition in 2020.

Romanticism without crass perversion in a Hip Hop track may be harder to find than a needle in a haystack, but Jay Towers was able to deliver the dominance of Hip Hop along with affable hints of affable soul in Love Note. Any fans of Post Malone will definitely want to pay attention the sun-kissed, melodically captivating hit which was officially released on November 27th.

You can check out Love Note for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Relive your digital traumas with RnB Pop artist Jace Heyman’s debut single “Drunk Text”

Posted on 22 October 2020

If you’ve ever sent a life-ruining drunk text, Jace Heyman’s debut single may bring back some raw memories, but the smooth melodious rhythms offer plenty of consolation.

The Hertford-based R&B singer-songwriter’s debut perfectly encapsulates that hideous feeling of still being in love with someone and feeling your heart break a little bit more when you know that you can’t convey those emotions anymore.

With a sound which grooves along with the contemporary curve and the fact that their first release has added a distinctive voice onto the airwaves, it’s hard not to be excited by the prospect of Jace Heyman’s sophomore single.

Drunk Text is available to stream on all major services via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shxnnon invites you to get in touch with your emotions with “Feelings”

Posted on 23 August 2020

If you’re a fan of RnB Soul classics but wish they were more fitting for contemporary and confusing times, hit play on breaking artist Shxnnon’s recently released single “Feelings”.

With her 5th single, Shxnnon ensured that Feelings pertained the heart-warmingly resolving effects of classic Soul while offering a colossal amount of stylistic appeal.

Switching between synth notes which are doused with lush reverb and delicately intricate piano keys allowed the past and future of Soul to converge in the deeply evocative hit which gives you a candid view into Shxnnon’s frustration, optimism and passion. It practically begs for repeat attention through sheer authenticity.

Feelings is available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chugi808 – Mrs Right ft. BELA: Soul-Infused Trap

Posted on 27 August 2019

Up and coming artist and producer Chugi808 dropped his latest track “Mrs Right” on July 26th, 2019, but only after they teamed up with the harmonically blessed R&B vocalist BELA to create a dynamic release which hasn’t failed to attract plenty of hype.

Sincere romanticism may be hard to find in Trap, but Chugi808 has served up plenty with their refreshing approach to the genre which infuses palpable elements of Soul into a masterfully produced soundscape. Mrs Right may be as far from Neo-Soul as you can get, but if you’re looking for a contemporary fresh earworm, you won’t go far wrong with any of the tracks on this South African artist’s back catalogue.

You can check out Chugi808’s latest single for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sy Jones – Girls Need Love: Reverberantly Smooth Soul Trap

Posted on 1 January 2019

While you never expect a Trap Soul to be deep and reverberant, that’s not to say it isn’t a pleasant surprise when the bass-heavy rhythm hit you. Which is exactly what you get with the up and coming Oakland, US-based artist Sy Jones’ recent drop “Girls Need Love”. The reverb-heavy beat sets the perfect platform for Sy Jones to lay down his R&B vocals and feed into the richly resounding melody of the track, and it’s safe to say that his fans found the beats as infectious as we did. In the space of 2:22-minutes you’re treated to an unforgettably smooth mix complemented with lyrics which are so salacious they are bordering on crass. Yet, the stylish execution of Girls Need Love is enough to ensure that you’ll want the single as a feature on your R&B, Trap, or Soul playlists.

You can check out Sy Jones’ single Girls Need Love for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast