Browsing Tag

the weeknd

Lust oscillates through Peter Stone’s alt-RnB earworm, Living Room Flows

Posted on 13 January 2024

Peter Stone’s latest single, Living Room Flows, is a strikingly soulful synthesis of contemporary RnB and classic pop nostalgia. Stone, a deft songwriter and producer, crafted a soundscape that resonates with echoes of The Weeknd’s instrumental genius and asserts his authenticity via the vocal lines, which act as a time portal to the classic 90s pop timbre.

The track is an intricate dance of melody and emotion, where desire’s tumultuous waves are captured in lyrical resonance. Stone’s words, a fervid stream of poetic consciousness, explore the theme of desire leading to a loss of control. This narrative of seduction and surrender is skilfully interwoven with melodies that pulse with an irresistible magnetism. The result is an earworm that is both hot and heavy, yet undeniably elegant in its execution.

The instrumentation is a lush, multi-layered affair that supports Stone’s vocal prowess without overshadowing it. Each note, each beat, is placed with precision, creating an auditory journey that is as thrilling as it is emotive. The track’s production quality shines, showcasing Stone’s meticulous attention to detail and his understanding of what makes a song linger with you after every listen.

Living Room Flows will officially release on January 13; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Arrive at the brink of bliss with ACTHEKIDFROMSPACE’s euphoria-fuelled summer cocktail, POR Ti, ft Martina

Posted on 24 September 2023

Proving that summer is as much of a vibe as it is a season is the latest in a long string of seminal singles from Montreal’s brightest RnB luminary, ACTHEKIDFROMSPACE.

POR Ti, which features sun-kissed harmonies from the Argentina-born singer and composer Martina, who has been elevating the RnB, trap, and soul genres with her mesmerising vocal register, is an intoxicating tropic melting pot of genre-fluid culture.

With a few salacious lines worked into the production that boasts the same sweet, sugared, and polished sound of Owl City, POR Ti ticks all the Afro-pop RnB boxes while transcending the contemporary curve and driving you to the brink of bliss and allowing you to drift through it on cruise control.

With over 17k monthly listeners locking into his expertly rendered rhythms, the self-made Canadian artist and sound engineer has easily reached his goal of visualising his memories and feelings and allowing his staunch fanbase to vicariously live in the rapture of them.

Stream POR Ti on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zach Haselow brought purity to passion in his synth-pop hit, Rent Free

Posted on 1 September 2023

Get hooked on the reverb-heavy retrowave synth lines in the latest electro-pop hit, Rent Free, from the Alaskan icon in the making, Zach Haselow.

With a soundscape that finds the middle ground between the Weeknd and the Midnight, it is all too easy to get into the lush electronic grooves of Rent Free, which soulfully pays homage to the phenomenon of all-consuming romantic obsession while traversing the insecurities that desire can forcibly manifest.

The humbly sweet hit couldn’t be purer in its passion or more polished in its production; the melodies seem to effervesce around the funk-dripping basslines that will arrest your rhythmic pulses and refuse to let go until long after the fadeout. After spending over a decade perfecting the art of songwriting and producing, Zach Haselow has achieved a sonic signature that is as honed as it is distinctive.

Rent Free made its debut on August 18th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The San Diego Emissary of Soul, Sedríque, Held No Prisoners in His RnB Pop Hit, Sick Of

Posted on 22 August 2023

Taken from his ingeniously titled debut LP, Seduction, the standout single, Sick Of, which has racked up 50k streams on Spotify to date, is the perfect introduction to Sedríque’s fiery brand of contemporary RnB pop.

Sick Of captures the raw, messy, and visceral emotions that follow a toxic relationship and an even more toxic breakup. Some songwriters write what they think their audiences want to hear, and others stay committed to melodising harsh truths, Sedríque well and truly put himself in the latter camp with the soulful vitriol in Sick Of, which will be a hit with any fans of Chris Brown and the Weeknd. The razor-sharp rhythmics of the lyrical blows against the steady tempo of the soul-heady instrumentals created intoxicating aural alchemy that you will want to intoxicate yourself with time and time again.

After finding his voice at the age of three when he started to perform solos in the church choir and learning how to accompany himself on piano by the age of ten, the singer-songwriter’s teeth were well and truly cut by the time he focused on creating one of the most seminal RnB pop records of 2023.

Check out the Radio Edit of Sick Of by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Move Over Eilish, Rallen is Reigning Supreme as the Ultimate Bad Guy in His New RnB Hit, Berserk

Posted on 10 August 2023

Winnipeg-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Rallen caressed the roots of RnB with the dreamily nostalgic melodicism in his latest single, Berserk.

Much like the rest of his discography, the short and salaciously sweet release gives an intimate view into his psyche around the soaring sax notes and 80s-esque synth lines. The contrast between his candour and honeyed harmonies gives the release an oceanic depth as he attests to choosing pleasure over peace and professes to be anything but the perfect romantic protagonist.

If any single proves that we’re all just tormented people trying to get by, using sexual currency to find our worth, it is Berserk. Rallen’s commitment to sonically visualising his experience of adversity and affliction has established him as one of the most authentic acts on the RnB scene. It is only a matter of time before he reigns as supreme as the Weeknd.

Berserk was officially released on July 14th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Wassko has unveiled his moody RnB synth-pop rendezvous, Not Around

Posted on 15 July 2023

Wassko broke ground and hearts with his debut EP, Figured You’d Care, featuring the heartbreak hit of a standout single, Not Around. With a sonic signature that scribes itself between the Weeknd and The Midnight, Wassko reached the pinnacle of RnB-infused synth-pop style in Not Around, which becomes a dualistic lesson in sincerity with the vocal contribution from Rama, who gave the other side of the love story where elusiveness has severed the connection.

Even though the Haifa-residing artist only made his debut with his genre-melding sound, which frequently borrows from RnB, hip-hop, soul, EDM, and punk, last year, he’s already well on his way to establishing himself in the industry.

His 2023 EP is a testament to how honed his skills have become; it takes a fine balance of songwriting dexterity and sonic engineering to visualise such a complicated yet perfectly-rounded hit that paints raw emotion in kaleidoscopic colour, instead of the black and white lenses which are typically used to orchestrate love songs.

Not Around was officially released on June 30; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Max LaMont captured the vibe of Hollywood in the summer with his latest single, The Last Day of June

Posted on 8 April 2023

LA alternative artist, Max LaMont, didn’t hang around bringing the summer vibes this year; his latest single, The Last Day of June, which traverses bitter-sweet teen romance tropes through an alt-bubble gum pop tonal palette, debuted on March 31.

Fans of The 1975 and the Weeknd won’t want to miss out on the intoxicating 80s RnB pop vibes that are superlatively synthesised in the intoxicating hit, which teases what is to come from his forthcoming EP.

The magnetically shy artist’s charisma is undoubtedly a major part of his appeal; everything he turns his talents to is raw and definitively the real sincere deal. Beyond his relatability lies his classically trained virtuosic flair; he is trained in operatic and musical theatre; as a result, he’s been in a myriad of live productions, including Oklahoma, La Boheme and MASS.

Stream The Last Day of June on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Can’t Promise You That: Alex Omen regrets that he couldn’t be the one on Let You Down

Posted on 25 March 2023

Feeling so much sadness and massive regret for something mentally deep that had to end, Alex Omen tells us about a sad story that millions will relate to in this romantically strained world, Let You Down.

Alex Omen is an alternative RnB and hip-hop artist who brings so much true love and care into each one of his carefully layered tracks.

”Blurring the line between modern hip-hop and soothing R&B, his songs are uplifting with a sense of melancholy. Omen names The Weeknd, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean as his major influences.” ~ Alex Omen

Spectacular in nature and sending our spirits into a rather revealing universe, Alex Omen has projected an enlightening story in the best possible fashion. Gosh, the vocals are rather dreamy here. Each note is crisp and rather special, on a planet where true romance is so rare to find.

Let You Down from alternative RnB and hip-hop artist Alex Omen sends us all into a harrowing former love picture which has sadly cracked through the sands of time. Taking us into a movie-like story and sending us shivers of details which will flood many memories like a blocked drain, to wash our tears and show us what it feels like when two hearts are shattered.

Hear this fine new single on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

LA’s Sani Knight is ‘BADASF’ in his latest slice of seductively self-aware RnB Hip Hop

Posted on 26 December 2022

At 19 years old, the LA-residing artist Sani Knight has conquered the music industry with over a million streams on his collective discography, which kicked off in 2020. Marrying RnB and new wave hip-hop, his latest single, BADASF, allows wavy RnB melodies to seductively flow to the solid trappy beats.

If that wasn’t enough to get you in the mood, the pop-pinched effect-laden vocals that flow as mellifluously as the instrumental melodies in the short and sweet hit are hypnotic in their salacious vibe. Lyrical gold runs through the entire duration, but no line hits harder than “even if we don’t feel the same tomorrow, even if the love we made is hollow”.

Few artists are more self-aware of the inclination of wanting to ride slow as a means to a dopamine-fixing end. Undoubtedly, that is a vital key to the success the artist inspired by The Weeknd, 6LACK, and Che Ecru has unlocked.

BADASF was officially released on December 16th. Check it out on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TaidiClub pours soul across a harsh electronic landscape in his latest single, Rome

Posted on 28 October 2022

The up-and-coming alternative artist, TaidiClub traversed love, life, and dreams in his scintillating LP, Lovin3D! The standout single, Rome, puts vulnerable, harmonised pop vocal lines across harsh and discordant beats as a striking exposition of what it means to be human in a jarring and inhospitable world that would chew you up and spit you out given half of the chance.

The industrial meets post-punk EBM beats is a markable sonic shift away from the mainstream, but TadiClub’s sweet vocal timbre that will be a hit with any fans of the Weeknd and the Midnight pulls the track right back to the realms of commercial potential. Only the soulfully defunct can let Rome fade to a close without being absorbed by the uninhibited ingenuity.

Rome will officially release on October 28th; check it out on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast