Urban Pop

Up and coming Urban Pop artist Smoke has recently released a R&B Jazz infused beat that is pretty much as easy as breathing. The cathartic grooves of the track almost have a hypnotic affect as you drink in the stylised sultry ambience behind the beat. With so much soul behind Swelo’s music, it was really no surprise that he hails from New Orleans.

The fluidity of the vocals is like nothing I have ever heard before, which may sound like an overstatement but God damn, give the emerging artist credit where credit is due. The vocals get switched up throughout the mix to treat you to lucidly deep crooning and soft tempo rap bars.

The beat to Smoke came alive through an experimental mix of acoustic instruments and digital effects, yet no sound hit you harder than the brass which sat iridescently brighter than any other arrangement in the mix. There’s also a stunning instrumental breakdown which you can look forward to which draws Smoke to a captivating close.

You can check out Swelo’s latest single Smoke for yourself by heading over to SoundCloud

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fitting very loosely into the Pop arena, Teresa Taylor’s latest single Glow shows us just how iridescent her style is. I can’t say I’ve ever heard such rhythm behind a Pop track, the groove and grind flows through the verses right into the chorus where you’re treated to decadently amplified swarms of sensual energy. Her R&B Soul approach to Pop puts to shame every artists that is currently producing plastic, generic beats in the hope of being played on the radio amongst all of the other indistinguishable artists. It’s safe to say Teresa Taylor stands out by a country mile.

Her powerfully sensual vocals won’t fail to capture your attention, in fact they won’t even let you go once the track has drawn to a close. Every element of the track sat at the perfect pitch to allow you to drink in the ethereal energy which went into the production. The multi layered beat utilised digital and acoustic elements to create a Jazz soaked, Urban-hyped anthem which is so much more than your average ballad.

Glow was Teresa Taylor’s first single released this year, you can check it out for yourselves over on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

No one, absolutely no one does Grime Rap bars better than London based artist. Georgee Landy has joined the talent pool with his latest mix Time to Listen which is a complete mix up from what you would hear on the mainstream. I’m sure he won’t thank me all too much to saying I found his Rap offerings absolutely adorable, but I’m running with it anyway. He has the same enigmatic charisma behind his vocals and lyrics as shared by Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys with an urban style that Turner could only dream of possessing if their latest album is anything to go by.

Time to Listen is rhythmic, it’s monumental and it’s produced to absolute perfection. The melodic bars rise above over the harsh kicks and snares of the ingeniously off beat rhythm.  I can guarantee by the second spin of this track you’ll be singing along to the infectious chorus.

You can check out Georgee Landy’s latest Dub drenched Pop track out for yourselves over on SoundCloud now. Any fans of Dub, Grime, Reggae and Ska will be in heaven with this mix.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

As far as I’m concerned, there will never be enough Hip Hop Pop crossover tracks on the radio waves. Which is why I was stoked to hear Willborch’s latest single which was released June 8^th, 2018.

What I’ve always admired most about Hip Hop tracks is the ingenuity which goes into the lyricism, the pure flow and the rhythm contained within the hype of the fluid bars. Which is exactly what you get with Willborch’s standout single Upgrade. A lot of people still find that as a genre Hip Hop is inaccessible but Willborch may just be the artist to bridge that gap and allow audiences with a penchant for Pop to delve in the soundscapes. How he managed to create a beat so haunting yet upbeat and polished I will never understand. The sentiment behind Upgrade may be a little morose, but it’s hard not to get caught up in the hype of this lyrically astounding single.

You can check out Upgrade for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast