Hybrid do their nails, ESA seem distant, ONR make a strong point, Ghost Twin share a pet project, Jessicka goes for the gold — and as always, there are plenty of winners in your Weekend Roundup. You just have to find them. So what are you waiting for?
70 | Hybrid | Nails
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “British electronic band Hybrid return with their single and video Nails. A sequel to the sci-fi narrative established with the previous release, Nails continues the visual and mind-blowing extravaganza that perfectly matches the music’s compelling and propulsive adrenaline rush. Vocalist/songwriter Charlotte Truman explains: “Nails is a continuation to the story of the Flashpoint video and also echoes the message of the song which is fundamentally the internal turmoil of battling your inner demons and the struggle to silently regain control.”
71 | ESA | I Detach
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leeds industrial artist ESA (Electronic Substance Abuse) releases his song I Detach. The track finds J Blacker once again pummelling the listener with his unmistakable wall of dark electronic sound. With a thick snarling bass line that comes straight from mid-tempo techno hell, flattening kicks and glorious synth hooks, I Detach is about a plight that some women face in the world. J Blacker elaborates: “I wanted to tell a story about a character suffering from detachment in the most artistic way I could, whilst touching on the chain of trauma and a commentary on some of the issues I feel are important to highlight, namely control unto women and the breaking down and building up of those around us.”
72 | ONR | It Gets To A Point (Krystal Klear Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dublin producer and DJ Krystal Klear puts his spin on It Gets To A Point, the synth-driven heater from rising Scottish producer ONR. The remix is a stunning reminder of Krystal Klear’s propensity to indulge in retro charm, drawing inspiration from ‘80s synth-pop, electro, new wave, and more. Says ONR: “I absolutely adore this version of It Gets To A Point. I’m such a fan of Krystal Klear’s style of production, he’s incredible. I feel his remix takes all the synth-led, mid-’80s references of the original, and just builds and expands and amplifies them; it sits the song in a totally different place in time, and I’m completely in love with it.”
73 | Ghost Twin | Pet Ceremony
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ghost Twin are a dark synthpop duo from Winnipeg that combine roaring synth lines, dirty pulsing bass, dreamy guitar, and a haunting vocal dichotomy where Baroque meets Industrial. Earnest single Pet Ceremony sees them coming out of the shadows and into the sun by exploring new production elements from the French House genre. Sparked by the saddening thought of their dog’s inevitable passing, it’s taken from their album Love Songs For End Times, due June 4.”
74 | Jessicka | Gold Jacket
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “To say it’s been a year of change could be considered quite the understatement. But for Vancouver musician Jessicka, it’s been the perfect time to truly realize who she wanted to be as an artist. While her past work has been said to be anchored by heady and dark lyrical content, her new project has taken the artist in a somewhat different direction, evoking a kind of electric energy and exuberance much needed in the current social climate. Jessicka’s new pump-up track Gold Jacket is a realization that there doesn’t always have to be a dark side to the story — unabashed fun is a good thing.”
75 | Nwando Babes | Put In The Work
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London’s Nwando Babes gets the feel-good flowing with her fresh pop/R&B release Put In The Work. Charming with instant appeal, it blends futuristic concords with nostalgic hooks, and it grips like a mitt! Multi-faceted Nwando Babes stays well away from the status quo with a distinct flavour that oozes confidence and energy. Her vocals spill vitality, and her words articulate with memorable, quotable poetry.”
76 | Vicu | Focused On You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vicu is a Maryland electro/pop artist who has made a name for himself with a loud sonic boom. As a self-taught producer, audio engineer and songwriter, Vicu’s music features rhythmic pop sounds and fresh, modern-edge songwriting. His latest single Focused On You beams with romantic guitar loops rippling over a rhythmic bass tracing the beat of R&B high-hats. The track is both freeing and intimate, radiating summer energy, sunset vibes and amorous feelings. Vicu explains that the single is his interpretation of what summer love feels like, sharing, “I want the listener to be able to roll the top down and take their girlfriend or boyfriend on the adventure of a lifetime.”
77 | Johari Noelle | Get Free
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chicago R&B artist Johari Noelle is back with her new single Get Free, taken from her upcoming EP. Johari has sculpted her sound to perfection, bringing together elements of soul and jazz in an elegant R&B package. “I wrote Get Free to bring ease and joy to myself and others. You can’t love anyone without limits until you first love yourself without them and that’s the message. My music is about getting out how I feel and being very present in that moment. It’s important for me to embrace myself in a way that empowers me to feel each emotion and remain in touch with myself. I want people to know that they aren’t alone in what they are feeling.”
78 | Seth King | Break
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pop sensation Seth King is back with a powerful message in his single Break. The emotive single and video show a side to Seth that we have never seen before. With undeniable heart and passion, Break is Seth’s most honest record to date, as he opens up about a life-changing moment. “I had just made the mistake of my life and broke up with my girlfriend. On a Friday night at a bar one week later, I saw her and the pain was unbearable,” explains Seth. “I loved her, and I knew she loved me but I was too stubborn. I could barely breath and so I drank.” On writing the track, Seth recalls “At 3 a.m. I got home and sat at my piano and started writing Break. By 6 a.m. I recorded the first demo. It was so raw and emotive that the original vocal lines are still in the final song. After a week I sent the song to my ex and we got back together because this song made me realize she was worth it.”
79 | Jessica Wilde | Cruel
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jessica Wilde has released Cruel, the third single from her debut album. Produced by Jay Nebular and Grammy winner Kiris Houston, iti has a classic ’90s hip hop beat and R&B vibe, while her lyrics have a little sting in the tail. Cruel signals Wilde delving back into her first love, a toxic relationship that inspired a harnessing of her bisexual identity but also led her to addiction — a subject she’s tackling on her debut album.”
80 | Miiesha | Damaged
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “R&B singer-songwriter Miiesha returns with Damaged, an unabashedly vulnerable take on intergenerational trauma and grief. The track showcases the depth of Miiesha’s soulful vocals and ability to convey the intricacies of the human experience, taking listeners on a deep dive into the pain and disconnect that accompanies familial loss. Says Miiesha: “Damaged is my most personal song yet and the most painful for me. It is a song about the broken relationship I have with my mother, and how much I have wanted it to heal, and how much I have tried to fix it, only to find myself hurting more.”
81 | Madisyn Gifford | Black Coffee
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver artist Madisyn Gifford immediately began to captivate audiences with her arresting vocals, enveloping songwriting, and alluring presence. Today, Madisyn earnestly offers her heart to listeners with the release of her debut EP Learning to Exist. “My EP consists of seven songs that I wrote over the course of two years (ages 17-19); all about moving in and out of interpersonal relationships and the feelings that surround moving from adolescence into young adulthood,” she says. “Each song holds such a special place in my heart because I quite literally wrote them in an effort to learn how to exist as a young adult and also get my footing as an artist. This body of work feels like it has been such a long time coming and so much love was put into it, I am beyond excited to share these songs with the world!”
82 | Ella McCready | Fine On My Own
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ella McCready is a soul/pop artist from London. Her latest single Fine On My Own, co-written and produced by Moonwalker Music, is an honest look into the realities of breaking free from emotionally manipulative behaviour. Fine On My Own embodies the empowering feeling of breaking free and capturing the beauty in escaping. Described by McCready herself as a tune of “motivation” and both a song to “dance to, and to escape to,” the song is a passion filled message for people “to understand their own strength and to know that they don’t need anybody else in order to know their own worth.” The songstress adds, “It’s always good to be reminded that you are all you need. I think that’s an empowering thought.”
83 | Shawnee Kish | Burnin’ Love (ft. Jaime Fine)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This will be Shawnee Kish’s year. With her first single of 2021 currently climbing the charts, Shawnee is pushing forward with a second track, Burnin’ Love. Driven by her unmistakable vocals, Burning Love features award-winning artist Jaime Fine. Both have spent the past year pushing their careers forward, breaking through boundaries and creating new art. “When I met Jaime something about her struck me and I immediately knew I needed to work with her,” explained Shawnee. “Writing and creating with Jaime was a powerful experience. We connected quickly, which allowed the lyrics of Burnin’ Love to fly on to the page. We finished Burnin’ Love in less than an hour and I am so proud of what our voices, together, have created.”
84 | Armani Jackson | Haunted
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In Haunted, Armani Jackson opens up about his ongoing struggle with sleep paralysis and feelings of devastating loss after a break-up. “I wrote this song about battling sleep paralysis while simultaneously battling the memories of a past relationship,” he says. The song features raw, complex emotions of melancholia and regret which he boldly shapes into smooth rhymes and complementary R&B beats produced by The Morgue (Trey Songz, Lil Yachty, Saweetie, Quavo, Rihanna).”
https://youtu.be/nn64FHI9izk
85 | De.Ville | Aminata
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “De.Ville are back with a single in French: Aminata. It’s a love song where the protagonist of Moroccan origin declares his love to Aminata, a Senegalese student at the University of Montreal. This song with warm, acoustic, and pop sounds is a collaboration with SPNOX, a Moroccan producer and sound engineer based in the Czech Republic. The piece was composed between Montreal and Prague and was produced at De.Ville’s studio in Montreal.”
86 | Shift K3y | Love Line (ft. Tinashe)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “British dance sensation Shift K3Y returns to the floor with his huge summer club anthem Love Line, featuring international superstar Tinashe. Recognised for his evolving sounds of house, garage, pop and R&B, the in-demand 27-year-old surfaces with a gorgeous melodic house-infused beat littered with smart percussive elements and neat synth work to match the stunning lyricism courtesy of U.S. phenom Tinashe.”
87 | Keaton Henson | Limb
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Keaton Henson has shared the track Limb and its accompanying visualizer. In the long days and even longer weeks of lockdown back in Autumn 2020, Keaton released his new record Monument. It was a fragile, meditative and emotional unravelling at grief in the aftermath of losing his father. For all its hushed acoustics, Monument cocooned its emotion in some beautiful melodies and arrangements. A warm embrace of a record. Written at a similar time to the album, Limb didn’t follow Monument’s poignant, personal subject matter, but deserved a separate moment to breathe by its own accord. Typically, Keaton’s voice here give these new lyrics a quiet strength, and an almost frozen romanticism. It’s a voice sharing an inner turmoil, yet that turmoil carries with it a sense of power, and a happy sadness. Bleakly beautiful.”
88 | Prinze George | Off My Ass
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-pop group Prinze George have released the video for their track Off My Ass. Directed by Winter Coleman, the black-and-white video features singer Naomi Almquist sharing an emotive, drunken performance in the comfort of her bathtub as she navigates sudden loss, moving to Los Angeles, and the unfulfilled lows of the COVID-19 pandemic. She says: “Off My Ass is really the first hug I have ever given myself through my work. I am a deep feeling person and become very angry/explosive when I am hurting. I make mistakes. I don’t know how to lie about how I feel. No matter how awful I’ve been to other people in moments of weakness, I have always been, without a shadow of a doubt, the absolute hardest on myself.”
