C'batch - Next Time (I Won't Be Falling/You've Got Me Falling)

Next Time (I Won’t Be Falling/You’ve Got Me Falling) - C’batch (Pop) We’ve got a retro pop smash on our hands with “Next Time (I Won’t Be Falling/You’ve Got Me Falling)” by C’batch. It’s a 90s vibe on this one, with us feeling like you could pull this from a Jordan Knight album, or really any boy bander who took a shot at their own solo career to storm the Top 40. It’s that perfect mix of pop and R&B that ruled the charts in those days, combining a driving anthemic instrumental with soft, heavenly layered vocals. This one screams karaoke favorite, or maybe just crooning along in your shower. We’ve got this one on repeat.

Best Lyric:  “Needing control, but frozen in time.”

R.Nelson - Good Morning, Beautiful

Good Morning, Beautiful - R.Nelson (R&B) R.Nelson joins our blog this month with his latest project “Music and Written By…..R.Nelson. Vol 1: Grown Man Energy”, for which reviewed first track “Good Morning, Beautiful.” Honestly, it’s all in the name, as this track is not just beautiful, it’s stunning. R.Nelson’s soulful voice captivates as the soft, jazzy cafe vibe instrumental hits in the feels and warms the soul. It’s a track about the easy love of the everyday, just taking in the sight of one’s love waking up and starting their day. Lush, soulful and sparkling, “Good Morning, Beautiful” is the perfect pair with a breezy summer day and serves as a great opening to R.Nelson’s latest project. We’ll certainly be waking up to this one to start our day right.

Best Lyric:  “Sun don’t even rise until she hits the light.”

Tuff Rhythm & dharkfunkh - Baby Tell Me

Baby Tell Me - Tuff Rhythm & dharkfunkh (Disco) This week we are joined by Tuff Rhythm & darkfunkh with latest single “Baby Tell Me”, their second release following the success of their breakout hit “The Drop.” Tuff & dharkfunkh are a powerhouse UK duo in the global electronic music scene, delivering high-impact sets and dancefloor anthems. On “Baby Tell Me”, we’re getting all the retro vibes as buzzy 80s synth bass bounces along, backing a tight delayed female vocal. The track stands shoulder to shoulder with the female synth pop of that era, giving us Nu Shooz “I Can’t Wait” and early Madonna vibes. This track was made for the club.

Best Lyric:  “Checking your location, fixing up my complection, you said pull up I’m outside, no hesitation.”

WiLL - I Can't Wait (Radio Version)

I Can’t Wait (Radio Version) -WiLL (R&B) WiLL debuts on our blog this week with a hypnotizing afrobeat jam about rushing to see his man in “I Can’t Wait”. The LGBTQ+ artist hailing from Washington, DC, WiLL writes music from a place of humanity, and aims for his emotionally grounded work to resonate beyond his community. It’s a tropical vibe on this record, a hip winder for sure, and it feels perfectly timed for the summer months. On “I Can’t Wait”, WiLL is infatuated with a lover, electrified, and ready to go at a moment’s notice. Vocally, WiLL is impressive, slipping into and out of his falsetto with staggering ease, as he’s supported by ear candy laden plush background vocals.

Best Lyric:  “Checking your location, fixing up my complection, you said pull up I’m outside, no hesitation.”

sykro69 - King of the weekend

King of the weekend - sykro69 (Pop) Summer’s in the air and good vibes abound in sykro69’s latest track, “King of the weekend”, a feel-good pop number that’s perfect for the sunny days of July. UK artist sykro69 blends rap, UK garage, drum & bass and electronic music into emotionally driven records, spanning genres to embrace versatility. On this record, the target is aimed straight at pop Top 40 with a track made for beach parties, rooftop happy hours and just cruising down the highway. It’s a perfectly timed light hearted groove about living for the weekend and sitting on the top of the world while doing it.

Best Lyric:  “Live in those moments you see on the screen.”

Tyler Brooker ft PHAZE - Step Aside

Step Aside - Tyler Brooker ft PHAZE (EDM) it’s been three years since we last touched base with Tyler Brooker, having previously reviewed 2023’s Hypocrite, and so we’re happy to have him back on the blog with latest track “Step Aside.” On “Hypocrite”, Tyler served us an in-your-face house number with pointed lyrics over a huge production. On his latest track, we get a mellow island jam and an artist in a much better headspace. Here, Tyler is extolling the virtues of a potential love interest, and how they have him magnetized. It’s the perfect breezy dance floor track for summertime beach parties and rooftop happy hours. This is one you wind to.

Best Lyric: “Melodies born outta’ love fixing hearts split.”

Keesha Blair - Access Declined

Access Declined - Keesha Blair (R&B) Fresh off our review of “Truth Always Shows Its Face”, Keesha Blair is back with us again with track “Access Declined”. On her previous neo-soul gem, we credited the smoothness of the production, rainy coffee shop vibes and expertly crafted poetry on the lyrics. With “Access Declined”, we keep those R&B feels but with a much more upbeat, punchy track. The pen game is just as strong, as Keesha sings from her chest that the fairweather friends in her life will be left outside the gate. Keesha also gets the opportunity to show off her vocal prowess, flying into the rafters with a heartfelt belt. Sassy, smart and with a strong point of view, Keesha shines on “Access Declined.”

Best Lyric:  “Keep that same energy both in public and privately.”

Keesha Blair - Truth Always Shows Its Face

Truth Always Shows Its Face - Keesha Blair (R&B) We have a newcomer to our blog this week, Keesha Blair, who brings us her latest track “Truth Always Shows Its Face”. Songwriter, music creator and custom music director, Keesha Blair centers her work on healing, empowerment, boundaries, truth and emotional restoration. The track is an expertly polished R&B/neo-soul gem, which gives fuzzy vinyl feels and rainy coffee shop vibes with its understated keys and crisp drum kit. It’s a total groove, with Keesha’s easy and free vocals sliding all over the track, punctuated by plush backing vocals and occasionally hitting us with some spoken poetry-slam style deliveries. And that is probably the word that sums up the track best—poetry. Despite all the song has going for it, it’s the pen game that stands out to us the most.

Best Lyric:  “Lies stacked on lies until they caved on me.”

The New Citizen Kane - metalLIC

metalLIC - The New Citizen Kane (Pop) The New Citizen Kane returns to us for the first time this year after six prior features on our blog, this time bringing us “metalLIC”. This latest track is an explosion of synth goodness, with all the 80s electronica feels. It’s a dreamy cut, romanticizing the moment in one’s life when you stop analyzing and just start feeling, so our artist tells us. With his razor sharp baritone slicing through the miasma of swirling keys, his falsetto soars on the chorus, giving the airy lightheartedness of release that the song aims to convey with its message. It’s a wind down the windows on a sunny day, cruise down the freeway type record.

Best Lyric:  “By the morning hesitation won’t mean a thing.”

Aurealis - Cursed

Cursed - Aurealis (Pop) This week, our newcomer to the blog is Aurealis with latest single “Cursed.” Pop project Aurealis aims to explore the emotional edges of the human experience, blending atmosphere, layering and a cinematic production to create music that ranges from dance floor anthems to introspective deep dives. On “Cursed”, we get the latter, an introspective number where grandiose synths lay a vast soundscape before an 80s feeling drumkit kicks in to drive the track forward. Lead by a rich baritone, the track stirs the emotions with a soulful delivery and sweeping instrumentation. Hitting its heights during the rousing choruses, this is a sing-along in the car kind of record.

Marie Noire - Paper Hearts

Paper Hearts - Marie Noire (R&B) Marie Noire joins us this week with latest track “Paper Hearts”, her debut single. The brand new project Marie Noire blends dark-pop moods with contemporary R&B, lifting inspiration from heartbreak, obsession and emotional numbness. On “Paper Hearts”, we start with a soulful piano and lilting jazz-infused vocal, baked in intimacy and vulnerability, punctuated by a far away cello (which we really enjoyed). The song is an ode to fragility, begging a lover to be gentle with her heart. The track conjures comparisons to a Sia production, from the instrumentation to the tone of the vocals. Overall, it’s a song built for shower singalongs.

Best Lyric: “Every I love you I whispered.”

Rosie Belvie - Unapologetic

Unapologetic - Rosie Belvie (Pop) We are excited to have one of our favorites back with us, Rosie Belvie, for her fifth feature on our blog with latest single “Unapologetic”. Having previously reviewed cuts “O.M.G.”, “Survive”, “Crush” and “Attitude”, we’ve come to expect versatility, ranging from her comfort zone of 00s R&B vibes to EDM to pop to afrobeat—basically we know to expect something sizzling, but we can never expect the flavor. With “Unapologetic”, Rosie is giving us a funky synth-pop R&B diss track, a combo we don’t often see. The track feels like it could be from Christina Aguilera’s “Bionic” era, with a touch of Britney Spears “Work Bitch.” On “Unapologetic”, Rosie is telling you that she said what she said over a collection of buzzy synths. And while the lyrics are sharp, the standout is the chorus, which begs for repeat listens.

Best Lyric: “I’ve got the power to defeat my enemies.”

Nova Blu - Satellite Love

Satellite Love - Nova Blu (R&B) We’re back this week with a new artist on our roster, Nova Blu, bringing us her latest single “Satellite Love.” A sharp and sizzling production, Nova’s silky vocals take center stage on this mid-tempo groove about being the secret love hanging around in her lover’s orbit. Tonally, it’s an R&B/pop crossover that gives heavy early-Ariana Grande vibes, with similarly engaging touches of ear candy in the background vocals. There’s a sweet sadness to the song, and Nova tells us her goal is to make emotionally driven records to forge a real connection with her listeners. We’d say she’s done exactly that with “Satellite Love.”

Best Lyric: “I see the ghost of her upon your skin.”

R.Nelson - Gravity

Gravity - R.Nelson (R&B) This week we are joined by R.Nelson with his latest track, “Gravity.” A sultry R&B mid tempo groove, our Washington, DC-based artist gives us the feels of a 00s pop/R&B crossover record, which tells the story of being pulled in by the magnetism of a coworker. It’s a track we might ascribe to Neyo or Bruno Mars back in the day—that feel good music that can’t help but make you smile as you bump it in your car, windows down on a sunny afternoon. “Gravity” was created by a meld of traditional songwriting with AI-assisted workflows, resulting in a polished and professional number with humanity shining through the lyrics. Overall, it’s a head-nodding two-stepper built for summer.

Best Lyric: “Then you walked in, now my days move stranger.”

Tori Lord - Conman

Conman - Tori Lord (Pop) This week we welcome Canadian-born and New York-based artist Tori Lord to our blog with latest track, “Conman”. On “Conman”, Tori is a woman who knows her ex’s story well, and serves a warning to his latest flame that the guy isn’t the strongman he appears to be. Tori does so with a pillowy soft vocal, like an oracle foretelling the future, with the intensity in her delivery building as her warning becomes more dire. She’s been there before, she knows the version of himself that he plays that is only a facade. There’s a country sensibility to the track, be it in subject matter or hints of the production, but remains focused in the top 40 pop lane. Overall, it’s a fierce mid tempo, and a great track for the jilted ex.

Best Lyric: “Take her down to that dump in Costa Rica, and when the bill comes I bet you won’t pay.”

Young V - On Top Of The World

On Top Of The World - Young V (Hip Hop) We’ve got Young V riding the beat this week with latest track “Top of The World”, where our artist relishes in his success in a groovy, mid tempo feel good number. Starting with an introspective, atmospheric chord progression, Young V slides into the mix with vocals that remind us of T-Pain, but without the pitch effect. The cadence finds a middle ground between sung and spit, giving that early 00s hip hop vibe. The pen game is superb, clever and memorable, especially during the spoken breakdown — and boy do we appreciate a proper bridge. Good energy abounts in “On Top Of the World” and we rock with it.

Best Lyric: “Now that I’ve got the bases loaded, I’m swinging for the fences.”