Amya-Ray - Never Meant To Be

Never Meant To Be - Amya-Ray (Folk Pop)  Amya-Ray’s new track, Never Meant To Be, lives and dies by the vocal performance—which is stellar. Amya-Ray’s voice is like a bell—a lilting soprano with a natural intimacy that draws the listener into the track. Production tricks are light touch on this guitar-driven ballad, used best in a swirling bridge/outro which puts Amya-Ray’s beautiful breathy vocal in a haunting reverb. The lyrics are simple and straight to the point, relying on Amya-Ray’s expert delivery to imbue each word with the pain and melancholy the song successfully conveys. All in all, Never Meant To Be is meant to be on any playlist you’ve made to craft a chill, contemplative vibe.

Best Lyric: “In the end, it’s just not right.”

Zenodro - Unstoppable

PHOTO: Ryan

Unstoppable - Zenodro (Rap/HipHop)  Zenodro’s chorus proclaims that the music is timeless, and we couldn’t agree more. With the warbly keys and vinyl fuzz, the song immediately tells you exactly what it’s going to be—a chill throwback with a vibe that will remind you of 90s/00s Outcast, maybe even a little bit of Snoop, which is exactly the kind of hiphop this blog misses. Zenodro, Samuel Vincent and Sir Nicholas are all equally matched as their distinct flows—one of which is giving us straight Nas—cohesively collaborate on this “I defy you not to two-step to this” track. Unstoppable flow? Check. Immovable rhymers? Yup. Put this track on your throwback playlist immediately.

Best Lyric: “I’m sick, my bars are straight up medicine.”

DJ H Chimist - Run Away

Run Away - DJ H Chimist (Pop)  This is a big song. DJ H Chimist gives the audience an anthem with Run Away, leaning heavy on a vocal modulator to give a distinct vocal reminiscent of 00s electronic pop. The buzzy synth, which feels heavily inspired by the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams”, is complemented by a soaring choral arrangement, which is left swirling in a cavernous reverb. The lead vocal has the range, flying up into the rafters during each chorus, beckoning the listener to let go, be in the present, follow their heart and run away. It’s a simple message and a catchy hook, brought alive by an eclectic instrumental production not tied to current modern day trends.

Best Lyric: “Look me in my eyes, tell me you don’t believe me.”

Lukx - Hello

Hello - Lukx (Pop/HipHop)  We are saying hello right back to Lukx because this song is a straight jam. It’s giving us all the 90s we need and feels like a mainstream top 40 track that Snoop or Coolio would’ve done back then. There’s a Lucy Pearl vibe to it too that is taking us back, or even an early Black Eyed Peas. The song starts off strong, no ramp up, we just dive right into the goodness. The hook is incredibly catchy and there’s a raspy quality to Lukx’s voice that slices right through the gooey richness of the instrumental. We dare you not to sway and nod your head when you hear this perfect little groove. So say hello to Lukx, we think it’s an introduction you won’t regret.

Best Lyric: “The more I realize everybody’s hurt. So many things I don’t understand in this world.”

JUMBOKJAY - Veins

JUMBOKJAY - Veins (HipHop/Rap)  T-Pain’s vocoder is alive and well in JUMBOKJAY’s Veins which really takes us back. JUMBOKJAY’s flow is quite unique—it rides easily over the beat but isn’t married to it, which caught us by surprise. It really keeps you engaged, as if he is pulling you aside during the song to take a moment with you to deliver his message. And that message is that he’s been through a lot, and none of it has defeated him, and in fact made him even more real. This is a track to listen through when you see the light at the end of the tunnel, and you’re on your way. It’s a triumph song. Put this one on your gym playlist.

Best Lyric: “I got real in my veins, it’s running through my veins.”

Datcha - Bonesaw

PHOTO: Anna Madsen

Bonesaw - Datcha (Bedroom Pop/R&B)  We are really loving all these artists digging into some classic R&B stylings, paired with modern productions. Datcha is giving you a real vibe with Bonesaw—in another reality we wouldn’t be surprised if this was a Luther Vandross track brought back to life. Datcha’s vocal FX glistens but doesn’t overpower to the point of hiding the melancholy baked into his performance, which gives this track a lot of heartfelt soul. If you like Disclosure, particularly “Latch”, this is a song for your playlist. Production wise, the reverb playfulness is perfect, from the synths to Datcha’s voice itself. It’s dreamy—a real mood—without losing any elements. And where songs like these can fail, Datcha succeeds—Bonesaw has memorable lyrics paired with a beautiful melodic line that is a real earworm. The artistry of the production particularly shines at the choice to conclude in a warbling piano, elevating what in lesser hands could’ve been a background track into a radio-ready single. This one is on repeat over here.

Best Lyric: “I’ll grow on yah, you’ll see.”

Kurst - The Oracle

PHOTO: Red Skye Visuals

The Oracle - Kurst (HipHop/Rap)  First, we are absolutely in love with the instrumental to this track. That short-verbed vocal chant is absolute heaven—gives a very Naos “Adore You” kinda feel. Kurst himself is a brilliant lyricist, and apparently a huge Disney fan! Take a shot for every reference as you tear it up to this bop on the dance floor. Delivery-wise, Kurst is giving a 00s kind of flow—I’d put this track on a playlist with Eminem, or if going more contemporary maybe J Cole. Kurst’s voice has a real grit to it, which with his meticulous layering makes his entire vocal line pure earcandy without a single FX trick. When it comes to the message of the song, we love when an artist is delivering their ambition, drive and confidence to succeed as they continue to put in the work. And although we are no oracle ourselves, we can certainly see success for Kurst.

Best Lyric: “Like Jafar, I’m getting greedy.”

Natalie Clark - How High

How High - Natalie Clark (Pop)  This track just comes right out of the gate as a bop. At first, it’s very much giving Lorde’s “Royals”—a “body rocking back and forth” kinda jam punctuated by crisp snaps and a bouncing 808. Natalie’s voice is strong, but with an airy huskiness to it that really lends itself to harmonic layering, which is spread throughout the entire track like icing on a cake. But when we get the chorus, the production kicks it up a notch with keys and horns, giving you a very sing-along-able track that now feels a little more “Empire State of Mind.” The entire song is structured on a constant build, which lends not only to the title, but also to the song’s inspirational messaging telling the listener that the sky is the limit. Other than the top of your playlist, we can hear this song on a commercial campaign.

Best Lyric: “Always looking up, wanna be in the skyline.”

Geminy - Rock (Right Now)

Rock (Right Now) - Geminy (Pop/R&B)  This new track from Geminy does quite the switcheroo. First, you think we’re going full retro, with a very Stranger Things synth intro. But when the crisp percussion kicks in, the song transforms into something straight out of Sam Smith’s playbook. Geminy’s voice is buttery R&B perfection and the vocal harmonies are delicious. In the bridge, he really shows off a surprisingly Prince falsetto which helps spice up the track. But the best part of Rock (Right Now) is Geminy’s chewing of the lyrics—it’s a real performance and you can hear the feeling in the delivery of every word, especially in the final chorus.

Carter Ray - Forever, Plus One

Forever, Plus One - Carter Ray (Pop/R&B Ballad)  The first time we played Carter Ray’s “Forever, Plus One” we thought to ourselves—Whitney Houston’s “I Look To You” if sung by the Weekend. It’s a powerful piano driven ballad, brought to life by the focused tonality of Carter Ray’s angelic voice. Sonically, the track feels very situated in late 00’s early 10’s R&B, with some little 80s R&B percussive notes to spice things up. When the sweeping strings finally enter the picture towards the song’s conclusion, you might find yourself raising a lighter and swaying as Carter croons. All in all, Carter Ray’s track is a shining example of the R&B ballad of yesteryear, which hopefully helps bring these songs back to top 40 radio.

Jadamarie - Fallen Angel

PHOTO: instagram.com/sp8sofficial

Fallen Angel - Jadamarie (Dream Pop)  To call Jadamarie’s latest effort a “song” is an injustice—it is truly an experience, and the most interesting, well crafted and engaging track we’ve listened to this year. This masterclass in musicality is like a three act movie. Act one sets the mood—some crowd wallah, a meaty bass guitar and some vinyl fuzz. When Jadamarie’s angelic voice kicks in, it’s a dreamy, harmonic, verby choral arrangement similar to some of the tracks on Adele’s recent album. A very retro vibe for sure. The result is something truly heavenly, and we particularly enjoyed the moments of dissonance in the melody—who does that now? Act two is the build, featuring some deeply satisfying tension and release—it’s a corridor leading you to the finale, and the listener falls like Alice down the rabbit hole. The third act amps things up by adding a crisp drumkit to the production. All we kept thinking was that this song would be a perfect opening credits to a movie. In sum, we are truly in awe of Jadamarie’s showcase of musical artistry on Fallen Angel and cannot recommend it enough.

The Official 4PM - What Can I Say

PHOTO: TRISOGRAPHY FLIX & ART DESIGNS

What Can I Say - The Official 4PM (R&B/Pop)  We stan an island jam. The steel drum and reggae influence is palpable on this track, making it really stand out among other R&B/Pop tracks. Cross-genre influences really highlight The Official 4PMs artistry, and their voice shines on throughout the song—giving lush layering in the choruses and just the right amount of vocal FX in the accenting. This genre-blending feels quite unique as the reggae influence is also quite dreamy, and serves more as a backdrop for a more traditional R&B flavor. It’s nothing like I’ve heard recently. The spoken word at the top also feels like the quiet storm jams of the 90s which instantly pulls the listener into the song. It’s clear The Official 4PM has a deep knowledge of the last 30 years of R&B/pop, and pulls all the best references therefrom. Respect.

Best Lyric: “I know I messed up, but I regret it. I know I hurt you girl and you won’t forget it.”

Super Femmes - Love & War

Photo: Anna Vinterfall

Love & War - Super Femmes (Pop)  Good lord is this a catchy track. The Super Femmes are giving me straight Sugababes with a bop sure to get clubgoers dancing. With a crisp and thumping production, the Super Femmes sing in tight unison leading to a rap feature that begs you to learn every word to impress your friends when it comes on at a party. The cadence and delivery of the rap is taking me back to Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, which I didn’t realize how much I missed until hearing this Love & War. The song’s construction is also pop perfection and ready for radio (save a few f-bombs)—it catches you immediately with the intro but doesn’t waste time getting to the meat of the song. After that it’s a steady build that carries you through the song. Put this one on repeat.

Best Lyric: “You’re the sweet forbidden apple on the tree.”

Hiroki - Tell Me (When You're Gone)

Tell Me (When You’re Gone) - Hiroki (R&B/Pop)  What a song for Valentine’s day! My top holiday pick, Hiroki’s infectious new track is an ode for the heartbroken hoping to finally get over an on again, off again, love. The song is production HEAVEN—the top of the track features an EQ cut that pulls the listener in before hitting you hard with the extremely catchy melody and hook. Tell Me then segues into two different guitar features—the first a dreamy sequence with a healthy dose of retro, and the final being a duet with the sparkling vocals of the lead singer. This is a song I really want to hear live—it’s such an earworm I bet it gets audiences singing along instantly, especially at the track’s final chorus where Hiroki hits you over and over with countermelody, harmony and ear candy, continuously ringing new life out of his catchy hook. I found myself listening on repeat to discover every little treat baked into this Valentine’s Day gem of a song.

Best Lyric: “How do I forget this feeling when you’re gone?”

Anna Orbison - Slipping

Slipping - Anna Orbison (LoFi Pop)  The key to Anna’s song Slipping is her incredibly strong vocal performance, which the song is smart to center. The 80s infused instrumental has a constant build, lead by a tight drum delay that helps sit the song comfortably in retro. But overall the instrumental is sparse, allowing Anna’s vocals to carry the track, and that they do. Her voice is rich and soulful, and importantly distinct among the crowded field of whispy breathy female vocals that permeate today’s music scene. This is a woman’s voice—weighty and focused, flowing like honey. When it comes to the lyrics, the song is a haunting ode to the demise of a relationship that is “slipping away.” Someone going through a similar circumstance needs this song as their mantra right now.

Best Lyric: “Giving him the best of me, and I’m tearing apart at the seams.”

Ben Orlin - Isolation

Isolation - Ben Orlin (LoFi Hiphop)  The lofi vibes that kick off Isolation had me instantly. Warm and chill, Ben Orlin’s Isolation is definitely a groove. At times, his voice gives a John Legend type of tonality—a warm baritone that rides the flow of the instrumental effortlessly. It pairs nicely with the lush organ that moves the track along, which itself is blending with some ear-catching jazz vocal harmonies. Ben also shows his versatility in his vocal delivery—he’s a singer for sure but there’s at times his deliver borders on rap, giving you a 360 hiphop experience. In sum, Isolation is a head nodding type of cut that is just the right bit of mellow you may need in your playlist.

Best Lyric: “Skip the bitch that be trippin over you tryna reach your goals.”