Claire Reneé - Sadder Days

Sadder Days - Claire Reneé (R&B)  It’s a welcome return to classic R&B with Claire Reneé’s “Sadder Days”. The song has a unique point of view on a breakup, as the track is about being blindsided by an abrupt end to a relationship, a tale told with clever and memorable lyrics. When it comes to the sound, the best way to describe the track is mature, it’s definitely “grown folks” music. We even have a fade out! A FADE OUT! Claire’s voice is a beautiful instrument, centered on a vulnerable and intimate alto, with a tone that reminds us a lot of Tweet. The musicality is also very impressive, with a distortion on the keys that evoke the sense of rain drops, an image perfect for the cut. Bittersweet yet sultry, “Sadder Day” is a great soundtrack for a rainy day in bed.

Best Lyric: “Barefoot on the sidewalk, this happened so out of the blue.“

Stacey Jackson - Soldier

Soldier - Stacey Jackson (Synth Pop)  The 80s are alive and well in Stacey Jackson’s latest track “Soldier.” Synths galore plus a thudding club beat, Stacey harkens back to the power pop anthems of yesteryear as she serenades listeners with an empowering track about stepping into your power and having confidence to tackle life’s challenges. It’s a pep rally, really, a mantra you can imagine a listener gravitating towards when they need that extra boost of confidence and self esteem. Stacey’s vocal is strong and focused, and perfectly in line with the chart topping 80s ladies we all remember. Get Stranger Things on the phone, we’ve got a new song for their soundtrack.

Best Lyric: “I’m a soldier in my mind.“

HARA - Say When

Say When - HARA (Pop) With “Say When”, HARA wraps you up in a warm blanket because this track is hella cozy. It’s a summertime affair here, a hazy day in the summer sun evoked by the washed out guitar and swirling synths. The track is propelled forward by a driving bass and crisp percussion that actually reminds us of the instrumental of something completely different—Biggie’s “Juicy”. While those songs couldn’t be more different, it’s the groovey two-step vibe lead by bass and sparkling keys that puts these together in our mind over here on this blog. Giving all its listeners and much needed breath of fresh air this year, HARA’s “Say When” is certainly one to sway to.

CMFRT. - Gangsta Party

Gangsta Party - CMFRT. (Hiphop)  With “Gangsta Party”, CMFRT. reminds us of 90s/00s crossover hiphop/r&b with a simmering mid tempo that is just straight up feel good music. Backed by a subdued synth caked in analog retro fuzz, we get our expected thudding kick and trap inspired top percussion as CMFRT. raps about a first meet with a girl utilizing an ear catching effect on the lead vocal. Stylistically, we’re reminded of throwback acts like Bone Thugs ‘N Harmony, with the vocal being a hybrid of rap and melody. Chill vibes abound in CMFRT.’s catchy little bop, which we think makes for a perfect addition to your house party playlist.

Gianfranco Pescetti - Stopless

Stopless - Gianfranco Pescetti (EDM/Beats)  Alice falls down the rabbit hole in Gianfranco Pescetti’s latest track, “Stopless.” This instrumental EDM work runs like a freight train from beginning to end, driven mostly by the thudding kick and walking bass. Doused with shimmery synths, the track overall has a mystical and ethereal feel. Gianfranco does well with structure here, constantly shifting the track to introduce new elements to keep the listener engaged. Our favorite moment was surely when the flute entered, a surprising and welcome feature that elevated the track into more than standard club fare. Ear catching and danceable, this one should be on a club DJ’s playlist, for sure.

Lukx - Curiosity

Curiosity - Lukx (R&B)  Lukx is back with some “Curiosity”, a new track that feels straight outta the ‘98-’02 era. The king of feel good retro R&B, Lukx’s track this month (he releases monthly—prolific) is giving us a lot of TLC “No Scrubs” (and all the music of that era that took its influence from that hit record) with that signature looping guitar pluck. As always, Lukx’s husky and melodic flow permeates the track, broken by his expected impeccably crisp percussion. In this latest record, Lukx steps out of the “can’t we all just vibe?” lane that he occupies so well to talk about ambition—his, of course—and pursuing things for the right reasons. We really hope all these singles culminate in an album sometime soon, as Lukx’s groovey midtempo flare seems like the perfect soundtrack for a roadtrip.

Best Lyric: “Driven by money, sex and power. I see people surrounded by towers.”

Kendall Bowser - You Don't Call Me

You Don’t Call Me - Kendall Bowser (Pop) Kendall Bowser delivers an ode to a former love who is long gone in her latest track “You Don’t Call Me”. It’s a tub thumper with punchy percussion, paired with a sweet lilting melody. The vocals are pure and bittersweet, heartstring pulling, with beautifully layered doubles and backgrounds. We’re getting early Taylor with this track, early Kelly Clarkson, with a touch of HAIM. Country-infused for sure, but definitely centered in pop/soft rock. It’s certainly a relatable subject matter, and paired with this wistful sound as Kendall takes you on her journey down memory lane, we think the track becomes very sing-along-able. Will definitely be a star of any live set list for Kendall.

Best Lyric: “Now I’ll never see the drunk words turned to sober truths.”

Tammy Mariah - Can't Take It Back

Can’t Take It Back - Tammy Mariah (Pop/Dance) Tammy Mariah soars with dance floor jam “Can’t Take It Back.” Her message is simple—her ex can’t take back what they did to her so she’s moving on and not returning. It’s a great subject matter for a club track, which is exactly what Tammy delivers, to the joy of DJs everywhere. House infused (boy do we love those glorious keys), this track is exactly what you want on your summertime dance floors. The production is crisp with a tight punchy kick and splashy upper percussion, driven by funky synth leads. And thankfully, “Can’t Take It Back” is the gift that keeps on giving, with four other mixes released for your party playlists.

Best Lyric: “Look at what you did to us.”

flora - Easy

Easy - flora (Pop/HipHop) Slinky and sexy, flora brings a seductive little earworm with her latest effort, “Easy.” First, let’s talk about this top notch production. Intimate and close vocals with a varied instrumental, we get the welcome telephone EQ punches and beautifully layered backings, doubles and harmonies, all blending seamlessly with a punchy hip hop instrumental. We’re getting Lorde, we’re getting Billie Eilish with this one, and we could certainly hear this track synced to a show on your favorite streaming app. The lyrics are also top notch, clever and ear catching. But the star is flora’s brilliant vocal performance—restrained and mature, with an ear pleasing husk to her rich alto that feels very of the moment. With this track, flora stands above her peers.

Best Lyric: “I’ll be back on my feet in the morning”

Antonia Dwyer - Veneno

Veneno - Antonia Dwyer (Hiphop) Antonia Dwyer delivers a hip winder with her latest effort, “Veneno.” It’s got 00s hip hop all over it—a lilting and hypnotic Spanish guitar and percussion quickly overlaid with a thudding hip hop beat. Antonia delivers a hybrid of sung vocals and rap, with a flow as spitfire as Twista had during the time period the song invokes. Antonia’s tone is pure, with an entrancing delivery that helps pull the listener into the track, which itself is hyper chill. It’s a breezy mid tempo two stepper with enough sass in the lyrics to set the track on sizzle. We recommend this one for the car—windows down, summer sun, just cruising.

Best Lyric: “My name in your mouth it will burn like el fuego.”

Rafaèlla - Renaissance

Rafaèlla - Renaissance (Pop) It’s the dawn of a new era for Rafaèlla, as she announces on her latest track “Renaissance”, an ode to stepping into your power and starting fresh. This intimate little bop is a toe tapping dancey midtempo, with a simple, crisp and well polished production that let’s our artist’s vocals carry the song, sitting front, center and intimate. The track crackles with energy, a bit of tension and even an element of danger, with a slow build that never raises the burner beyond simmer as this track is only Rafaèlla’s prelude to what is to come—she’s not giving it all away just yet. Overall, the track is a sizzling tango with some Greek spice to it that is quite tasty, and leaves our mouths watering for more.

Best Lyric: “It’s time to rewrite my life.”

Heather Nation - Lucid Dreaming

Lucid Dreaming - Heather Nation (R&B) Today we’re “Lucid Dreaming” with the heavenly vocals of Heather Nation on her latest record. From the acoustic strums to the ethereal vocals, when pressing play on this track we immediately got vibes of Tweet’s “Southern Hummingbird” era back in the 00s, an artistic and experimental take on R&B that we haven’t heard in quite some time. The track is as fresh and unique as it is beautiful, and to us is the musical equivalent of stream of consciousness poetry as the song seems to lilt in the air, directed only by the breeze. There’s a surprising switch up in the bridge that swings us into a meditation before the song finally blooms with an electric guitar that brings us to a fever pitch. Lush and mature, Heather’s latest song is musicality and artistic expression at its finest.

Best Lyric: “We’re floating in the ether.”

Pronto Valid - '08 Civic

‘08 Civic - Pronto Valid (Rap) There are levels to “‘08 Civic”, the latest offering from Pronto Valid, and we have to admit that we’re still processing this track. The song surprises with a meld of nostalgia, mindfulness, self analysis and social commentary that showed us that despite all of his vocal talents, catchy hooks and expert flow, Pronto’s best attribute as an artist is his intelligence. These lyrics hit, and the flow should put him up there with any charting artist today, giving us a mixture of Kendrick and Drake (specifically the later on the more melodic sing/speak moments). The standout second verse is deep af, tying some social commentary to the specifics of Pronto’s life story, making the track feel personal and not performative. We really loved this one, add it to your playlist, pronto.

Best Lyric: “I had a vision bout changing the system that don’t pay attention to people like me.”

Allegra - Round & Round (ft Tiësto)

Round & Round - Allegra (ft Tiësto) (EDM) Allegra brings epic vibes with her new bop, “Round & Round”. This track is made for the dance club with dark Euro vibes abound, and reminds us of the “Get On The Floor” days of J Lo. It’s a throbbing beat, with swirling synths and vocal reverbs elevating the song into something grandiose in scale. This isn’t a dance floor at your local bar, this is a track for your five level club with strobes and fog machines, where you’re standing shoulder to shoulder and it’s going to take you an hour to figure out where your friends went. We particularly enjoyed the choir joining in with each chorus, which conjures the image of Allegra as a goddess elevated above her subjects below, who chant as she commands the room. With “Round & Round”, Allegra gives DJs an excellent lead in or lead out to “Padam Padam” this summer.

Livi Jacobs - Keep Quiet

Keep Quiet - Livi Jacobs (Folk Pop) Livi Jacobs delivers a timeless record with her latest effort, “Keep Quiet.” A power ballad/mid tempo, “Keep Quiet” is centered on Livi and her guitar, crisp acoustic strums accompanying Livi’s strong yet seductive lead vocal, allowing her to show off some stellar vocal talent. More than a stunning voice, Livi’s lyricism and musicality are also on full display, with thoughtful lyrics, catchy and memorable melodies and one hell of a rousing chorus. We particularly loved the descending chord at the end of the chorus, and give credit to the expert build of mounting percussion and background vocals chiming in to turn an already big song into an anthem. There’s no reason this track shouldn’t be charting.

Best Lyric: “You’re not the kind of man that sticks around forever.”

Nadia - Love Victim

Love Victim - Nadia (Dance Pop) Now this one is a hip winder. On her latest record “Love Victim”, Nadia (with special guest Jordan Adetunji) is bringing us straight Rihanna vibes with a certified dance club bop destined for many a DJ’s setlist. We’re getting Miami dancefloor vibes with this one, with the bouncy synth lead driving the movement of the song while Nadia and Jordan give us a duet worthy of Rihanna/Drake and JLo/Pitbull comparisons. The strength of the number lies in its catchy melody and grand chorus, which now lives rent free in our brains over on this blog. We dare you not to two step to this one, or at least gyrate in your chair.