Belz - Love and Gucci Gloves

Love and Gucci Gloves - Belz (R&B) Look, Belz is straight up—she wants to be rich, famous and successful—and she lets us know all about her ambitions in her vibey R&B pop “Love and Gucci Gloves.” The track sort of has a Meghan Trainor kind of vibe in its retro influences, mixed with a bit of Blu Cantrell “Hit ‘Em Up Style”. The track starts with Belz immediately in the spotlight, backed solely but some crips snaps, giving us a classic R&B vocal, eventually building to the point where she’s backed by a soulful choir and a big band sort of instrumental. It’s a great meld of modern sensibility and 90s R&B retro—a genre that thankfully seems to be on the rise. And with a track like this, we assume those Gucci gloves are just on the horizon for Belz.

Best Lyric: “What if I can never feel that type of love?”

Olya Polyakova & Army of Lovers - Love is Blue

Love is Blue - Olya Polyakova & Army of Lovers (Pop) Olya Polyakova & Army of Lovers are giving us some serious Abba dance floor vibes with their latest track, “Love is Blue.” Driven by a rousing choral vocal and backed by a plucky instrumental, this track is full of the kind of quirky theatricality that would have surely made it a pop hit chart topper and dance floor anthem of yesteryear. The record is big, with the vocals crescendoing into the rafters, lead by an incredible belt from the lead vocalist that is almost operatic in nature. On top of that, the record is extremely catchy and centered in the category of feel good music. So if you’re a bit nostalgic for the disco dance floor numbers of the past, we think you’ll be pleased with the concoction that is “Love is Blue.”

Grant Brown - Low

Low - Grant Brown (Pop) Grant Brown delivers a country-infused pop bop with latest single “Low.” A heartfelt piano sets the mood before Grant enters to take center stage—captivating with his vulnerability and emotive vocal performance. While rooted in pop, there are both country and folk influences here, specifically from the strings as well as Grant’s vocal—almost a meld of those genres with R&B/Pop, creating a unique and engaging sound certain to have great crossover appeal. But above all, it’s hella catchy, with a soaring chorus that we guarantee will be an earworm. Memorable, anthemic and boasting sonics that fill the chest, Grant delivers a rousing anthem with “Low.”

Best Lyric: “Hope you don’t take this the wrong but I think I wanna take you to the grave.”

Clinton N - Dreaming (ft Luma)

Dreaming - Clinton N (ft Luma) (EDM) Clinton N, with guest Luma, delivers an epic EDM banger with latest single “Dreaming”. Ethereal yet dancey, the track soars thanks to some powerful vocals from our lead, backed by a breakbeat that reminded us a lot of Zedd’s “Clarity”. The song swims in a cathedral sized reverb, capturing that soulful melancholy that resonates in the best club tracks—you could certainly picture a bevy of remixes to this one. What strikes us the most about this track are the levels. Clinton N allows the song plenty of opportunities to breathe, giving the record an ebb and flow that help punctuate the higher octane moments. This one’s for the clubs.

Best Lyric: “But how could you let go, I’ve given so much to hold onto.”

Ash Molloy - I Knew

I Knew - Ash Molloy (Pop) Ash Molloy tugs on our heart strings with the emotional and personal “I Knew.” The record is a lesson in trusting your gut, with the insistence of the steady piano strike mirroring that constant nagging voice in your head telling you that something is looming in your relationship. Ash delivers a powerful vocal—soft, vulnerable and intimate at times, crescendoing into a powerful belt that breaks ever so slightly for the emotion of the track to punch through. Mix that with lush vocal stacks and soaring backgrounds and you get an Adele level track. “I Knew” is a triumph and will hit you right in the feels.

Best Lyric: “You knew what I meant when I always said that seeing her made me nervous.”

Rebecca Sichon - Breaking Free

Breaking Free - Rebecca Sichon (Soul) If you don’t appreciate Rebecca Sichon, she wants you to just let her go, which she clearly tells us in latest single “Breaking Free.” The track is a bluesy, soulful and timeless waltz hosting a lovely build that takes us from simple singer-songwriter to a lush and beautifully layered production. The track is carried forward by patient hats tapping out the tempo as a Prince-evoking guitar strikes to punctuate the heartbreak throughout, all while a soulful organ swirls in the background. But despite all of that deliciousness in the instrumental, the standout of this track is Rebecca herself, whose vulnerable and soulful performance shine as pure as her tone.

Best Lyric: “I’ve got so much left to give and so much life to live and so much more to me.”

Yael Lanciano - Runnin' Away

Runnin’ Away - Yael Lanciano (Pop) Yael Lanciano delivers a lush pop production with the synth soaked single “Runnin’ Away”. It’s a universal subject matter, Yael asking why her love interest is scared of diving into the real thing. Listening to this track, which is boasting with ear candy, reminded us a lot of Carly Rae Jepsen. The track screams summer, with a perfect pop vocal from Yael that shimmers on top of the splashy synths and punchy percussion. What really makes this track standout, however, are the constant switchups that keep engagement high as the song breezes by to its conclusion. From the slow down of the bridge, to the breakbeat of the last pre-chorus, the song’s complexity really had us in our feels.

Best Lyric: “Want you to tell me what’s on your mind all the time, but you keepin’ me at a distance.“

Love Ghost - Dopeman

Dopeman - Love Ghost (HipHop) Love Ghost delivers a thumping afrobeat inspired genre-blending banger with latest single, “Dopeman”, featuring guests Camidoh and DJ Switch Ghana. That afrobeat inspiration is overlaid on a hazy rock guitar that bleeds punk rock vibes, creating quite a melding of styles for a truly unique sound. Add on the repeated choral chant throughout, and you elevate to anthemic, then sprinkle in that flute line, and we get into world music. Most surprising is how well this concoction works to create something that just screams Top 40. From the alt punk sung vocals to the liquid flows of the rapper to the ethereal lilt of the female vocalist, “Dopeman” is a slam dunk collab that reminds of the multi-artist Timbaland tracks of the 00s/10s.

Best Lyric: “Sunlight overdosing, my spirit can’t be broken.”

Ivon Roberts - Better Guy

Better Guy - Ivon Roberts (Pop) In Ivon Roberts’ latest, “Better Guy”, Ivon and guest Cian O’Donoghue are letting you know you won’t find a better man. As described by the artists, this duet takes place between a heterosexual and a bisexual man competing for the affection of the same woman—it’s 2023’s “The Boy Is Mine”. Dreamy synths set the mood before the groove takes off like a freight train barrelling down the tracks to the song’s conclusion. With a molten lava 808 bass and a driving guitar riff, the overall sound reminds us a lot of what Madonna was doing back on her “Music” album—we specifically got “Don’t Tell Me” vibes. Catchy, quirky, commercial and with a unique point of view, Ivon Roberts delivers something for you to karaoke battle your friends with.

Best Lyric: “He’s busy unzipping his lips.“

Partyat4 - FWM

FWM - Partyat4 (R&B) Partyat4 brings the sexy with sultry new single “FWM”, letting their love interest know that they have what they need. Giving us some real Chris Brown vibes, Partyat4 utilizes a modern production pallet while still paying tribute to some retro R&B influences—we specifically here a lot of Usher in this. It’s a strong vocal on an impeccably produced track, backed by plenty of ear candy, verbs and doubles that fortunately never distract from the main groove of the track. But where the song really catches fire is the chorus, with a bouncy bass lead that backs an extremely catchy chorus whose melody will certainly stick with you. What can we say? After listening to this track, we fucks wit Partyat4.

Best Lyric: “And I hear what all your friends say, but do they really know me baby?“

KHi - over

over - KHi (R&B) Short but sweet, KHi delivers a morsel of a single “over”, on which the artist laments the end of a relationship, coming to the realization that it is truly the end. While chastising a former love for letting their petty little friends get into their ear, KHi delivers a heart wrenching and vulnerable vocal, left to bleed on the track due to the light touch of vocal production. The instrumental is foreboding, looming in the background like a storm cloud, symbolizing the torrent of torment going through KHi’s mind. If you’ve recently been through a breakup, we think “over” is the right kind of track for your current playlist.

Best Lyric: “You’re only making it colder.“

Crusada - Killer Signs Prelude

Killer Signs Prelude - Crusada (HipHop) Crusada makes us miss the days of 00s hiphop with latest track “Killer Signs Prelude”, a record that serves as the introduction to an upcoming theatre production at London’s Courtyard Theatre this month. Giving some real “Magic Stick” vibes, we were half expecting Kim to hop in on a verse. Our artists here have the vibes of Eminem’s D12 group, with each rapper passing the baton throughout the track without ever interrupting the flow, all while a They Might Be Giants “Constantinople” style violin slides around the retro hiphop percussion production. If “Killer Signs Prelude” is a prelude of what’s to come, we can confidently say that we’re ready for the show. If you’re in London, be sure to check it out.

Best Lyric: “The black falcon, not Peter Pan.”

Dax - To Be A Man ft Darius Rucker

To Be A Man - Dax ft Darius Rucker (Country)  Dax returns for his fifth entry with “To Be A Man” (see our previous reviews of “Life”, “The Abyss”, “God’s Eyes” and “The Devil’s Calling”) to surprise us yet again—and we’re not talking about the mic drop appearance of Darius Rucker. No, here Dax mostly leaves his rhymes behind for a soul stirring country number—yes, country—where he duets with the one and only Darius Rucker. Now what isn’t different here is Dax’s dedication to meaningful lyrics and messaging, this time discussing the responsibility of fatherhood and what it is to be a man. Production wise, it’s your classic mainstream country crossover—our first time hearing this from Dax—and continues to prove that Dax is a versatile, multi-talented and prolific musician with a hell of a lot to say.

Best Lyric: “It’s not ‘bout how you feel but what you provide inside that home.”

KÄRMA SOUNDS - Mysterious

Mysterious - Kärma Sounds (Pop) There’s a lot to love with Kärma Sounds’ latest track, “Mysterious”—a funky NuDisco track that is destined for the dancefloor. The lead vocalist, the dynamic Karina Morin, goes toe to toe with all the major dance divas in her sexy delivery, while backed by a vocoder and ushered into an outro by a hella-retro guitar solo. From it’s funky percussion to it’s slinky and molten lava bassline (which gives this groove its drive), the track reminds us a lot of “Get Lucky” from Daft Punk/Pharrell. Kärma Sounds hopes to evoke the “magic that unfolds when two souls connect in a mysterious realm, where time stands still.” For us, that real would be a summertime dance floor with vodka soda in hand and not a care in the world. That’s where you’ll find “Mysterious.”

Kyle Richardson - Louder Than Words

Louder Than Words (LP) (Pop) There’s not one skippable track on Kyle Richardson’s debut LP, “Louder Than Words”, a Top 40 slam dunk fresh of the presses. Preceded by singles “Fight The Good Fight”, “Anything” and “Can You Hear Me”, Kyle’s first album sets a high bar as he ventures forth to build what is sure to be a strong career. From the vocals to the impeccable production, Kyle blends a modern pop sensibility with retro nostalgia to create a record that is both very much of the here and now, but also timeless.

This Vancouver-based artist comes to us with quite the resume. Having written with the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, DYLN and Garrett Neiles, he has also had success in TV sync placements and radio work, generating over 1.5 million Spotify streams as a guest vocalist on Bobina’s “Love is the Answer.” Also, as this blog is run by a queer artist himself, we of course need to shout out that Kyle is family. :)

Let’s start with Kyle’s vocals. After some hemming and hawing, we finally settled on this: What if Michael Buble and Sam Smith raised a child together with the sole intention of having him to replace Ed Sheeran? That’s where we put Kyle. His vocals are pure pop, showing a warmth in baritone and a punchy strength in his upper register—i.e., he has the range. Those vocals are always mixed right in front, the star of every track, with the instrumentation serving merely to boost him up. That instrumental production sits mostly in mainstream pop, each mixed with beautiful depth and richness, with the occasional detour into retro influences. So before you even get into the actual content of the tracks, this album sounds amazing.

For the most part, Kyle leans towards anthemic tub-thumpers. Immediately launching with album opener “Can You Hear Me”, Kyle evokes a “We Will Rock You” stomp and clap that permeates most of the album. “Fight the Good Fight” carries that torch as well, and it’s clear on first listen why this was a preceding single—it’s a perfect concoction for today’s charts. Now, with a voice like Kyle’s, you couldn’t not have a selection of ballads. On that front, “Perfect Crime” stands out as our favorite, a love song about a hookup turning into something more—which for the queer experience is pretty common and certainly relatable.

Our personal favorites, however, are the ones that bake in a few hints of nostalgia. These aren’t full on time travel tracks, but more like the way Meghan Trainor has a doo wop sensibility in a lot of her work. In that regard, “Fun” shines as that sort of track, which even gives us a Christmas pop track kind of vibe—it’s kind of a sleigh ride. The album delivers another retro bop with “Nice to Meet You” that gives us vibes similar to Duffy’s “Mercy”, while “Sooner or Later” is a hazy retro soul track that stands out as unique among the collection. However, it all comes together in our favorite track on the album “Everything About You”, which is the perfect midpoint between his stomp/clap modern style and his retro leanings. That one’s a chef’s kiss for us. Not that the others on the album won’t, but these records in particular will stand the test of time.

In sum, Kyle Richardson’s debut LP “Louder Than Words” is a triumph. A masterful production, soaring vocal performance and mainstream sensibility, Kyle will have no problem finding a devoted and adoring fanbase.

LÖNA - Game

Game - LÖNA (Pop) LÖNA delivers a hypnotic dance floor bop with latest single “Game.” The track bleeds with darkness and danger, feeling like an incantation—especially with those spoken word urgings leaning into the choruses. The sweeping synths, which paint the atmosphere as hazy and forboding, are cut with a punchy production paired with clear and crisp vocals that callto the listener like a siren song. As the track draws you in, it conjured images of those underground party scenes in The Matrix films, and also gave us a bit of “Florence and the Machine” vibes—but like if Florence was in a real funk. We also have to highlight the clever and captivating lyrical content, often missing from these kinds of dark pop dance floor tracks.

Best Lyric: “Whiskey on the rocks, I am the queen of hearts.”