Qymira - Melodrama

Melodrama - Qymira (R&B) This week we’re joined by Qymira with her latest track “Melodrama”. A slamming track chock full of ear candy, “Melodrama” is led by its booming bass and feels heavily influenced by retro R&B crossover. The vocals are a combination of spoken word and sung vocals, with the former taking the form of a raspy, seductive delivery that slinks through the track. There’s a danger to the record, it feels very “claws out”, as Qymira brings a theatrical intensity, well suited for a song about the manipulative pull of a lover’s personal drama. Also, don’t miss the slickly produced music video that accompanies the track.

Best Lyric: “Acts of a magician, master of illusion.”

The New Citizen Kane - A Love Fool

A Love Fool - The New Citizen Kane (Pop) The New Citizen Kane keeps churning out the hits with latest “A Love Fool”, a new track accompanied by several remixes, which follows our recent reviews of his albums “The Tales of Morpheus” and “Could Have Been”.  On “A Love Fool”, The New Citizen Kane delivers a mid tempo pop bop about being addicted to the apple of his eye.  The track is unique in that it contains several distinct movements with their own sonic landscapes.  The opening is more of an understated bubbly number, with references to candy and other cutesy sweetness.  But about halfway through, the track moves into something grander, as swelling strings take the sonics into a completely different universe, injecting more heart.  It’s a deceptively simple track elevated by its skillful production.

Best Lyric:  “How’d I get like this?  What’s so special ‘bout you?”

Echezona - Enyi (LP)

Enyi (LP) - Echezona (Afrobeat) This week, we welcome Echezona to our blog with the release of his latest LP “Enyi”.  This nine-track collection centers on different aspects of relationships, using a meld of afrobeat and hip hop to paint a sonically cohesive work with enough variation to keep things interesting.  But before we dive into our tracks, first a bit about the artist.

Echezona was born in the US to Nigerian immigrant parents.  Fluent in Igbo, the native Nigerian language, Echezona is a multi-lingual singer, rapper and songwriter.  His first hit was the afro-hip-hop fusion track “Galileo”, which was chosen for the soundtrack of the EASports 2K21 basketball game, ESPN TV airplay and an NBA national co-branding campaign.

As for “Enyi”, the album was recorded in Boston, MA at the studio of producer JPRiZM.  With the project, Echezona seeks to explore the core of the human experience—love, community, and self-discovery.  To do so, Echezona has fused many musical styles, but at the core draws inspiration from African culture.  Using his life story, Echezona hopes to embody the struggles and victories of life, and reflect universal truths to a global audience.

“Amazing” starts off the album with an afro beat party vibe.  Chock full of positivity, the song feels like a beam of sunlight.  The track is underlaid with a slippery bass which keeps the momentum. “Truthfully” continues the afro beat vibes, but cools things off a bit from the more dance centric opener, which will continue until for the next three tracks.  “Truthfully” simmers as Echelon’s layered vocals describes his difficulty finding the right girl for him.  The chorus on this one is extra catchy.

On “Rare”, Echezona warns a lover that his love is not easy to come by, while recognizing that he’s going to similarly have a hard time finding someone new.  “I never treat you like another jump off, you’re no trampoline,” is certainly our favorite lyric.  The understated production lends to the melancholy of the track. That vibe spills into “Flaws”, where his message turns to one of recognition that everyone comes with their own baggage.  It’s an uplifting number, telling his love that he is there to support, flaws and all.

“Stick Around” switches things up a bit with the beat picking up, putting us back in the dance space of the album opener.  There’s a carefree feel to this one, and definitely lends itself to radio play. “Evolve” uses clever lyrics to describe an ‘opposites attract’ kind of relationship.  In this relationship, Echezona admits he’s a bit more old school, but promises personal growth to bring them closer together.  The number simmers over a sauntering acoustic guitar.

“High Time” transitions the album into a suite of hip hop tracks to close the project, with the 808 coming front and center and the afro beat of the prior six tracks left behind.  Also Echezona adds rap leads to his R&B crooning to further switch things up.  Along with album closer “Locked In”, these two remind us of the 2010s, specifically productions by The Dream.  These two tracks sandwich “Wetin Dey Happen?”, another hip hop track, where Echezona wonders what went wrong in a relationship.  There’s a fun call and response to the verses here with the layered vocals.  The vocal production overall is varied on this one, and is great ear candy.

TRACKS:

1. Amazing

2. Truthfully

3. Rare

4. Flaws

5. Stick Around

6. Evolve

7. High Time

8. Wetin Dey Happen?

9. Locked In

Rebecca Anderson - Lay It All Down

Lay It All Down - Rebecca Anderson (Soul) Rebecca Anderson rounds out this week’s new features with her record “Lay It All Down.” Following soulful single “In the Beginning”, Rebecca tells us that her current track speaks of navigating life’s challenges and the balance between control and letting go, finding hope amidst uncertainty. The record is a dreamy waltz, centered on hypnotic lead vocals backed by a soulful chorus. While containing overtly religious undertones, the track has universal appeal, carried by its timeless sound and relatable message of giving oneself over the whims of fate. This track precedes her forthcoming album “Citizen of Heaven.”

Best Lyric: “So I’ll just wait here in your presence and I’ll leave this here with you.”

Rella - Into The Night

Into The Night - Rella (R&B) We welcome Rella to our blog this week with latest track “Into The Night”, a dreamy R&B cut where our artist extends beyond his typical rap roots. The mood is set immediately by the hazy synths, soon joined by Rella’s resonant autotuned baritone and muffled punchy drums. Overall the track is incredibly dreamy, almost hypnotic, as the bells in the chorus add some additional sparkle. The track is nearly a lullaby, with a soothing melody lulling listeners into a state of euphoria. We particularly appreciated the key change in the outro, something not done often these days, which immediately compelled us to put the track on a loop and take another listen. This is a quiet evening at home and glass of wine kind of track.

Theron RJ - Kular Of My Skin

Kular Of My Skin - Theron RJ (Pop/R&B) Theron RJ joins our blog this week with latest track “Kular Of My Skin”, a funky cut that wastes no time getting right to business. With seductive David Bowie-esque vocals, Theron RJ lays his silky baritone over a full on jam session, complete with guitar and bass licks, horn stabs and some smokey sax lines, describing a story of racial identity. The artist tells us the track is a contemplation of a time when black skin was considered ugly and dirty. But this heavy social commentary is made accessible over the catchiness of the tune, just as the best socially conscious songs do. In sum, this one is as toe tapping as it is thoughtful.

Best Lyric: “The color of my skin, can’t tell you how I am feeling deep down within.”

Weaux - Queer as Funk

Queer as Funk (EP) - Weaux (Pop/Funk) This week we welcome a new artist to our blog, Weaux, with a review of his latest 5-track EP “Queer as Funk.” Unabashedly queer and a self referential introduction to all he has to offer, there’s a lot to love about “Queer as Funk” and it will certainly put a smile on your face. But before we dig into the tracks, let’s take a look at our artist.

Weaux (pronounced “Woah!”) is a queer artist focusing on funky hyperpop, known for melding a Gen Z sense of humor with retro vibes. His stage name comes from a combination of his first and last name, Wayne Babineaux. Hailing from Houston, Weaux moved to New York to pursue acting, later pivoting into music. He describes the latest EP as “the ray of rainbow sunshine the world needs right now”, aiming to transport listeners to an alternate 80s funk-inspired universe of love and acceptance. Discovered by Skip Reeves the “Funkologist”, Weaux has been featured on terrestrial radio in Denver and San Francisco, and has cracked digital radio on Iconix Radio and Breaking Sound Radio. Weaux has also made significant inroads in New York and Houston as a live performer in the queer scene, who has also been featured in Houston’s leading LGBTQ magazine.

The EP is a cohesive collection of funk jams, very much in line with the “24k Magic” era of Bruno Mars. Mixing rap/spoken word with a slippery tenor sung vocal, the project is chock full of versatility, while remaining consistently on brand as a queer funk production. While rooted specifically in queer identity, the sonic landscape mostly veers away from what would be considered music catered for the queer community, instead giving us a lot of Prince and Michael Jackson vibes. The mix and master is light, fresh and funky.

Digging into the tracks, the vogue and ballroom inspired album intro “88 Keys” is led by a driving kick as Weaux initially introduces himself as a rapper. Feeling like an announcer at a ballroom competition, this track gave us feelings of “Call Me Mother” by RuPaul before veering into some Prince feeling falsetto vocals. Also, we tip our hat to anyone who can collapse Beyonce, Lizzo and Brene Brown into a single reference.

“Serious/Delirious” gives us those aforementioned Bruno Mars retro vibes. While established on the opening track, Weaux solidifies his Lyrical prowess on this song that preaches remaining positive in the face of adversity. A universal message with specific resonance to today’s queer community.

“Queer as Funk” really brings that 80s Prince feel with an infusion of Michael Jackson. Three tracks in, it is at its core an introduction to Weaux and all he has to offer, as Weaux describes his artistry with a “Rapper’s Delight” feeling flow. It’s the “stankiest groove that’s ever stunk.”

We then take a left turn with “Greatest Hit”, which slows things down to deliver a love ballad. It’s a stripped down production and is the track most unlike the others, showing Weaux’s versatility. The album returns to form with the closer, “Checklist Kind of Love”, which now runs down the rubric of exactly what Weaux needs from a lover. This is all done over that delicious and instantly recognizable NuFunk bassline, which drives the track.

All in all, “Queer as Funk” serves two purposes—it’s a red carpet welcome and 360 introduction of Weaux as an artist, while also creating smiles through upbeat catchy grooves and clever lyrics.

TRACKS:

1. 88 Keys

2. Serious/Delirious

3. Queer as Funk

4. Greatest Hit

5. Checklist Kind of Love

Rice - New Jack

New Jack - Rice (Rap) Rice joins our roster this week with latest track “New Jack”, a classic braggadocious stuttin’ track. Sonically, the record reminds us a lot of 00s Timbaland productions, with the mysterious eastern flute and dreamy guitar strum giving us “Indian Flute.” Cutting through this is, of course, the slamming hip hop percussion that we expect from the genre, while Rice uses a synth harmonizer to give added weight to his vocals that serve as great ear candy. The track is accompanied by a music video that interjects spoken word elements where Rice chats on the phone about his rise. Coming in at a tight 2 minutes, we only wish the track was longer! Guess it goes on repeat. ;)

Best Lyric: “I’m a shark in the water, brand new coup with somebody’s daughter.”

Anna Kaya - Pride

Pride - Anna Kaya (Pop/R&B) This week, we welcome Anna Kaya to our blog with “Pride”, a tune full of sass and empowerment that reminds us of the “Hit ‘Em Upstyle” tracks of the early 00s. With a minimalist production, the track leans on the strength of Anna’s vocals and specifically her emotive performance of the lyrics as the center of the record. Overall, the song is a sultry tango, with a resonant 808 bouncing in the back as delicate synth stabs and a hypnotic guitar pluck guide the mid tempo along. Giving us crossover R&B vibes, the track has a great sing-along-able chorus that makes the entire track infectious.

Best Lyric: “Your ego’s fragile like thin ice.”

1kxjoe - Shawty Nasty

Shawty Nasty - 1kxjoe (Rap) There’s something to be said for being brutally honest. On latest track, “Shawty Nasty”, 1kxjoe makes it explicitly clear that he loves a freak. His current girl is everything he could ask for, nasty and classy, so much so 1kxjoe isn’t going to share. The track’s beat slaps, with crispy trap percussion production cutting through some dreamy, hypnotic keys. It’s the pairing of the subject matter to the music that lets you know this isn’t just a sexual thing. While it’s front and center and definitely something 1kxjoe needs in a relationship, the instrumentation has a lot of heart, which helps communicate to the listener there’s something more to the love here than the carnal.

Best Lyric: “I ain’t slut shaming, she know I love me a ho.”

Paulo and the Problems - First of the Month

First of the Month - Paulo and the Problems (Pop/R&B) Paulo and the Problems joins our blog roster this week with the steamy R&B funk number “First of the Month.” It’s a 70s tinged dreamy record, infused with sparkling rhodes and a liquid bass line, as Paulo’s spit rides the bit to disclose his desire for the object of his affection. The track is crammed full of clever lyrics, including the title which is a very smart metaphor in pledging his reliability—he’s a tenant that pays first of the month. The rest of that lyrical prowess is dedicated to innuendo that we’ll let you discover, but we’ll say there’s a lot of feasting going on. Overall, this track is as smooth as honey and gives you that good old old school baby-making music vibe. Bow chicka wow wow.

Best Lyric: “Skinny til you turn to the back.”

Omar Pierce - I Got You

I Got You - Omar Pierce (Pop/R&B) Caretaking with ulterior motives is the combo on Omar Pierce’s latest track “I Got You.” With velvety R&B vocals, Omar lets his lady know that he’ll do everything he can to take care of her and keep her stress free. There’s something in it for Omar though, as he reminds us that “stress free sex ain’t free”—his altruism stems from a desire to keep his lady always in the mood to throw down. The track itself screams crossover R&B cut of the 10s, with some heavy Chris Brown vibes. Omar’s vocals are on point, and that little 80s cowbell hit always makes us smile. Overall, it’s a groovy midtempo, sexy and smooth.

Best Lyric: “Baby I take care of you for me.”

Keziah Zionna - Flip Flops

Flip Flops - Keziah Zionna (Rap) This week we welcome Keziah Zionna to the blog with “Flip Flops”, a track that would feel right at home on a Megan The Stallion/Cardi B playlist. Feeling like a cousin of “WAP” and “Up”, “Flip Flops” is a female centered sex positive track about what it sounds like when…well, you get it. Like the tracks we’ve cited, the song is boasting with clever lyrical turns that make the record highly quotable. This in your face lyrical content is delivered over an ominous beat, very much in the Cardi B “Up” lane. In sum, we can promise you two things with this track—one, you’ll put it on repeat to learn all the lyrics and two, you’ll never look at your pair of flip flops the same way again.

Best Lyric: “The way he get to hittin’ bitch I named him misdemeanor.”

Dax - Lonely Dirt Road

Lonely Dirt Road - Dax (Pop)  We last caught up with frequent feature Dax last month with “i hate that i love you”, an emotional track about the regret of falling in love with someone who breaks your heart. Just over a month later, he’s back with us today with “Lonely Dirt Road”, which is a track that sits right in Dax’s musical sweet spot. The record does what Dax does best, meld country vocal melodies with an R&B instrumental to tell a deeply personal tale—that’s what we have come to know as Dax’s formula. Here, Dax sings of his personal relationship with the almighty, who he turns to in times of strife. With the warm rounded bass and soulful piano at the foundation of the track, paired with an emotive vocal performance, the song is sure to strike a chord with listeners across the country, pop and R&B genres.

Magdalia - housewife

housewife- Magdalia (Pop) Magdalia returns to the blog for the fifth time with latest single “Housewife”, following our previous reviews for “Hold it Up”, “Tunnel Vision”, “Great Expectations” and “Fault Line”, which we felt showed the artist’s strength as a storyteller. In “Housewife”, we are again treated to Magdalia’s lyrical prowess, as she dreams of freedom from her current relationship, stepping into her power over a warm and soulful piano. It’s a powerful anthem about protecting oneself and moving into a better place, not letting how the break might impact her partner stop her from doing what she needs to do for herself. It’s a rousing record with great drive—a real sing along in the shower number.

Best Lyric: “I’ve made my choice and the gods have spoken.”

Artificial Incline - Sound of Thunder (EP)

Sound of Thunder (EP) - Artificial Incline (Pop) We were introduced to Artificial Incline about two months ago with their first EP “Used to Be”, which we hailed as a raw and emotional experience derived from the specificity of the artist’s experiences. Now, Artificial Incline is back with three track EP “Sound of Thunder”, which provides a sampling of wildly different subject matter made cohesive through the sonic atmosphere of the driving pop power ballad.

But before we get into the EP, a reminder about our artist. Artificial Incline is a Canadian based lyricist focused on combining the power of music and technology to tell emotional stories. Hailing from Strathmore, Canada, our artist uses music as an escape, while at the same time using it to delve into the nuances of the underlying relationship traumas that necessitated the escape—cheating and emotional abuse. As an artist, Artificial Incline is inclined towards the complexities of human relationships, hoping to add their unique perspective to the conversation.

Like “Used to Be”, “Sound of Thunder” is another fusion of music and technology as we sense AI elements (and the context clues from the artist’s name), and our artist describes their latest work as a testament to their “perseverance and commitment to creating music that speaks to the soul.” Together, both EPs give us a solid understanding of Artificial Incline’s musical lane—a rousing mid tempo power ballad. Raw emotion and catharsis remain at the heart of Artificial Incline’s artistry in their latest project.

EP opener “Easy as Breathing” leads the listener to believe that Artificial Incline is in a different headspace than where they were with the last project. While the emotion remains raw and our artist stays settled in their vulnerability, the track is a pure love ballad dedicated to a love that comes naturally and effortlessly. Artificial Incline paints the sonic world we’re entering into with a lilting guitar melody, mesmerizing the listener first before the entry of the driving bass. When the track begins to hit a bit harder, the record transforms from a gentle ode to an anthemic pop number, as the instrumental becomes increasingly rousing.

Next up is the title track, which follows a similar sonic pattern—a guitar lead driving the track as a bass builds underneath. But the subject matter takes a sharp turn, going from a dedication of love to a more somber note—an existential rumination on the great beyond. Someone has passed in our artist’s life, and through the grief Artificial Incline wonders what it is like for their loved one on the other side. This track is heavy on the heart.

While sticking to the rousing pop ballad format, a piano lead takes over in “Better in Time”, which remains in a dark space as the subject matter turns to struggles through suicidal ideation. Ultimately, however, it’s a positive track as Artificial Incline pulls from their experiences to tell the listener that the darkest always comes before the dawn—there is light at the end of the tunnel and time heals everything. As Artificial Incline sings, “when the night is long and all hope feels gone, just stay strong.”

With their second project, Artificial Incline solidifies their musical stylings and continues to show that the blending of music and technology does not have to mean the elimination of the human experience. No matter how this EP was made, it has heart.