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.

Michellar - Cross My Heart

Cross My Heart - Michellar (Pop) Michellar joins our blog this week with a toe-tapping synthy explosion. On latest single, “Cross My Heart”, Michellar proclaims that they will never leave their lover, professing their understanding and patience through turmoil. In bringing the track to life, Michellar draws from personal experiences, which is clear from the specificity of the writing. The story is delivered over a dreamy 80s synth production, with many of the elements reminding us of Prince records from that era. Michellar’s vocal is laser sharp, dueting with itself throughout to wind seductively through the song and hit some ear pleasing harmonies and counterpoints along the way. Special shout out to Michellar’s support of women-owned businesses in the production of this record.

The New Citizen Kane - The Tales of Morpheus (LP)

The Tales of Morpheus (LP) - The New Citizen Kane (Pop) Fresh off of our December review of their EP “Could Have Been”, we’ve got a brand new 21-track LP from The New Citizen Kane to dive into—”The Tales of Morpheus”. This project is an opus, and while we’ve only just gotten to know The New Citizen Kane this year, we feel as though all of his musical roads have been leading to this project.

In case you missed our last review, here’s the download on The New Citizen Kane. Singer, songwriter and producer Kane Luke started on the theater circuit at 17 and eventually recording his first EP “Now Or Never” at 18. A multi-talented artist, Kane’s resume includes modeling, acting and sound engineering. By 2008 he had a club hit on his hands, “Don’t Feel No Shame”, followed by “Spun Like Sugar”. Now rebranded as The New Citizen Kane, he’s been busy with releases including 2014’s album “It’s Not Science…It’s A Feeling” and EPs including “Endless Summer Serenade” and “Could Have Been.”

“The Tales of Morpheus” was described to us as a child of self-discovery, with The New Citizen Kane using the creation of the LP from his home studio as a form of therapy. He described the tracks as separate chapters in his life, exploring themes of self examination, toxicity in relationships and the transcendence of love.

When last we checked in with The New Citizen Kane, we called the “Could Have Been” EP sonically cohesive and musically engaging,—a “no skips” project. We came to know Kane as a storyteller, exuding warmth with heartfelt lyrics that distinguished him from his contemporaries. Boasting 21 tracks, “The Tales of Morpheus” is far more expansive in scope, sliding from retro 80s synth pop to modern club jams to Top 40 pop anthems, putting The New Citizen Kane’s versatility as an artist on full display. We even get a surprising neo soul flavor with “Disco Love” and a diversion into ballad territory with the island breezy "Contra Botafogos”, making for quite a diverse collection of records, but with enough cohesion that nothing feels entirely out of left field.

Kane’s sweet spot is certainly the summer club jam—so much of this album just screams vodka sodas on a summer rooftop. “Meet Me On Street Corners” is sure to be a DJ set darling, along with the infectious “Killer Charisma”, whose funky vocoder doubles had us hooked. We also really enjoyed the slippery bass on “Heartburn”. If you’re not hearing these at the clubs, swiftly get them on your cardio playlist.

On the pop anthem side, album standouts include “Stupid Blue”—containing some of our favorite lyrics on the project—and “Lump In Your Throat.” While still dancy, there’s something about these tracks that transcend the club. These are the Hot 100 tracks of the project.

Two tracks carry over from the “Could Have Been” EP, the title track and “Forget the World”. As we said in our prior review, from the brilliant lyrics to the driving chords, “Could Have Been” just has Hot 100 written all over it. The melody is a real ear-worm, which made this track stay with us long after listening. “Forget The World” features an all encompassing bass underlying a driving chord progression that goes hard. There’s an overarching 80s synth nostalgia with the track—similar to what The Weeknd taps into. Morpheus also gives us a funky rework of prior release “Endless Summer”.

Diverse yet cohesive, “The Tales of Morpheus” is yet another no-skip project from The New Citizen Kane, and a project we recommend you put in your rotation. And again, while we’ve only just gotten to know Kane, this project has the signs of the start of a whole new level on Kane’s artistic evolution.

Tracks:

• Morpheus In The Club

• Killer Charisma

• Heartburn

• Disco Love

• Stupid Blue

• Electric Nights - Biorhythm Mix

• Gotta Secret Electro Bounce Album Mix

• Lump In Your Throat

• North American Philosopher

• Morpheus Interlude

• Could Have Been

• Forget The World

• Endless Summer - Ride The New Wave ReWork

• Overdrawn

• Meet Me On Street Corners

• Buy Me A Ticket

• Contra Botafogos

• Was A Light - Ethereal Version

• Alchemy

• Adonis & Aphrodite

• Morpheus (Made Of Dreams)

muanh - Ever Since

Ever Since - muanh (Pop) We’re thrilled to welcome muanh to our blog, who is bringing us one of our favorite tracks of the year so far with the sparkling and sentimental “Ever Since.” Epic and anthemic, muanh’s soft and pillowy understated vocal tugs on the heartstrings. The build on this track is incredible, but lays heavy on the heart from the first beat. We’re even treated to a surprise sax solo in the outro which caught us off guard. It’s elements like this that make “Ever Since” a timeless number—you could tell us this was on Billboard in the 80s, 90s, 00s or 10s and we wouldn’t bat an eye. Some delightful ear candy effects keep the listener fully engaged, but it’s the heavenly doubles in the chorus that really enrapture. Seductive and poignant, we’ve added this one to our personal playlists.

Just The Empress - Hypnotized

Hypnotized - Just The Empress (R&B) Just The Empress joins our roster of R&B artists on the blog with latest record “Hypnotized.” The confidence on this track is infectious, as Just The Empress extals her virtues and uniqueness. This is a person who knows exactly who she is and tells others to either get with it or get lost—she won’t be changing for anyone. The beat rides hard, equally hype and smooth, which we couldn’t resist moving to. But the star of the record is certainly the lyric prowess—this track is chock full of memorable lines which made it hard for us to pick our favorite lyric. Keep this one on repeat until you learn them all.

Best Lyric: “I do not fuck with weird energy, I really been working on inner me.”

Caroline & Transverse - Moon And Back

Moon And Back - Caroline & Transverse (Pop) We welcome Caroline & Transverse to the blog this week with the sweet and smile inducing record “Moon And Back.” It’s a heartstring tugging number—an ode to parental love. As we learn from the lyrics, it’s a relationship that’s not without its turmoil, but in the end the familial love prevails and our artist delivers a heartfelt thank you for the love and support she’s received throughout her life. The track has a timeless feel, with a rich production and plenty of FX ear candy to keep the listener engaged throughout the story. With a catchy melody and a sonic atmosphere that fills the heart and brings a tear to the eye, Caroline & Transverse shine with “Moon And Back.”

Famo219 - Dark Love

Dark Love - Famo219 (Hiphop) Hailing from East Chicago, Famo219 (standing for ‘fame and music only’) makes his first stop on our blog this week with new track “Dark Love”. On the record, Famo219 is processing a former love and a failed relationship, hopping from rap verses to sung choruses, finding surprise at where he finds himself in the moment. The turmoil is underlaid by a melancholy guitar loop which quickly recedes into the background in favor of a tight hiphop percussion production that knocks hard as it cruises breezily throughout the 3:20 track. Feeling fresh while at the same time harkening to some 00s hiphop nostalgia, Dark Love is a track for when you’re in your feels.

Best Lyric: “This is the life I chose, this is how it goes.”

Jerard Rice - Starz

Starz - Jerard Rice (Hiphop) We welcome Jerard Rice to the blog this week with latest track “Starz”. The track shines with its upbeat instrumental led by Jerard’s strong tenor vocal. propelled by a thudding kick as the rest of the instrumental hangs in the atmosphere. Written during a dark time in his life and inspired by the likes of J Cole, Akon, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne, Jerard Rice infuses this hip hop track with crossover pop and world elements to create a unique blend of genres. That combo makes this track feel right at home on the Billboard Top 40 as a breezy mid tempo made for summertime cruising with the windows down.

Cameron Jay - Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel - Cameron Jay (Rap) Cameron Jay makes his first appearance on the blog this week with latest single “Jimmy Kimmel.” Like the late night host, Cameron Jay says he is live every week, preaching his attributes over a retro hiphop beat chock full of nostalgia and analog fuzz. I mean, we even get the seemingly extinct track fade out at the end, giving us all the memories of cassette tapes and CDs. Rap flow wise, Cameron gives us some Fabolous vibes, filling his track with clever and memorable lines, which made our favorite lyric difficult to pick. While the track is essentially a proclamation of his baller status, the confidence here is mellow and mature, stated over a laid back mid tempo flow.

Best Lyric: “Spend it all today, give a f*ck about tomorrow.“

BLOODLIN3 - Say Less

Say Less - BLOODLIN3 (Rap) Bloodlin3 returns for their sixth feature on our blog, following our recent review of “Blessed Today” earlier this year. Bringing us latest track “Say Less”, Bloodlin3 continues his exploration of 90s and 00s nostalgia with a retro West Coast sounding track. The production is ominous, keys giving chord stings that insert some danger into the track—a foreboding doom like a dark cloud rolling in—as a tight trap percussion propels us through the track. When it comes to the vocal, Bloodlin3 is showing a lot of whimsy on this record with an eccentric spoken word intro and some fun production on the chorus that plays with octaves, all while a quirky synth whistle slinks in the background. The lyrics, as always, are clever, and verse 2 uppercuts the listener with a dizzying rapid fire spit.

Best Lyric: “Ain’t no leakage in my cabinet.”

Proklaim - ENCHANTMENT

ENCHANTMENT - Proklaim (Rap) We’re happy to be witness to the evolution of Proklaim’s music with his latest track “ENCHANTMENT.” Following his new trend of incorporating vocal effects into his backing instrumental, we have an Indian flare to the track with a, dare we say ‘enchanting’, vocal loop, playing with the pitch to keep things interesting. Keeping to his style, Proklaim begins with his usual vocal chant—a mantra to lay down the message he’ll be preaching. The thudding 808 kicks in to bring us into mainstream hiphop, as a pingpong vocal effect enhances Proklaim’s always stellar pen game. And as his production continues to elevate, Proklaim maintains his core as an artist based in positivity and inspiration.

Best Lyric: “I had to wait my turn, the heart does yearn.“

Aiko Tomi - INVOICE

INVOICE - Aiko Tomi (Hiphop) A new feature on this week’s blog, Aiko Tomi joins us with latest record “INVOICE”, a collaboration with Jesse Lucas. The record is a high-energy bop with a slamming beat that at a tight 1:50 never overstays its welcome (though we’d love an extended mix considering how catchy the track is). Subject matter wise, it’s sort of a love letter to other creators, serving as a raw expression of frustration over the fake opportunities and unpaid work that artists often encounter during their come ups. While much more raw, the track gave us all the attitude of M.I.A.’s “Paper Plans”, with “INVOICE” taking a less mid-tempo approach in favor of more of a fire hose to the face. This is one of those tracks you blare in your car when you need to let off some steam. Note - don’t miss the accompanying music video filmed in Toronto’s Chinatown.

MZ - Date Night

Date Night - MZ (Hiphop) MZ joins our blog this week with latest track “Date Night” to open up about his wishes to reclaim a lost love. There’s a soulfulness to this hiphop number, as underneath the expected 808, kick and tight snares there’s a squealing verbed sax that injects a fair amount of melancholy into the track. Boasting clever and memorable lyrics, MZ also exudes that sadness as he straddles the line between spit and spoken word poetry. revealing his heart to his former love and admitting that she remains constant on his mind. There’s a depth and maturity to the record, which will surely resonate with listeners beyond the catchiness of the beat.

Best Lyric: “I ignite my pain.”