Dax - Lonely Dirt Road

Lonely Dirt Road - Dax (Pop)  Dax returns for the ninth time on our blog with “Lonely Dirt Road”, a place of solace for Dax where he can let out his emotions, contemplate his struggles and be alone with God. Accompanied by yet another cinematic music video that Dax is known for over here, “Lonely Dirt Road” is another of Dax’s unique blend of hiphop/pop with country twang, here his strong baritone leaning into the country influence while the stripped down instrumental reminds us of 2010s hiphop crossover bops like Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You.” Marrying the hiphop percussion and country vocal is a solemn piano that lingers back in the reverb, forming a bridge between Dax’s influences. It makes for a stirring record.

Best Lyric: “Face this evil that burdens my soul.”

Proklaim - PROSPERITY

PROSPERITY - Proklaim (Rap) With a repeating refrain of “sunshine” and “moonlight”, it’s only apt that Proklaim’s latest track “PROSPERITY”, has the feel of a clear night sky full of twinkling stars. Preaching from the mound, on Proklaim’s latest track he continues to embody positive thinking, letting his followers know that only good things come when shedding your life of negative influences. Clearly written and recorded recently, as we get a nice little jab at Diddy’s recent woes, Proklaim’s layered rhymes infuse into a sparkling production of chest thumping percussion and soulful piano and string arrangements. Another beautiful track paired with a necessary message.

Best Lyric: “Devil’s always printing counterfeit.“

MUNZER - Keep It Real

Keep It Real - MUNZER (Rap). Yooooo. MUNZER here is taking us back to our college days in his amped up, super hype new single “Keep It Real.” There’s so much to love about this one, giving us retro 00s in all the best ways. Overall, the production reminds us a lot of that era of Timbaland—specifically “Parking Lot”—while there’s also a playful flute in the background that reminds us a lot of “Candy Shop.” And speaking of 50 Cent, the flow in the verses reminded us a lot of him, with the chorus giving us the feel of Fat Joe’s “Lean Back.” With a super fresh production and banging beat, this one hit us right in our nostalgia.

Best Lyric: “Doing the ne ne for the pay day.”

Pink Jagg - Charlie's Angels

Charlie’s Angels - Pink Jagg (Rap). Pink Jagg joins our roster here on the blog with latest track “Charlie’s Angels”, which must be incredibly fresh off the presses considering the sly reference to Diddy and NDAs (lol). The record is a dreamy one, as Pink Jagg rides the beat with a casual and melodic flow over a punchy percussion production, all as a melodic guitar lilts in the back like a palm tree in the breeze. It’s a track that sways and swings, intermittently interrupted by some fantastic ear candy with the background vocal punches. It’s a hypnotic track that we recommend checking out if only for its clever and unique lyrics, and we think it’ll end up in heavy rotation.

Best Lyric: “Open purse and hair all tangled, lookin like one of them Charlie’s angels.”

Grace McLean - My Lovely Enemy

My Lovely Enemy- Grace McLean (Pop) We welcome Grace McLean to this week’s roster of new music with her latest track “My Lovely Enemy”, which comes complete with a superbly produced music video. This track is a genre bending one, giving us elements of smoky jazz club, swing, funk and pop, and is not afraid to dip in and out of some strangeness with complex and interesting choices in chord structure. It’s Grace’s silky and emotive voice that gives us our jazz club feel—she is certainly a classically trained vocalist, we’d put money on it. The track itself centers Grace entirely, putting the success of the record fully on her capable shoulders. A Fiona Apple-esque delivery (think “When The Pawn” era) overlays a restrained, tense patter of a production, growing over the course of the song to become quite the splashy number. We don’t hear much like this one—”My Lovely Enemy” is something special.

Best Lyric: “These lips have touched so many things.“

Carson Ferris - FOMO

FOMO - Carson Ferris (Pop). We missed Carson! Our pop prince Carson Ferris is back for the seventh time on our blog with new release “FOMO”, following our reviews of a string of hits including “Talkin’ to You”, “Fade Away”, “1999”, “Ghosts”, “Crazy” and “Speed Limit.” Recalling those prior bops, we know that Carson’s lane is the Top 40 sounding pop track with tight modern production and Ed Sheeran influence. The guitar driven “FOMO” is no different, as our maturing artist gives us an anthemic midtempo full of yearning and angst. While we are always impressed with his production quality, we were specifically impressed by the movement of this track and build to the slamming chorus as each section of the track delightfully builds upon the prior to make for an engaging listen. Welcome back bud!

Best Lyric: “My head’s full of noise, gotta make the choice.”

Cailo - All Mine

All Mine - Cailo (Pop) We welcome Cailo to our ranks with her latest track “All Mine”, a double-shot of a track as it is available in both English and Spanish languages. Even on the English version, which is what we listened to, the latin influences are clear, with a flamenco guitar and string arrangement providing the backbone to the track. The percussion production brings drive and intensity as a lilting and vulnerable vocal delights in finally finding the one. Closing our eyes, the song conjures the image of a ballroom dance floor, and being whisked away into the night by a lover to join a crowd in intense choreography. This track is relentless and brimming with flavor.

Best Lyric: “I never knew I’d find someone who sees me eye to eye.”

Naomi Johnson - Mistake

Mistake - Naomi Johnson (Pop) Naomi Johnson joins our blog roster with latest track, “Mistake”, an R&B infused pop number featuring a duet with Dwaine Hayden. On “Mistake”, Naomi laments red flags missed, sacrifices made and the bittersweet memories of a former love gone sour. With influences of Destiny’s Child, Jazmine Sullivan, Yebba and Amy Winehouse, we hear a 00s Timbaland-like production on this one, like something he would’ve produced for Justin Timberlake back in the day made for the Top 40 charts of the era. Naomi and Dwaine’s vocals are a perfect pairing, with Naomi bringing the power and Dwaine overlaying tenderness. Don’t miss the track’s sleek music video.

Best Lyric: “What do you take me for? Who was I praying for?”

ALLEGRA - Strangers

Strangers - ALLEGRA (Pop/Dance) This week, we welcome ALLEGRA to our blog with breakup anthem “Strangers”, a Top 40 sounding crowd pleaser about wishing not only for an end to a relationship, but to cutting all ties. In a slickly produced music video, ALLEGRA leaves her ex’s apartment, fresh from the end of their relationship, heading off into the city (London we think) with her newfound freedom. It’s a driving dance track with plenty of ebbs and flows, crisp snaps chiming in to up the momentum until the full crash of the chorus. We got a lot of “We Found Love In A Hopeless Place” and “Clarity” vibes from this one, as well as the Calvin Harris produced tracks of that era.

Best Lyric: “Seven years I won’t remember you.”

Geroks - Sunshine

Sunshine - Geroks (Afrobeat) Geroks joins our blog this week with afrobeat infused track “Sunshine”, a breezy island affair with a core of emotional weight. On “Sunshine”, Geroks pines to remain in a lover’s good favor, accompanied by twinkling rhodes and a hip winding percussion production. The record contains a roiling sea of emotion, encapsulated most in Geroks’ punchy tenor vocal that soars above the instrumental production. All of these elements create a potent melancholy that borders on ballad territory, despite its mid tempo pace. The yearning is palpable on the track, which makes for an engaging listen.

Best Lyric: “Those cuts were the deepest.“

Chloe Swanson - Last Time

Last Time - Chloe Swanson (Pop) Chloe Swanson joins our roster with latest track “Last Time”, a record that truly casts a spell on the listener. This lush number tells the story of a woman entranced by a lover, slowly waking from a dream and proclaiming that this is the last time she will be drawn in. Chloe delivers a lilting and intimate soprano vocal, often layered with thick doubles and harmonies. As a guitar drives the track forward over a roiling sea of orchestration, the miasma takes a few dark turns as well, mirroring the parts in the song where Chloe gains self awareness over the spell that has been cast upon her. It’s a soul stirring number.

Best Lyric: “Intimate words, long involved stories we tell.“

Nyla Tiara Love - K1LL

K1LL - Nyla Tiara Love (Pop) We love this new track from Nyla Tiara Love, her latest single “K1LL”, and welcome her to our review blog. Recorded at musical partner RICHI’s childhood home, Nyla’s hyperpop record tells the story of a love that was cut off from flourishing. The entire affair is best described a plucky, from the bouncy bass to the chipper synths, giving that great juxtaposition of melancholy subject matter to upbeat instrumental that always leads to great pop records. Apparently the sound is a shift for Nyla, whose breezy vocals slice through the thick production, as she mostly has a resume of new soul, thus showing her versatility and musicality. At a brisk 1:38, we only wish it was longer! Oh well, guess we’ll just have to put it on repeat. :)

Best Lyric: “Hazel eyes, white lies.”

Claudia Balla - Normal People

Normal People - Claudia Balla (Pop) Claudia Balla joins our roster with her latest track “Normal People”, a driving midtempo that turns out to also be a nice 2-stepper for the dance floor. WIth a belty alto that at times dips into vulnerable airness, Claudia takes a different twist on eccentricity. Often today a lauded quality, Claudia instead wishes to be part of the crowd and fit in with the world at large. The longing is all over the production, which has great movement and a rousing bridge. Claudia calls her track an “ode to every dreamer[s] and misfit[s]”, and we’re sure she’ll find those sympathetic listeners for this catchy tune.

Best Lyric: “Who decides what’s normal anyway?”

Charlie Rogers - Missed Calls

Missed Calls - Charlie Rogers (Pop) Charlie Rogers joins our review blog with latest single “Missed Calls”, an ode to Charlie’s struggles with depression. The track begins with a voicemail welcome message and driving piano, as Charlie’s smooth and vulnerable tenor vocal is soon accompanied by a plucky drum production. The track is tight and intimate, with just a touch of country-pop flavor, revealing Charlie’s inner demons as a repeating cycle that surely listeners can relate to. Harmonies and backgrounds are tight, providing some ear candy while a guitar and string section join as the song progresses to tug at the heartstrings. With talent like this, we hope Charlie knows he has a bright future to look forward to.

Best Lyric: “It’s time for the rerun to begin.”

FMLASS - Serotonin

Serotonin - FMLASS (Pop) Today we welcome FMLASS to our blog with a pure pop gem, her newest track “Serotonin.” Hyper-modern and anthemic, the song has a real Taylor Swift vibe to it. On “Serotonin”, FMLASS thanks the heavens that she has found the love that keeps her positive—the missing piece that makes her whole. From the hard hitting kick to the choir-backed chorus, the song has Top 40 vibes, reminding us a lot of the pop/rock tracks of JoJo. Super catchy with heartfelt and relatable subject matter, we think FMLASS is a star on the rise and one to watch.

Best Lyric: “I hope and pray I’ll always have you.”

JUMA MUSIC x JPRIZM - Never Enough

Never Enough - JUMA MUSIC x JPRIZM (HipHop) JUMA MUSIC x JPRIZM delivers a top 40 hiphop crossover hit with “Never Enough.” The track is expertly produced, with a knocking beat overlaid with crispy, reedy vocals. From the rhymes to the instrumental, the entire affair reminds us of early Kanye West — College Dropout and Late Registration eras. The track’s subject matter is timely, as our artist laments his girl’s focus on social media, paying less attention to his romantic overtures in the real world—and in that way reminds us of a Drake track. From the production to the clever lyrics, this one is a hit. And don’t miss the high production music video linked above.

Best Lyric: “I’m trying to change her last name, but she all in her phone playing games with @ names.”