KARMA - SIS (She's Something) (Ampiano) EP

SIS (She’s Something) (Ampiano) (EP) - KARMA (Pop/R&B) After having reviewed title track “SIS (She’s Something)” we are now gifted with the EP that houses it, with KARMA delivering four additional tracks as well as the “Ampiano” version of SIS. With retro R&B vibes and a modern twist, these ladies deliver a gem of an album that we are excited to dig into. Let’s start with a little bit about our artists.

KARMA—KB, Keymah Renee & Miesha MonRoe—hail from Memphis, TN, brought together by shared values and passion for music. They pride themselves on their multi-genre approach. As crossover artists, they hope to foster authentic engagement and powerful entertainment as a one stop shop for singing, rapping and dancing. In following their calling, KARMA is rooted in inspiring listeners to pursue their dreams and achieve greatness fearlessly.

Turning to some background on the EP, KARMA roots their collection in empowerment and unity, and wants it to resonate across all women. It’s a tribute to women, designed to uplift and celebrate their strength. Also, there’s a bit of wordplay here, as the group also extends a hand to transgender men, using “SIS” not just as an acronym, but as a call to all those who embrace the term “cis”. This outreach is powerful and necessary in the current political climate.

With “SIS (She’s Something)” we previously noted the 3LW vibes on the track—the plucky guitar strum led record that put it right in line with acts such as TLC, 3LW and Blaque. Very “No More”. With a liquid honey delivery and dreamy, breezy quality, they let you know that these ladies aren’t like the rest, we weren’t surprised that this was the lead track from the EP. As they tell us themselves on the track, they aren’t “little girls”, these are women.

However, where “SIS (She’s Something)” shines, “SIS (She’s Something) (Ampiano)” soars. While the track remains true to the original, it injects some latin flavor into it, which turns the track from pleasant bop to dance floor hip winder.. This version makes you want to grind, and while the original is great, this mix is on another level. We think it steers the track into Mya territory.

But if we’re being honest, “OutSide” is probably our favorite track on the album. It gives us modern Mariah Carey vibes, something that could sit comfortably on her “Caution” LP. It’s a classic R&B track with a modern injection, exactly what our classic R&B sirens are doing right now with their latest records. The percussion arrangement is giving us very “My Boo” feels while the modern quality sits in the melody and vocal delivery. It sits in a resonante alto we like, maybe even in the Nivea lane, and just as “face card don’t decline” neither would we decline listening to this track on repeat.

“Goes Around” is certainly the most current of the tracks, where our ladies show their versatility with a surprise swerve into rap, with an accent that reminds us a bit of GloRilla.

While these are our favorites, you shouldn’t sleep on any of these songs. With a stellar production worthy of any top artist, “SIS (She’s Something (Ampiano)” is a slam dunk.

Robert O'Connor - Swimming Against The Tide

Swimming Against the Tide (LP) - Robert O’Connor (Pop) Today we have Robert O’Connor’s latest album “Swimming Against the Tide” which is a collection of 80s tinged dance floor bangars. For today’s review, we’ve chosen our favorite track from the collection, “Something Strange”, which actually feels more like a 2000s dance floor spinner in line with Sonique’s “It Feels So Good” and Cher’s “Believe.” The perfectly arranged and produced track is an ode to the moment that love shows up out of nowhere to upgrade your life. “I thought that I had missed my chance,” Robert sings on the track, until love finally arrived to fill him up and complete his life. It’s an optimistic track that drives a listener to dance. This is a club track for sure.

Best Lyric: ”Something changed for the better, and now I know that we’re forever. Something strange in the water. It’s got me feeling so much stronger.”

Rice - Starvin

Starvin - Rice (Rap) Rice arrives to our blog with a track dedicated to all the hard work that supports the hustle in latest record “Starvin.” The track is defined by a booming 808 serving as an undercurrent to a soft piano ballad arrangement. But when Rice enters the track, he becomes the star of the show, riding the beat perfectly. Subject matter wise, the song is an ode to the sacrifices an artist makes that people who only see the work product never know. But beyond the specifics of the artist life is a universal message of putting your all into your dreams, and that success isn’t easy—it’s a product of hard work and ambition. And when we listen to this bop, there is no question that Rice puts his all into his craft.

Best Lyric: “Some people in heaven really wanna visit.”

Carl Kammeyer - Only You

Only You - Carl Kammeyer (Pop) Carl Kammeyer brings his powerful tenor to his latest pop gem “Only You”, a rousing record that serves as an ode to deep connection—a real ‘what would I do without you’ vibe. Let’s start with the mix. Showcasing expert instrument separation, the track is beautifully formed, with anthemic quality imbued throughout. The star, of course, is Carl’s soaring tenor, which is both powerful and emotive, as he sings an ode to a love that has gotten him through his darkest times. The touching music video accompanying this track bolsters the message by showcasing the lives of two lovers who are deeply intertwined, one often rescuing the other from darkness.

Best Lyric: “Every choice that I made you stood by me.”

The Ven$ - Multi-Verse

Multi-Verse - The Ven$ (Rap) Old school vibes abound in our first track from The Ven$, “Multi-Verse.” The track kicks off with some spoken word over a rumbling bass which will be our throughline of the record. There’s an ominous feel to the track, with a sorrowful horn loop heavily verbed to set the atmosphere. Our lead vocalist cuts through the miasma like a hot knife through butter—a resonant tone that rides the beat with expert precision. Self-described as a “lyrical masterclass”, we have to agree, as the instrumental merely serves to bolster the artist’s penmanship showcasing worldplay and metaphors that explore weighty topics This is why we say there’s an old school vibe here. No cash, sex and strippers on this, this one is a thinker.

Best Lyric: “Trying to breathe when your ribs be pokin in your spleen.”

Stella Nesci - Over You Under Me

Over You Under Me - Stella Nesci (Pop) Stella Nesci impresses us with her first appearance on our blog with latest track “Over You Under Me.” The track just has so many layers—from the vibey synths to a slamming bass hit that accompanies a unique take on an Afrobeat percussion. The record is full of ear candy production tricks, with a vibe containing some Afrobeat. However, the take on Afrobeat is fresh and unique when it comes to the individual instrument choices in the tops. Slinking through the hard production are Stella’s lilting vocals—a siren song of sultriness. Eventually she is joined by a lush harmony wall, which we always love on this blog, fusing together to make a catchy, rich and complex pop bop.

Best Lyric: “Boy what’s your love language? Cuz I don’t kiss and tell.”

Logan Garrett - Move (ft Anella)

Move - Logan Garrett ft Anella (Dance) When Logan Garrett tells his listeners to move out of his way on latest track “Move”, we can only assume it’s because he is headed straight to the dance floor with this pumping record. Our artist is a fixture of the Nashville club scene, giving a clear alternative to the country reputation of Music City. With house elements blended with disco vibes, this track is centered on its rich bouncy bass, complimented by its thudding kick, sparkling keys and 90s top percussion. We particularly liked how a sample of his vocals were chopped and screwed to add to the instrumental. We defy you not to move to “Move.”

Best Lyric: “Been far and wide but what I’m feeling is new.”

Proklaim - LSD

LIFE - Proklaim (Rap) Proklaim’s latest track “LSD” delivers some of his fullest and richest production to date. With a hiphop beat, Proklaim rides expertly as the track undulates and evolves in the background. There’s some 90s influence here, with Proklaim’s evolution in his production evidenced by his introduction of spoken word. We even get Proklaim laying some sung vocals in the outro, making the entire vocal production feel like a Wyclef track. Though a different path for our artist, and trust us we’ve reviewed a ton of his tracks, Proklaim keeps true to his core of positivity and chant-like choruses to drive his message home.

Jehnniel - Forever This Way

Forever This Way- Jehnniel (Pop) Jenniel is back for the second time on our review blog with new track “Forever This Way”, a driving and heartfelt ballad. On her previous track, “Heart Beat”, Jehnniel delivered power ballad vibes with a moody and soulful instrumental about the peace of a new lover. On “Forever This Way”, Jehnniel uses a similar vibe to tell a familiar tale, this time pleading to be brought back to the magic of a lover. The soundscape has some fun 80s vibes to it with the gated drums and twinkling synth, but is paired with the movement of a 2000s-10s ballad, all underlaid by soulful and heartfelt piano chords. It’s a perfect marriage between the evocative lyrics that plead for her lover and the passionate instrumental. This one gets you in your feels.

Best Lyric: “The brightest lights will reach the stars.”

Rosie Belvie - O.M.G.

O.MG. - Rosie Belvie (Pop/R&B) New favorite Rosie Belvie is back with “O.M.G.”, a breezy island mid tempo that continues to exude 00s Mya vibes. Back for the fourth time, Rosie has shown us versatility in her genres, giving us EDM club hit, in your face pop bop and afrobeat. We’re back to the summer sun in this one, much like “Crush”, but this time with a more caribbean vibe. The song goes down smooth, as Rosie tells us she’s surprised to be overwhelmed by a lover. Also like “Crush”, it’s a hip winder and while mid tempo in nature, still feels at home on a dance floor. Our favorite part of the track other than the honey vocals and island drums is the movement provided but the rich and warm bass. This one stay on repeat.

Proklaim - JITTER

JITTER - Proklaim (Rap) It’s our first Proklaim track of the year with latest, “JITTER”, a track about keeping faith and authenticity while facing life’s challenges. The message is a common theme with Proklaim’s music—positivity in the face of adversity. What’s new here is the musical landscape—this feels like a real evolution in Proklaim’s tried and true structure and sound. It’s a tight hiphop production, with a crispy percussion backed by a slinky bass line and shining keys. There’s an old school hiphop vibe to this, calling us back to 00s Missy albums like Under Construction and This Is Not A Test. Proklaim also takes a new road with his chorus, stepping back to interject some spoken word samples, and injects some lush female choral backings in his intro. We’re liking this new sound.

BLOODLIN3 - Blessed Today (ft Project Pat)

Blessed Today - BLOODLIN3 ft Project Pat (Rap) Today we’re welcoming BLOODLIN3 back to our blog, this time with a feature from Project Pat, after our previous reviews of his LP “Mercy” and tracks “Until I Fall”, “No Mercy” ft Twista and “Please Don’t Bother Me” with latest track “Blessed Today”. In our prior reviews, we’ve highlighted this artist’s rapid fire spit on tracks drenched in 90s hiphop nostalgia, evoking vibes of Nate Dogg, Eminem, Ludacris and Twista. On “Blessed Today”, we jump up a decade as we are getting 100% 2000s Timabaland (Ayo Technology and all the Justin Timberlake collabs) with maybe a tinge of a The Dream production with the synths and a hook that could’ve come straight from TI. It’s a feel good track with positive vibes and a groovy spit that you can’t help but bop and 2-step to. This one goes on your pregame playlist.

ALLEGRA - Rain

Rain - ALLEGRA (Pop/Dance) ALLEGRA returns to our blog this week after previous features for tracks “Strangers” and “Round & Round” with new single “Rain”, a synthy pop production closing her recent EP. The artist tells us that the song depicts her “newfound freedom and embrace of life” at the end of a break-up. It’s a dance floor spinner for sure with Euro pop influences, as ALLEGRA’s sultry delivery tells her ex lover that she’ll be out dancing in the rain on her own. She’s a temptress in this one with a potent sexual charge, but one she’s giving herself. She doesn’t need anyone else to feel the power of her sexuality.

Best Lyric: “Oh you want my body, I don’t need nobody.”

Salt Ashes - Bad Things Right

Bad Things Right - Salt Ashes (Pop/R&B) Synth-pop artist Salt Ashes joins the blog this week with her dark banger “Bad Things Right.” It’s a grungy groove with disco strings, including plenty of retro vibes in a punchy modern production. It’s a grungy groove with a sense of danger, an anthemic feeling track with really great movement. The song ebbs and flows nicely to keep things interesting for the listener, with an almost salsa or mambo feeling—it’s very danceable. Vocally, Salt Ashes gives us a sultry delivery full of grit and seduction. Step aside Ariana, we have a new dangerous woman.

Best Lyric: “So now I want to do bad things right.”

Rosie Belvie - Crush

Crush - Rosie Belvie (Pop/R&B) Rosie Belvie has a real hip winder on her hands with latest track “Crush”. Rosie is becoming one of our favorites on the blog as her well produced tracks come with retro flare really hit the spot for us. We had the privilege of reviewing premiere track “Attitude” a few months back and follow up “Survive”, which served us two very unique styles—ballsy/sassy pop followed by EDM Dance. With “Crush” we have yet another departure, this time for the islands. Sun drenched feels abound with an afrobeat percussion punching through a vibey guitar. The song has great build, holding the warm, supporting bass until we get a little deeper into the song, which adds great weight to the otherwise light and sweet number. Vocally, we’re getting a lot of Mya on this one, with backings that reminded us of Tweet. With each track, Rosie is bringing us something new and we’re here for it.

Milo Kobayashi - I'M UP

I’M UP! - Milo Kobayashi (Rap) Milo Kobayashi joins our blog this week with their latest track “IM UP!” Milo’s track carries forward his dedication to uplifting music. Influenced by Kid Kudi, Milo aims to bring joy into his records with bright and hopeful vibes that make his listeners move. On “I’M UP!”, Milo uses a booming kick and 808 paired with video game sounding synth effects to compliment his lyrical message of a youthful, upbeat worldview—we get a lot of Timbaland’s “Ayo Technology” in this. Positive vibes abound in “I’M UP!” as Milo takes a “like water off a duck’s back” approach to haters and obstacles, stepping into his power and just generally deciding that feeling good about oneself is the best choice you can make in life. The lyrics are full of clever references—harambe!—and the delivery is breezy and conversational, matching the overall theme of the track. In addition to adding this feel good track to your playlists, don’t miss Milo’s live appearance at Animate Raleigh in January 2025.

Best Lyric: “I just smile and mind my business.”