Tyla Yaweh fires a proverbial warning shot into 2021 with the release of his new single, “All The Smoke.” Produced by Hitmaka, the song features Gunna and Wiz Khalifa. Get “All The Smoke” HERE via London Entertainment/Epic Records.
Tyla Yaweh has spent the last two years on a steady rise, and momentum is certainly working in his favor. “All The Smoke” oozes with the realization of this potential. As he kicks off the record and handles hook duties with his well-polished flow and sprightly cadence, Tyla not only sounds very much like he belongs—he sounds comfortable. The result of this dynamic is audible. “All The Smoke” is easily his most anthem-ready release to-date. Look out for the official music video, coming soon.
The new single sets the stage for his anticipated album RAGER BØY, arriving early next year.
It should come as no surprise that the Orlando, FL-bred, LA-based artist is ready for his close-up. Despite the challenges of 2020, this past year was easily his most productive and successful year yet. He achieved his first Billboard Hot 100 hit with the Post Malone-featuring “Tommy Lee,” which has generated over 148 million streams to-date. His second single of the year, “Stuntin’ On You” featuring a scorching DaBaby, immediately followed and has generated over 66 million streams of its own thus far. Both tracks received special remixes, with SAINt JHN (stream HERE) and Tommy Lee (watch HERE) himself remixing “Tommy Lee,” and most recently DDG and Dame D.O.L.L.A. joining Tyla on a new version of “Stuntin’ On You” (watch HERE). In addition, 2020 saw Tyla receive his first two Gold records, for “Tommy Lee” as well as his 2019 break-out “High Right Now,” taken from his debut project Heart Full Of Rage. Plus, he recently crossed half a billion career streams and made his television debut, performing “Tommy Lee” with Post Malone on the Billboard Music Awards (watch HERE).
At the forefront of the Scottish Rap scene, Ransom FA has built a catalogue of outstanding music which thrust him into the centre of UK Rap, conversations with tastemakers and on to line ups with the UK’s most respected stars including Skepta, Mist and M Huncho. His remarkable lyricism and audible accent makes his music stand out from a competitive crowd, as demonstrated in his starring role in season 1 of the BBC’s ‘The Rap Game’ hosted by DJ Target, Krept & Konan and on recent single ‘Table’ which hit the BBC Radio 1Xtra playlist as BBC Introducing ‘Track of the Week’ and was also handpicked as Jack Saunders ‘Next Wave’ on BBC Radio 1.
Celebrating his wins and affirming his position as ‘Man of the Moment’, Ransom FA’s latest single comes with production from PenHouse and breathes an air of bold, confident lyricism from the Scotsman. Coinciding with the announcement of a future project set for early 2021, Ransom relays: “I’m super excited for this drop. This track is the intro to the next wave of bangers. Nothing but energy and lyrics, watch out for my EP ‘Momentum’ dropping early 2021.”
STREAM/DOWNLOAD/BUY: RANSOM FA – MAN OF THE MOMENT
Ransom FA’s sign out of 2020 is a well-deserved one. A passionate activist in using his platform to pass on opportunities for young Scottish artists, his achievements are a result of his motivation to become a notable black figure in the Scottish music industry and not only inspire but also help to pass on his knowledge. Having built his own studio ‘Ransom HQ’ in Aberdeen to give access to upcoming local musicians, Ransom FA has also completed his own TV show alongside Scunthorpe based rapper F.O.S. on BBC 3 – ‘The Rap Trip’ where the duo travelled the UK to discover and explore the burgeoning Rap communities emerging across Great Britain. His 2020 has also seen a slew of releases across YouTube and digital platforms, collaborations, premieres with tastemaker sites Link Up and GRM Daily, support across national radio and celebrated entertainment sites, collaborations with Amazon to grace the pages of Notion magazine and has continued to build his upward spiralling fanbase of over 55,000 followers to go alongside the hundreds of thousands of YouTube views and streams that sit across his online repertoire.
Set to have a momentous 2021 that will continue to break through boundaries and elevate his work in music, TV and philanthropy, it looks like Ransom FA is going to be the ‘Man of the Moment’ for the foreseeable future.
Stay up to date with RANSOM FA by following his socials for news about upcoming releases & more.
INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | SOUNDCLOUD
When Nils Frahm kicked off his world tour at Funkhaus Berlin in January 2018 to bring his highly acclaimed studio album All Melody to the stage, an ambitious journey was just to begin: Over the next two years, Frahm played more than 180 sold-out performances, including the Sydney Opera House, LA’s Disney Hall, the Barbican in London, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and several big festival stages around the globe. Yet the stunning setting of Funkhaus Berlin, renowned for its vintage grandeur and outstanding acoustics, and also home to Frahm’s magnificent studio where All Melody was recorded, had occupied a unique place in the artist’s heart.
In December 2018, Nils Frahm eventually returned to Funkhaus Berlin to host another set of four shows, tickets sold out within hours. Frahm’s friend and film director Benoit Toulemonde — a collaborator since 2011 — captured the concerts on film, only using handheld cameras, and employing techniques he had mastered for the famous concert series La Blogotèque, which featured some of the world’s most popular artists.
Tripping with Nils Frahm is an illustration of Nils’s lauded ability as a composer and passionate live artist as well as the enchanting atmosphere of his captivating, and already legendary Funkhaus shows: An extraordinary musical trip – rare and exclusive, close and intimate, bringing a unique concert experience to the screen.
“It was about time to document my concerts in picture and sound, trying to freeze a moment of this period where my team and I were nomads, using any method of travel to play yet another show the next day. Maybe tonight is the night where everything works out perfectly and things fall into place? Normally things go wrong with concerts, but by combining our favorite moments of four performances, we were able to achieve what I was trying to do in these two years of touring: getting it right!
When you hear the applause on the end of the film you should know that I was smiling happily, being a tad proud and feeling blessed to share these moments with you.
Much love, Nils“
South East London ‘R’n’Drill’ artist Isong returns for a heartfelt Christmas track about magical love.
Following recent hit ‘Pull Up’ which has received spins from DJ Target and Kenny Allstar on BBC Radio 1Xtra, the track was added to the A list at Pulse 88 and the Kiss Fresh playlist.
Isong is known for his boundary breaking music, drawing lines between the contemporary sound of the UK urban scene and r&b. This Christmas themed track does exactly that. With the winter spirit referred to throughout the song, he brings his angelic vocals to deliver his message of love. Ground-breaking melodic flows alongside these smooth vocals gives it an extraordinary and emotional dynamic to vibe to in the festive period.
Since arriving on the scene, Isong’s triumphs are growing, ‘Diamonds’ collaboration with TeeZandos received over 700k views on GRM daily. Isong also dropped a collaborative Mad About Bars freestyle on Mixtape Madness with his label mate at GB Records, TeeZandos clocking over 350k views. His biggest success came from ‘Have You Ever Heard A Love Song On Drill?’ currently sitting at 2.7 million views on GRM daily.
Bringing festive cheer to his loved one, Isong doesn’t fail to impress again. ‘He’s been away, but he will be home for Christmas’.
XHOANA X takes a dark hit of triphop and reduces, seduces the blueprint. To a backdrop of scalded and heat-blackened pop, she is vulnerable, cool-eyed and vengeful. To be drawn by her blacksyrup sultry-smooth voice, is to miss the wry glint of its cruelty. XHOANA X is nu-femme fatale glam with a slick gothic Lynchian twist. Adult pop gloss against carnal. Violence in honey soaked sounds. The desire to belong and the need to stand out, these are deep-seated raw-cut conflictions. As a child in L.A, then a teen in The Bronx, having moved from post-communist Tirana, fitting in was her key to survival. But once you survive, you want more. And when you’ve got the guts, you go get it. XHOANA X mixes sharp-focussed songcraft with classic-noir powerplay and elegance. There’s a brutalist feel to the fever and zeal of the songs and the heat she creates.
https://www.facebook.com/XHOANA
London based Ukrainian producer and songwriter, Sleepwoka, returns with another poignant single enthused with uplifting electro-pop soundscapes. Since he burst on the scene just last year, Sleepwoka, has released a string of successful singles gaining the attention of BBC Music Introducing London, Earmilk, Variance and Atwood Magazine.
As Earmilk concluded after his last single, “How I Was wrong”; “Sleepwoka’s music succeeds in pursuing relatable and thought-provoking narratives, with the hopes to make listeners evaluate their everyday lives through intricately crafted electronic music.” The new single, “Together We Are”, perfectly follows suit.
In a time when many of us are feeling disconnected physically from our friends, family and loved ones, Sleepwoka reflects on the resilience of true friendship even if we are spread far and wide. He explains: “Together We Are, is a tribute to all my friends that are scattered around the world. Although we live different lives and rarely see each other, it feels like the invisible connection only grows stronger. It’s a connection that reaches beyond messages on your phone. It’s the feeling that you get when warm memories from the past remind you of the strength of the friendship – which is especially important right now. Whatever this crazy world brings to us, it
still feels like we’re in this together and no distance or time can change that.”
It’s a powerful and much needed reminder in 2020 that we are not alone even if it has felt like that at times.
Sleepwoka’s music is produced in his bedroom in North London. The strong use of analog synthesizers brings a nostalgic 80s vibe and the dream-like atmospheric visuals add a captivating and surreal tone to his projects.
One of the UK’s most talented and respected music artists especially amongst his peers, Dappy, releases a new single ‘Intro’ to his upcoming project.
Bringing his unique and recognisable style along with some truly meaningful lyrics. He tells a story matching what you see in the short film without losing his musical touch coupled with beautiful melodies and inventive flows. Together we have all the ingredients for an incredibly moving and emotive start to his new project.
The short film takes viewers through his inspiring journey on his rise to stardom and gives them a glimpse of the struggles that were thrown at him in order for him to reach the intended heights. The mini movie will help people understand Dappy’s journey, where he came from, to where he is now and his growth from a boy to a man, putting things into perspective and helping to understand him a little better as an artist and a man.
From growing up in Camden on the block having these dreams of being a music artist when he was young, the clip shows him first talking about the place he grew up in and how his mum worked hard. The story goes onto narrate parts of Dappy’s story which you can watch unfold. Through Dappy’s lyrics and the mini movie, you really get to understand the man behind the music.
The 4x platinum selling chat-topping British rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and actor shot to fame with super group N-Dubz in 2000 and were hailed as the most innovative UK hip hop groups of the time. Dappy went on to receive acclaim as a solo artist with the lead single ‘No Regrets’ from his debut album ‘Bad Intentions’ shot straight to No.1. More recent success includes ‘Oh My’ with Ay Em which has over 50 million plays on Spotify. Clocking over 150 million views on his YouTube channel combined, plus a UK number one and further 11 UK top 40s. 2020 for Dappy also gave us ‘+44’ with Lotto Boys with 10 million Spotify plays.
To add to this year’s success, Dappy is here to introduce his new project with flair.
He’s also just announced his Duki’s Playground Tour 2021
Dappy – Duki’s Playground Tour 2021
Tuesday 18th May Monday 24th May
Glasgow, SWG3 TV STUDIO Nottingham, Trent University
Wednesday 19th May Wednesday 26th May
Sheffield Leadmill Manchester 02 Ritz
Thursday 20th May Thursday 27th May
Newcastle University Liverpool, 02 Academy
Saturday 22nd May Friday 28th May
Leeds University Stylus Bournemouth, Old Fire Station
Sunday 23rd May Saturday 29th May
Birmingham, 02 Institute London, Electric Ballroom
Buy tickets here https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/dappy-tickets/artist/1646893
Dappy – Intro
Watch: https://youtu.be/vu8R3nBWZvI
Stream: https://ada.lnk.to/Intro
To find out more about Dappy
Singer, songwriter, and producer Michael Lanza and Bay area MC Chow Mane release the official video for new single “Islands”. The video features Lanza and Mane escaping to paradise across stunning landscapes. What appears to be paradise lasts only for a brief moment as the things they were trying to escape from begin to chase after them.
The video, produced and directed by Nanako Fukui, won a Bronze Remi at the WorldFest Film Festival and was an official selection for several others including Life-Off Global Network and New York City Independent Film Festival. With Fukui’s direction combined with two Bay area natives musical talent, the video shows the beauty of the golden state.
While melodically breezy and upbeat, the track’s lyricism tells another story – one of the internal struggle and emptiness that can occur after heartbreak. Mane and Lanza pull influences from electro-pop, rap, all while providing great emotional depth to both the single and video, each of which underscore the sentiment that no one is alone.
The video follows Lanza and Mane as they minimize their emotional wellbeing and distract themselves on their journey to paradise. The two friends are captured by and encounter sirens, representing their inner thoughts cannibalizing them due to their isolation and avoidance of their emotions. However, by reaching out for help as they do with the heavenly siren, her empathy and understanding help them overcome their inner demons.
“Islands” casts itself away, giving listeners and viewers a glimpse into Lanza’s own search for paradise, all while highlighting the importance of not only checking in on yourself, but others. With the release of his debut LP Human and now “Islands,” Lanza shows his knack for crafting meaningful songs on empathy while being distinctly dynamic.
Watch the “Islands” video: HERE
Sizzy Rocket teamed up with Moment House to create an unforgettable virtual concert experience. The virtual concert, titled ANARCHY: COME TO LIFE, was shot in one continuous take at the abandoned Lake Dolores Water Park. Today, Sizzy is releasing an explosive cover video of Green Day’s “Brain Stew,” which she performed as a part of last night’s virtual concert.
Sizzy Rocket’s third studio album, ANARCHY, was released earlier this year to rave reviews from fans and tastemakers alike. The 10-track album has been praised as “an in-your-face sucker punch that captures the swinging pendulum of heartbreak” (PAPER), “a rebellious collection of pop/punk/grunge/hip-hop/genre-blending tracks” (PRIDE), and “genre-blending, Spotify-era punk” (Subvrt Magazine). During a period where touring has become temporarily obsolete, the one-time event marked a chance for fans to see ANARCHY performed live from the ultimate punk dreamscape.
ANARCHY: COME TO LIFE was made possible by Moment House, a new live-streaming platform created last year by students/graduates from the USC Jimmy Iovine & Dr. Dre Academy for the Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, and backed by top tier Silicon Valley and music industry investors, including Scooter Braun, Troy Carter, and Jared Leto. Its intention is to create special, ticketed experiences (Moments) for artists’ fans, no matter where they are in the world. This year they have hosted performances by artists like Halsey, blackbear, YUNGBLUD, and Omar Apollo.
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Anna Shoemaker releases her new single/video, “Silver Cowboy Boots (feat. Invisible Will),” out on all streaming platforms via BMG. Written by Shoemaker and produced by Will Baker, “Silver Cowboy Boots” is a glistening R&B-tinged pop ballad that showcases Shoemaker’s flair for multi-layered lyricism.
As Coco Chanel once said, “if you are sad, if you are heartbroken, make yourself up, dress up, add more lipstick and attack,” and that’s exactly what Shoemaker was thinking when she impulse purchased a pair of silver Fendi cowboy boots while nursing her broken heart: “I wrote this song after my ex and I broke up for the second time. He seemed to be doing fine and I was still heartbroken. I was in the studio sad, hungover, and wearing these insane silver Fendi cowboy boots I had bought myself and was just like, you know what, maybe this is fine?,” she says. “All that guy did was mess with me, these boots can’t mess with me. They match everything, they look sick, they never tell me not to work with a certain producer or rapper because they’re jealous, they never get in fights at bars and then bleed all over my apartment, they never block my number for no reason, they never laugh at me or tell me I need to be better on stage if I want to make it big. They just make me look good and stand tall and confident, and that’s really all you can ask for from a relationship.”
26-year-old New York-based, Philadelphia-born Shoemaker first made her mark as a Soundcloud sensation with her viral mashup of Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” and Chance the Rapper’s “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” which she recorded on her bedroom floor. The song, which now has over 892K streams, caught the attention of fashion mogul Steve Madden, who signed her to his record label, 5Towns Records. Her debut EP, East Side, was produced by GRAMMY-nominated producer JT Daly and released in 2018. Earlier this year, with a newly inked deal with BMG, Shoemaker released her sophomore effort, Everything Is Embarrassing, and has continued to unveil singles throughout the year. Despite only being a few years into her career, Shoemaker has already been praised by the likes of Billboard and Refinery29, opened for Julia Michaels and Bishop Briggs, and sold out her own headlining gig at Mercury Lounge.
Los Angeles based singer/songwriter IRIS officially releases her new single, “Them” today – listen to the song on all platforms, including Spotify HERE. The song was originally featured in Grammy award-winning producer Malay’s seminar for Mix with the Masters on Friday, October 9th – watch the video series HERE. “Them” showcases IRIS’s stunningly soulful vocals and speaks of the struggle of taking a risk on love and letting a partner in despite the baggage and demons we all carry. It was written by IRIS alongside Trey Campbell (Celine Dion, John Legend) and Malay (Frank Ocean, Lorde, Sam Smith). A storyteller at heart, IRIS brings edgy pop energy to her music and has been compared to Lady Gaga with their similar “’80s rock rasp”, and rock icon Stevie Nicks.
Listen to “Them” on Spotify: https://jvagency.fanlink.to/iristhem
“Them” is a song that has developed “emotionally, beautifully, and sonically”, creating a new wave of music for IRIS. In the exclusive series with Mix with the Masters, producer Malay and IRIS walk through the creation of “Them” and share about the process along the way. When speaking about the production for “Them”, Malay shares he “buil[t] a soundscape of modulating synth lines, atmospheric guitar sounds, lush organ, heavily distorted drums, and more.”
IRIS has been in the studio working on an upcoming project that steers in a different direction than her past release. The singer first gave us a sneak peek of the new project with the release of her single “Today” in September. In a recent interview with LA Weekly, IRIS shared, “I’m trying to do more fun pop-disco inspired things, but also integrate more soul and rock vibes into it.”
Graeme Cornies has been working in the arts since childhood.
For Graeme, a life in the arts might have been a foregone conclusion, having attended arts schools in both grade school and high school where he was surrounded by passionate, helpful teachers who encouraged him to take his own artistic ideas seriously from a young age.
Before having any musical ambitions of his own, he watched his mother make albums as a harpist, with evening rehearsals at the house, watching musical legends like Oliver Schroer stop in to wow everyone leading up to a big performance. He also watched his father, who wrote editorial columns for a local newspaper, turn his ideas in to a way to make a living.
By the time he was in seventh grade, he had already met some of the collaborators that he would continue to work closely with until the end of university – some of whom he continues to collaborate with today.
Around age 16 he started trading all of his summer job money for studio time, organizing various recording projects with hand-picked collaborators he admired. When a number of his older friends went to school for recording engineering, he was sure to hang out on campus – often happily being roped into a production students’ extra studio time. It was here that he met his future business partners from Voodoo Highway Music and Post.
Graeme went to school for music at York University in 2000, where he had his musical studies sidelined by one of the many strikes that have taken place at York. As the strike wore on and people began to leave campus, the ghost-town atmosphere began to set in. With what remained of his student loans, Graeme purchased some recording equipment and, once his roommate left, he turned his dorm into a make-shift studio of his own. For months he recorded something new each day, enlisting the help of his recording-engineering friends to help him understand why various things didn’t quite sound right to him. This bracket of time ended up being the foundation of his career as a composer.
In 2003 Graeme took his studies to the University of the West Indies in Trinidad, where he got to play in a number of steel pan bands and continue his studies on various instruments in a drastically new setting.
Returning home, he began to work as a freelancer, producing and recording albums with various artists and fulfilling his first musical corporate projects.
Around 2005 he joined forces with his long-time collaborators from Voodoo Highway Music and Post, and luckily, within 6 months, they landed a show that would keep the doors open for at least a calendar year. To Graeme – this was a dream. This was never-ending art-school. This was playing in a band that never needed to commit to one single sound or the wear and tear of endless touring. It allowed him and his fellow musical co-conspirators to play in the musical sandbox every day for more than a decade and a half, honing their skills as the gigs kept getting bigger and bigger. The team-work at Voodoo helped them complete finished scores on timelines that would have been impossible for any single composer, and the silent arms-race of always trying to out-do one another on each new pitch, kept everyone musically growing. Voodoo Highway, to him, has become a sort of vocational art school he still feels lucky to keep attending.
Over the past 15 years Graeme has been lucky enough to work on more than 40 television shows, some of which made more than 100 episodes. His work covers the gamut too. He has scored documentary features on BBC and National Geographic, contributed to Triple AAA games and, along with his writing partners, has become one of the worlds most heard composers – most well-known for their work on hit TV shows like Paw Patrol, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and the Total Drama franchise.
The last five years have brought multiple awards from both SOCAN and BMI – recognizing their musical reach both domestically and internationally. Many of Voodoo Highway’s shows have received Emmys, and recently, Graeme and his writing partners took home their second Canadian screen award at the 2020 virtual CSA gala.
Kodiak Arcade is an art project that began in 2016. It has been the passion project, taken up at every available opportunity, when not writing for immediate televisions deadlines. It has been a means of exploring new musical palette ideas, expanding on orchestration ideas Graeme found while working on other visual media, and it has served to expand his network of talented instrumental collaborators.
Thematically, Sail Away explores the idea of running away with my inner child, protecting and parenting her. It’s me becoming my own mother, which was something I had to do at a young age.
As the daughter of my mother, I had to learn how to take care of myself and grow up quickly. She struggled with addiction until I was almost 10 years old; I don’t have many memories of my childhood before that age. I’ve spent some years in Alanon, connecting to my inner child and learning how to “re-parent” her as a way of healing those wounds. The inner child is the part of us that is innocent, vulnerable, playful, full of wonder, freely trusting and loving. It hasn’t always been easy to connect with that side of myself.
I didn’t feel like I had a voice as a kid, and I had no control over what was happening around me. In spite of, or perhaps because of this, I grew into an extremely strong, resilient, capable adult. This song explores my longing for having had an adult like me around, when I was a child…as well as the anger I’ve carried with me for having missed out. I’ve had to accept that no one can go back in time and fix that for me.
Recognizing the immense need to find your true voice as an artist, singer, songwriter, music producer, and artist coach Mary Alouette is expanding her online business, Set Your Life to Music, a musical, professional, and life coaching platform for female musicians. Created originally to assist artists in her immediate network, Alouette is now extending her services to all emerging female pop and electronic acts to help them develop singing, songwriting, and music production skills. Set Your Life To Music also provides mentorship in music business and life skills that enable them to release and perform their original music at a professional level.
As a life-long independent artist herself, Alouette recognizes the challenges of finding one’s path to a fulfilling music career. Her 27-year career has taken her from musical theater, to opera, to Gypsy jazz, to audio engineering, to pop and electronic music, to artist development coaching and entrepreneurship. After facing musical blocks and seeking a reset, Alouette booked a month-long solo retreat in Cuba and immersed herself within the Cuban culture. This trip proved to be the best decision she made. Within two weeks, Aloutte wrote three songs and hired a six-piece Cuban jazz band to record at the studio of multiple Latin Grammy Award winning singer Pablo Milanés. These songs became her new EP, titled Cuba Diaries, which she is releasing in January 2021. Through this experience, Alouette recognized that it’s possible to create experiences in your life beyond your wildest dreams and life is best lived authentically and without regret. Freedom comes from expressing your truest self.
With this philosophy, Alouette committed to help other artists “live their best lives” through their music. About the services she offers, Alouette says, “It’s so much more than just music lessons. It’s also business and life coaching. It’s about who you become in the process in mind, body, and spirit.”
Mary Alouette has taught hundreds of artists for over 14 years. Longtime client Lee A. says, “All the songs on my EP that I worked on with Mary either won the grand prize, 1st place, placed as finalists or won honorable mentions in the 2019 Song of the Year Song & Lyric Writing Competition, the 2019 USA Songwriting Competition, the 2019 Mid- Atlantic Song Contest and the 2019 International Songwriting Competition.”
Set Your Life To Music’s aim is to help emerging female artists find their purpose, joy, and expansion through their music and live out their dreams.
Artists can book a free singing or songwriting feedback session with Mary Alouette by visiting: setyourlifetomusic.com/call
Credit: Sean Blomfield
Devan has been pursuing a music career since she was a kid; the brazen 10-year-old dropped off a homemade demo – to no avail – at the iconic Olympic Studio, home to Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder and David Bowie. Now in 2020, the Toronto-born/London-raised singer-songwriter is gearing up to release her debut solo project.
Leaning into her wildly diverse musical influences thanks to a transatlantic childhood, Devan is creating her own voice by melding together her heroes, including the poetic songwriting of Joni Mitchell and Neil Young; and the pop vocal production of Florence + The Machine, Adele and Amy Winehouse. Her solo debut “Real Shot” has been described as “mesmerizing” (Wonderland), “pure nostalgia wrapped up in notes and lyrics” (Idobi) and “a magnetic tune that understands the gravitational weight of its pull” (Vanyaland); perfectly setting the stage for Devan’s follow up release “Almost feat. Corey Harper”, due September 25.
Fellow alt-pop singer-songwriter, Corey Harper, has spent the last several years making music and performing on the road in support of artists like Justin Bieber, Julia Michaels, Noah Kahan and Niall Horan. The two met for the first time earlier this year in Los Angeles through mutual friends. “I’ve been a fan of Corey’s music for a long time – he’s got one of my favourite voices,” explains Devan. “The song was originally written on piano, but when we were in the studio, Corey suggested a guitar part that everyone loved so much it ended up becoming the backbone for the song.”
Recorded in one day with producer Adam Boukis (Timbaland, Icona Pop and Bruno Martini), their vocals flawlessly push-and-pull throughout the hook-laden track while carefully punctuated by Harper’s hypnotic guitar part. The song, co-written by Devan and Kyle Reynolds, is about the awkward adjustment of your early twenties when you feel like you’re losing sight of the person you thought you were and what you thought you wanted in life; and loving someone, but not trusting yourself enough to dive into the relationship.
While distinct, Devan’s voice may sound familiar. She has spent the last 6 years honing her talents as a songwriter and live performer with Wild Rivers; the folk-pop band that she co-found and co-fronts, boasts over 140 million global streams and sells out venues across North America. The band’s 2019 release, “I Do”, scored Devan the top prize at the International Songwriting Competition placing her in front of judges Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Tom Waits and Bebe Rexha.
Devan’s solo project has been percolating since the moment she hit ‘record’ on her first homemade demo, and all these years later, she remains equally as brazen and ready to share her songs.
New York City native, half-japanese, Lisa Remar has always loved music. Her passion for song-writing, producing and singing lives in her songs. Characterized by her soulful vocals and her unique sonic sensibility – Lisa’s music takes the listener to a familiar place they’ve never been before. Moments of playfulness transition into epic scores and vice versa. Boom Bap inspired rhythms appear unexpectedly and coast over her silky voice.
Lisa’s psychedelic soundscape threads through most of her tracks and revels in tinges of melancholia. Similar to her music, Lisa’s style also draws influence from various backgrounds, and is representative of her biracial heritage.
There’s something exciting about the music Lisa is making. It almost feels like listening to Fiona Apple or Lana Del Rey for the first time. A shock to the system – a refined rawness.
https://www.instagram.com/lisaremar/
https://www.facebook.com/lisaremar/
Nashville-based, multi-faceted artist Alyssa Jacey is not one who typically sits still contemplating the weather. A singer-songwriter, dancer/choreographer, multi-instrumentalist (self-taught), actress, TV show host and entrepreneur, Jacey was forced to shelter in place, as many of us, during the pandemic. During her down-time, she took the opportunity to write and record her new holiday single, “Somethin’ ‘Bout the Snow.” Co-written with Corey Lee Barker (Lucas Hoge, Dave Adkins) and recorded at The Hideout on Nashville’s famous Music Row, “Somethin’ ‘Bout the Snow” is an upbeat song that reflects the nostalgia and wonderment that snowfall brings to the Christmas season. The song is available now on all digital platforms.
Born and raised in San Diego, Jacey never realized she had musical talent until her mid-20s when a friend encouraged her to sing karaoke. After getting consistent positive feedback from several different audience members every week for a year, Jacey decided to pursue music at full bore in 2005. She taught herself to play guitar and drums. She also began writing songs, totaling over 400 and counting. In 2009, she brought a batch of songs to Studio West (blink-182, Boyz II Men, Cowboy Junkies, Jewel) in San Diego to record her first full-length album, Here’s to Change. To date, she has released over 100 singles, four EPs and four full-length albums. She has performed over 3,500 shows, opening for several major artists, including Bruno Mars, Andy Grammer, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, Lisa Loeb, Anna Nalick, Josh Kelley, among many others.
Catch the new holiday single by Alyssa Jacey, “Somethin’ ‘Bout the Snow”, out now everywhere. Also look out for Jacey’s upcoming new album, Alyssa Jacey LIVE, coming in March 2021.
(Photo Courtesy: Muni Long)
MUNI LONG returns today with a major close to a year embodied by compelling records and stunning visuals. Long’s latest offering, a single and visual titled “Build A Bae” featuring rap phenom Yung Bleu is available on all platforms today. “Build A Bae” finds Muni Long and Yung Bleu running down a tight list of deal breakers in order to date them – the melody and lyrics laced over an up-tempo, bass knocking beat produced by Damar Jackson. The “Build A Bae” visual was directed by Keoni Mars, and is Long’s 4th single release since her October 2nd introduction to the mainstream.
MUNI LONG released her debut EP Black Like This to fanfare on November 13th – a 7 track project that was an ode to the rich essence and beauty of the black experience through her lens. The EP boasted early single releases “Midnight Snack” Ft. Jacob Latimore, “Breakin Up” and “Nekkid” Ft. YFN Lucci, and offered fans stunning new visualizers that gave a first-hand look into the highly stylized and eccentric world of Muni Long. Black Like This comes under Long’s co-founded label imprint, Supergiant Records. You can stream and download Black Like This everywhere by clicking here.
MUNI LONG, formerly Priscilla Renea, is known as one of the most successful and sought after songwriters in the music business. She spoke to VOGUE.com ahead of the release of Black Like This about the huge transition from behind the scenes and owning her own artistry. She states “Muni Long is the part of me that I always needed. She’s the protector of Priscilla.” “I knew I wanted to focus on me. I’ve been serving others for the last 12 years, and I started to feel unappreciated and captive.”
Multi-award winning vocalist, songwriter, and producer Natalie Nicole Gilbert shows her musical versatility and emotional breadth in her new nostalgic album, Warm Winter (Orchard). Having released over a dozen albums of original music ranging from EDM to jazz to alt pop rock, Gilbert delves into putting her own spin on an eclectic mix of 10 iconic songs written by some of the most notable songwriters of our time, including David Foster, Joni Mitchell and Andrew Lloyd Webber. To create the album, Gilbert collaborated with a multi-faceted team of music heavyweights, including composer and violinist Andrew Joslyn, (Leslie Odom Jr., Macklemore and Lewis, Suzanne Vega), songwriter, composer, orchestrator, film scorer and multi-instrumentalist Dana Bisignano (Oprah, VH1, and Curb Your Enthusiasm), and multiple award-winning TV and film composer Jonathan Still (Dancing With The Stars, Shameless, Inside the NFL). Warm Winter hits all digital platforms on December 11, 2020.
Gilbert’s Warm Winter album consists of her unique reimaginings of 10 songs from a smorgasbord of genres. The songs range from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rendition of a centuries old Latin hymn “Pie Jesu”, to a contemporary mashup of “What Child Is This” over the melody of “We Three Kings” in “What Child of Kings”; to Gilbert’s ambitious covers of Joni Mitchell’s 1971 Christmas folk song “River”, Fleetwood Mac’s 1974 “Landslide”, David Foster’s 1990 “Grown Up Christmas List” and Harry Styles’s 2019 melancholy “Falling”. “Walking in the Air”, is from the children’s TV animated film, The Snowman, and “Wrapped Up in a Dream Called You” brings lush traditional jazz to the album.
With a sound as striking and bold as her aesthetic, pop singer-songwriter Nataliya Nikitenko releases her debut single, “Oil & Water,” out on all streaming platforms today. While this may be her first single release, Nataliya is no stranger to the music industry. Lauded for her work on hit singles by artists like Little Mix, Anne-Marie, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Tori Kelly, and more, Nataliya has spent the last few years honing her craft and is now ready to step out from behind the scenes.
“Oil & Water” is a beautiful, cinematic pop ballad that showcases Nataliya’s rich vocals and notable songwriting prowess. Explaining the inspiration behind the track, she writes, “Oil and water will always separate. No matter how hard you try. Deep down I knew that about the relationship I was in long before I was out of it.”
Born in Ukraine, raised in Australia, and now settled in Los Angeles, Nataliya Nikitenko, byname of Nataliya Phillips, has lived a life rooted in the arts. Growing up, she was a national ballroom dance champion and was singing and dancing in state and national competitions, telethons and live performances with her performing arts school. As a teen, she became a regular cast member on the Australian TV shows ‘Trapped’ and ’Castaway.’ Her success as an actress led to her decision to move to Los Angeles, where she continued to pursue creativity in all its forms. She eventually chose to focus her attention on songwriting and signed a publishing deal with Kobalt Music.
After penning songs like Little Mix’s “No More Sad Songs (ft. Machine Gun Kelly)” and “Heavy” by Anne-Marie, among other hit singles, Nataliya took a step back from songwriting for others, put a pen to paper, and explored what her own artist project would look like. She went back to basics, relying primarily on her vocals and accompanying piano, and began to bare her experiences, pain, and strength, resulting in her first single, “Oil & Water.”
VIZE is a production and DJ project spearheaded by producer Vitali Zestovskih and DJ Johannes Vimalavong. While Johannes was born and grew up in Germany, Vitali was born in Russia but grew up in Germany after his parents relocated to Germany in 1998. They have made themselves a name in the German and European music industry in the past three years as writers and producers of many hit records for German artists like Gestört Aber GeiL, Adel Tawil or LEA and remixes and productions with and for other producers like Sam Feldt, Joel Corry, Dimitri Vegas, Imanbek, Alle Farben, Sondr or Felix Jaehn. The breakthrough came with their 2018 remake of The Wanted’s 2011 hit “Glad You Came” that was followed with the Number-1 hit record “Baby” together with German rapper Joker Bra and “Never Let Me Down” with Tom Gregory. Just recently they achieved a tremendous Chart and Airplay success with “Bist Du Okay”, a collaboration with German singer Mark Forster, and another Top-5 hit record with Joker Bra and Leony called “Paradise”. On Spotify they account for more than 800 million streams to date.
With all eyes on 2021, rising genre-disrupting, multi-hyphenate artist Lonr. uncovers a brand new single and music video entitled “WORLD” today. Get it HERE via Epic Records. In addition, Lonr. joined fans earlier today via a YouTube premiere livestream to launch the official music video, which also receives an all-day BET Jams premiere. Watch it via VEVO HERE.
On the track, sweeping strings wash over a glitchy beat as his voice echoes with unrestrained emotion. “WORLD” showcases Lonr.’s signature sound, braiding together the DNA of a multitude of genres together for a future-forward sound, while seamlessly showcasing his undeniable vocals and a spitfire flow. He makes confessions such as “I’m my own opponent, I create my own shit,” as the momentum mounts through intense verses and a haunting hook: “I just want the world to know.” The cinematic music video perfectly complements the concept. Isolated somewhere in a desert dystopia, Lonr. gives a gut-wrenching performance between conducting a gothic masked string session and eventually setting everything around him on fire.
“WORLD” bulldozes the way for the arrival of his second project, due out next year.
With that, Lonr. continues to evolve right in front of the culture. Land Of Nothing Real, which the 2x GRAMMY Award winner released earlier this Spring, established the singer, songwriter, rapper and producer as one of the most exciting new artists to watch. To date, the project has amassed him over 68 million streams, while single “Make The Most” ft. H.E.R. has been a breakthrough moment for him. This fall, the song catapulted to #1 on the Urban AC Radio Chart, completing a 26-week climb to the top. He took the stage at the BET Awards in June for an unforgettable performance of the track, which was the #1 most Shazam’d moment of the evening. Plus, he garnered a nomination in the coveted category of “Best New Artist” at the 2020 Soul Train Awards, placing him in good company with the likes of Snoh Aalegra and Giveon. Get the EP HERE, which alongside H.E.R. features a collaboration with 24k Goldn. Watch the video for “Make The Most” HERE.
Along with Lonr.’s impressive success, the rising artist has received a wave of critical acclaim this year. Uproxx dubbed him “a star in the making” while Elevator called him “a force to be reckoned with.” In an extensive profile, DJ Booth exclaimed that Lonr.’s music will take you on a tour of the future and that “each Lonr. song feels like a micro-feature film, the way it undulates and pulses with his affecting and raspy vocal.” Upon release, The FADER dubbed the “Make The Most” video “beautifully sad” while Ones to Watch called the song “dreamlike.” HotNewHipHop proclaimed “once again, Lonr. proves his ability to develop a catchy hook.” In addition, he was BET AMPLIFIED’s Artist Of The Month for May 2020. Billboard may have put it best surrounding the BET Awards: “After his performance of the earnest yet restrained ‘Make the Most’ had viewers’ mouths agape during the 2020 BET Awards, he just might be quietly stepping into his own spotlight.”
Watch this space for more new Lonr. music, coming soon.