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ESize’s Sonic Adrenaline Shot Lacerates the Loop of Perpetual Striving in ‘We Are Winners, We Got the Juice’

Posted on 17 April 2025

With We Are Winners, We Got the Juice, Chicago’s genre-morphing producer, ESize, tears through the tendency to think the next goalpost will always be greener. The hyped-up hip-hop anthem doesn’t settle into predictable territory for a second. It’s a sonic adrenaline shot for anyone who’s done bending backwards for unreachable goals and is ready to soak up the energy of their success.

ESize knows how to build something from the raw materials most would overlook. With an academic background in music theory from UIC and a professional portfolio spanning R&B chart-toppers, top-ten dance hits in the Midwest, and international licensing deals, he’s not short on accolades. He channels that experience into forward-motion rather than backward-gazing brags, giving We Are Winners, We Got the Juice its pace and punch.

After the harsh and caustically reverberant bass-drenched prelude, the track flips the script. Pop-soul vocals lift the production into unexpected choral territory before ESize delivers his signature gruff gravitas. His vocal force melds with instrumental layers that defy any textbook on hip-hop structure—rock guitar riffs crash against slick funk-charged synths, as the energy swells and contracts with eccentric precision. One ESize doesn’t fit all, and that’s exactly the point.

With four patents to his name and a mission to create music that cuts through the static—whether for sync placements or sonic statement pieces—ESize puts that inventive momentum into every beat.

We Are Winners, We Got the Juice is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Dupree and Niche Redefined Old-School R&B with ‘Wait’

Posted on 20 March 2025

Dupree and Niche brought R&B right back to its golden era with Wait, exploring uncharted paths towards the sanctity of nostalgia. The dual-layered harmonies effortlessly synergise, spilling arcane chemistry into the dreamy atmosphere, while the luxe, kaleidoscopic haze of the production leaves inklings of modernism lingering in the mix. When the rap verses land, hip-hop’s timeless conviction takes hold, broadsiding you with impassioned bars that breathe new life into the track. If you know that loving means being prepared to wait, Wait is the ultimate love story you’ll want to lock into.

Dupree has never been one to stand still. As a singer, actor, dancer, and host, he is dedicated to disrupting reality through entertainment that transcends the mundane. Raised between the close-knit South Chicago suburbs and the vibrant pulse of the inner city, he embodies a deeply embedded hustler’s mentality and a strong connection to Black culture and identity. Music has always been his anchor—his mother encouraged him to join the church choir at six, where he first found his voice. From there, he took every chance to perform, whether in school plays or community productions, shaping an artistry influenced by Aaliyah, Beyoncé, and Usher.

Fusing R&B with House, Urban Pop, and Neo Soul, Dupree channels authenticity as though it’s as natural as breathing. With Wait making waves globally, he’s setting the stage for a fresh run of R&B singles and his debut EP; you will want him on your radar sooner or later.

Wait is available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Blue Rose’s ‘If I Had a Rose’ Finds Harmony Between Heartache and Hope

Posted on 21 February 2025
Blue Rose

Chicago’s most authentically affecting singer-songwriter duos, Blue Rose, have etched their names into indie folk pop with a rawness that refuses to be polished away. Their latest single, ‘If I Had a Rose’, carries all the hallmarks of their sound—rootsy warmth, soul-deep sincerity, and a perfectly weighted electric guitar solo that teases technical skill into an emotion-driven production.

Originally penned by Adam Wright and recorded by Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, Blue Rose honoured its sentiment while making their own mark, writing a chorus and instrumental section, which is as euphonic on the ears as it is on the soul. Under their duress, the melodies progressions sweep up in the atmosphere around you, transcending sound to comfort you with the consolation that everyone has known the bittersweet beauty of longing.

If Blue Rose’s songwriting chops get any sharper, they’re gonna sear their way right through the earth’s core with their innovated odes to tradition; the duo’s chemistry is undeniable—Jori Griffith’s vocals carry a weight of lived experience, and Marcus Gebauer’s instrumental textures offer an unshakable foundation.

‘If I Had a Rose’ is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brino blasted ahead of the curve with his vibe-steady alt-hip-hop earworm, ‘Out the Way’

Posted on 8 February 2025

Brino isn’t here to play by anyone else’s rulebook, and Out the Way, the standout single from his latest LP, achievemephobia*, proves exactly that. The Chicago Land-based artist has been honing his craft since 2016, and this latest release is a testament to his refusal to lock into any formula. Going beyond the archetypal rattle of 808s, he delivers a slick fusion of electronica and hip-hop, all while letting his dynamic vocals dictate the flow with a cadence that cuts through with precision.

The earworm is a vibe-steady statement of unflinching resilience, which sees Brino drench the instrumentals with soul through the bars he spits, embodying the luxe style of contemporary RnB while swerving predictable territory.

There’s no forced inspiration here, no preaching, just raw introspection spun into lyrical gold. He waxes lyrical with feverish autonomy like he’s got nothing to lose, as his lyrics narrate just that in an exhibition of what it truly means to blur genre boundaries.

Out the Way is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LZee Walks the Razor’s Edge with Brutal Honesty in ‘3 am on LSD’

Posted on 16 January 2025

At just 16, Chicago-based rapper LZee proves he’s already a lyrical force to be reckoned with on 3 am on LSD. The brutally honest track exhibits the emotional turbulence of living on the edge as a coping mechanism. While many up-and-coming rappers lean on bravado, LZee flips the script with visceral candour, exposing raw vulnerability that resonates far beyond the surface.

The juxtaposition of the warm Latin guitar melody against the hard-hitting rattle of the 808s creates a magnetic dynamic, softening the blow of the heavy-hitting bars while keeping the track grounded in its gritty realism. LZee’s flow is flawless, with every syllable delivered in perfect rhythmic precision, amplifying the weight of his introspection.

Taken from his 2025 LP, Anti, 3 am on LSD demonstrates a prodigious level of polish in both its beats and lyricism, making it clear that LZee is not just another voice in the crowd. His ability to balance emotional depth with technical chops marks him as a standout in the hip-hop scene.

With his versatility and sharp wordplay, LZee is poised to climb to the heights his talent demands. If the industry has any sense, this single will be the spark that sets LZee’s career ablaze.

3 am on LSD is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alvin Dudley’s Alt RnB single, ‘Separate’, is a blaze of heavy emotional artillery

Posted on 28 December 2024

Alvin Dudley’s new single, Separate, wastes no time establishing a cinematically melancholic tone from the first throbbing beat within the disillusion-slick intro before the trap beat arrives beneath his harmonised bars, which keep one foot in the trap arena and the other firmly in RnB territory.

The way the melodies ebb, flow, and swell around his charged-with-emotive-artillery vocals as he lays it all on the line sweeps you into the centre of a heartbreak vignette. When the vibrato in his voice is introduced, prepare for the emotional weight to bear down, as he plaintively reflects on how the past became the present and obliterated a shared future.

Released by Soulstorm Music, Separate digs deep into the regret of being at fault and the sorrow of a relationship on the brink. Written at a time when the Chicago-based artist felt lost and directionless, it resonates with anyone who has yearned for the unreachable.

Alvin Dudley has been turning heads since his debut in 2019 by blending emotion with immersive sounds, and Separate stands as the epitome of sonic raw emotion. With this single and a forthcoming EP, he’s set to prove why he has every chance of becoming one of the biggest R&B hip-hop innovators in 2025.

Separate dropped on December 19th; stream the single on all major platforms, including SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mikey Mosher – ‘Tell Me!’: A Scuzzy Slice of DIY Indie Garage Rock Romanticism

Posted on 9 December 2024

If Fidlar and The Strokes met in a garagey middle ground and took a few production and vocal cues from John Grant, the result would reverberate in the same deliciously scuzzy vein as the latest self-written, produced and recorded single, ‘Tell Me!’ by the Chicago-based DIY musician and visual artist, Mikey Mosher.

With the only other hands brought to this single and self-shot and directed music video being Joseph at Freeman Mastering, it’s safe to say that Mikey Mosher has honed his multi-faceted talents enough to emerge as a master of all sonic trades.

The aesthetic of the release is perfectly complemented by the warm, saturation-rich visuals, which hark back to the DIY videos which reigned supreme in the era of indie sleaze; now that Gen Z is determined to live through the epoch they missed the first time around, Mikey Mosher is well-placed to make major waves throughout the US and beyond.

If you can’t get enough of the haplessly hopeless romanticism in ‘Tell Me!’, keep Mikey Mosher on your radar to stay posted on his new album, Atlantis, which is due to drop in early 2025.

The official music video for ‘Tell Me!’ dropped on November 26th; stream it on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nothing But Silence turned up the post-punk heat with ‘Too Useful’

Posted on 29 October 2024

In their latest single, ‘Too Useful’, Chicago’s Nothing But Silence threads jangly new wave guitars around stark, monochromatic motifs of post-punk, all set within a dream-pop-esque production that feels like a psychedelic trip through a rhythmic mirage.

The bold tonal experimentation manifests a sonic experience that distorts and oscillates with trippy, tropical vibrations, creating an immersive soundscape that pulls you into its obscure kaleidoscope. Prepare to enter a semi-lucid dream state with Too Useful, which uses abstract lyricism to amplify the delirium of the record which stands as a bold declaration of the band’s unique identity in the alternative scene.

Imagine if Joy Division’s ‘Transmission’ was transmitted from a warmer, more vibrant parallel universe—that’s the innovative essence captured in ‘Too Useful’. The track is a stellar slice of rhythmic ingenuity that invites listeners to step into a different, more colourful side of post-punk, laced with a dreamy, wavy quality that keeps the genre alive and pulsating.

Too Useful hit the airwaves on October 18; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Scene by Scene: Shah Brielle’s Cinematic Sound in “Issues”

Posted on 19 September 2024

Shah Brielle injected filmic sophistication into the sphere of contemporary RnB with her latest single, Issues. With echoes of Latin guitars interwoven into the lush production, the Chicago singer-songwriter orchestrated a vignette which mirrors the tremulous journey through love’s intricate labyrinth. Her powerfully crystalline harmonies resound as a beacon through the fog of emotional turmoil, articulating the push and pull of a love that’s as intoxicating as it is flawed.

The track unfurls like a cinematic narrative, each lyric threading deeper into the listener’s consciousness, much like waiting for a film’s climax with bated breath. With lyrics such as “Will I continue to swim through the flood to find your flame?” she encapsulates the desperation and determination of clinging to a flickering hope in love. This emotional odyssey is paralleled visually in a gripping music video that portrays a groom’s resolve as his wedding day unfolds with unexpected trials, prompting viewers to question the resilience of love.

After breaking onto the Chicago music scene in 2013, Shah Brielle has amassed a loyal following with her syntheses of world-music-heightened RnB and soul, which reflects her adoration for icons like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.

Stream the official music video for Issues which premiered on September 6th on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Heal your ‘Heavy Heart’ with Kay Soul’s instant RnB classic

Posted on 10 September 2024

Hot on the heels of her seminal EP, Heavy Love, the Chicago-raised RnB singer-songwriter, Kay Soul lived up to her moniker once again with the unveiling of her latest single, Heavy Heart, which exhibits her peerless ability to fuse soul-stirring evocations with classic RnB elements.

With a wistful sigh as the first note, Kay Soul set the tone for an aching emotional journey before the melodies swiftly take hold and cradle the harmonies which resound with seemingly endless honeyed sustain, crafting an installation of pure catharsis for the romantically jaded.

Her lyrics weave a rich narrative of how heavy heartbreak weighs on the soul, yet leave ample space for listeners to instil their own despair before finding swathes of consolation. The instrumental arrangement, driven by reverb-laden synths and evocative piano keys, works in synergy with the vocal lines to testify to the healing power of music as the breakthrough artist radiates nothing but pure love and profound connection.

Recognised widely for her artistry, including accolades for her gospel performances and significant album releases, Kay Soul continues to leave a lasting impression on the music industry. Be a part of her legacy and hit play.

Heavy Heart was officially released on August 23rd; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast