Browsing Tag

2021 pop

Holly George – Alaska: A chill worth acclimatising to.

Posted on 1 October 2021

The seasons have finally turned, which means we can move away from the euphoria of summer and into eloquent conversations with tragedy, such as the one found in up and coming pop artist Holly George’s latest cinematically raw release, Alaska.

Any fans of Neighbourhood’s iconic track, Sweater Weather, or any soundscape from Warpaint or Tom Odell will definitely want to acclimatise to the climate in this chillingly ardent single. The comforting dark and cold tones are the perfect contrast to Holly George’s endlessly imploring vocals which have a poignant way of stripping hubris away when the lyrics grip you.

The official music video for Holly George’s seminal single premiered on September 8th. You can stream it for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kevan put a dark cinematic twist on Latin pop with his debut EP, Doors.

Posted on 29 September 2021

‘Doors’ is the debut EP from Italian producer and artist Kevan, who has been making more than waves with his evocative alternative tracks. There’s been a tectonic shift of talent on the airwaves since he started contributing to the airwaves 13 years ago.

The title single is a cinematically dark take on contemporary pop which finds room for rock and ambient trap and RnB elements to add to the dynamism. The lyrics feed the brand of frustration that only comes to fruition when you’re contending with an ending, and you’re transfixed by the past, unwilling to look to the future for fear of not seeing something you convinced yourself that you needed.

The way he shares a common experience is something. The way he expresses what words alone can’t has ironically left us speechless. We’re fairly sure that is how he ended up racking up nearly 1 million streams on Spotify alone with his standout single, Call Me.

Doors is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Natasha Slayton shares introspective gold with her debut single, Love Me Like Me.

Posted on 31 July 2021

After becoming a multi-platinum artist in her band G.R.L., Natasha Slayton has made her solo pop debut with the high vibe single, Love Me Like Me which oozes introspective lyrical gold.

Love Me Like Me shares the artist’s journey to sobriety and self-worth; by opening with the line, I was wasting my time looking for a feeling I could never find until I started healing, Slayton effortlessly established herself as the pop icon we never knew we needed.

The summer pop vibes and a lyrical focus on healing in the debut release bust the myth that summer pop earworms have to be superficial to be infectious.

Love Me Like Me is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jeffrey Chan has released his seductive dance-pop track, ‘Call My Name’

Posted on 20 June 2021

The commercial potential that we first saw when Jeffrey Chan released his debut album in 2018 is steadily coming into fruition, with multiple of his singles racking up over 100,000 streams on Spotify alone, he’s well on the way to the top, especially following on from the release of his seductive dance-pop track, Call My Name.

The tropic beats tease the euphoria of fiery hedonistic nights while Jeffrey Chan laces the up-vibe dance track that utilises choppy staccato guitars around ascending synth notes with low reverberant vocal sex appeal. Jeffrey Chan could easily teach Boy George a thing or two in terms of vocal seduction.

Call My Name is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Srujanika shines a light on the darkest nights with her indie single, ‘Rise’.

Posted on 8 June 2021

For her latest single, ‘Rise’, which has now been accompanied by a music video shot by Guillaume, up and coming singer-songwriter Srujanika teamed up with producer MILIAH to orchestrate an intricate, intimate feat of indie-pop that doesn’t just lyrically scratch at the surface. It cuts right down to the marrow.

Sometimes, all that is needed is the reminder that no matter how alone you feel on the darkest nights, you’re not alone in your dark transition periods before the light starts to breakthrough. The deeply spiritual release pulls in nuances of shoegaze and dream pop to give the single a sense of fragility; through Srujanika’s vocals, you’ll find comfort along with the inspiration to find the same resilient strength.

Even if you listened to the radio all day, you wouldn’t hear a more compassionate and consoling voice.

You can check out the official video to Rise that premiered on May 15th by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Darrian Gerard broke the pop mould with her pop-punk earworm, ‘Festival’.

Posted on 5 June 2021
Darrian Gerard

If memories of music festivals feel like a lifetime ago, Darrian Gerard’s latest pop-punk single, Festival, will bring them flooding right back as if they were yesterday. Darrian Gerard’s vocals carry the same girl next door vibe as the likes of Taylor Swift and all of the outlier attitude of pop-punk princesses such as Avril Lavigne, expectedly, that’s an instantly infectious and accessible mix.

The Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist also takes influence from Alanis Morissette and Angels and Airwaves, giving her sound a refreshingly dynamic sound that breaks the perfect pop mould with the effect-laden, punchy indie guitars and wholesomely rebellious attitude.

Festival released on June 4th; you can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Penelope Pettigrew has unleashed her autobiographical bisexual dance-pop anthem, ‘Straight Until…’

Posted on 4 June 2021

Sydney-based singer-songwriter Penelope Pettigrew has released her autobiographical bisexual anthem, ‘Straight Until…’ the hazily entrancing feat of dance-pop allows the listener to explore their own identity in the presence of a voice that disrupts normative discourse and embraces queer culture.

Through seductively bold lyrics and bass-drenched synths, Penelope Pettigrew’s queer pop track carries some reminiscence to the likes of Peaches, yet, discernibly, there’s far more commercial potential to this radio-ready single. We can’t wait to see the rest of the world waking up to Pettigrew’s nuanced empowering style. Whatever subject she chooses for her lyricism, you know that she will delve deeper than most.

Straight Until… is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Throw away your saviour complex with Justine Eltakchi’s hyperpop single, ‘Demons’.

Posted on 6 May 2021
Justine Eltakchi

If you find that the average perennial pop earworm lacks bite, get acquainted with the teeth in the flawless futurepop earworm, ‘Demons’, by Justine Eltakchi.

After a productive 2020, which saw the singer-songwriter releasing two EPs and six singles, 2021 shows a different side of Justine Eltakchi. Her latest single brings forth a darker, more experimental hyperpop sound that isn’t afraid to lyrically rip right through to the core of suffering as the instrumentals echo the mental instability before the final crescendo that illustrates that breakthrough when the black cloud finally shifts.

Demons is a single that compels the listener to put themselves first and throw away the saviour complex. Considering that there is a fair amount of women out there lusting over serial killers with the belief that they can ‘fix’ them, Demons is an essential track.

Check out Justine Eltakchi on her Website, Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cami Bex has unleashed her demure radio-ready pop anthem, ‘Falling for a Star’.

Posted on 16 April 2021

Finding the perfect balance of accessibility, authenticity, and energy is no easy feat for emerging pop singers eager to get their sound into as many ears as possible but Cami Bex has it down to a fine art.

‘Falling for a Star’ is the latest single released by the Sydney-hailing artist who creates to process the world around her. It’s safe to say that if listeners reach past the infectious melodies to invest in the lyrics, they’ll also get to learn from Cami Bex’s all too relatable introspection. The single is a soulfully demure reminder to not be in love with merely the idea of being in love; a red flag is a red flag.

Falling for a Star is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sophia Gonzon goes ‘Dancing With The Devil’

Posted on 11 April 2021

Working with producer Cesar Da Emperor is clearly working well for Florida-based Italian-American Sophia Gonzon, who – in collaboration with singer-songwriter Ryan Curtis – brings us her new single ‘Dancing With The Devil’.

Poppy, dancy R&B with enough of a hint of rock to perfectly suit the gritty edge to her voice, ‘Dancing With The Devil’ is all dynamics, soft verses and big, overdriven power-chord choruses. There’s a mix of influences here, from Pink and Christina Aguilera through Gwen Stefani and Gloria Estefan to Flo Rida and Lil Wayne. There’s some well-put together self-harmonies on the choruses, that Stefani/No Doubt vibe coming through on the catchy pop-funk-rock guitar stylings and Gonzon’s powerful vocals.

You can hear ‘Dancing With The Devil’ on Spotify; follow Sophia Gonzon here or on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes