Browsing Tag

Afrobeat RnB

GeeMarr ignited a carnal flame with his exotically expansive RnB hit, Fire & Desire

GeeMarr, the UK’s RnB firebrand, ignited the genre with his latest single ‘Fire & Desire‘. The stylistic fusion of RnB, afrobeat, pop, and soul elements showcases GeeMarr’s versatility and creativity when blending diverse musical influences.

The intro of ‘Fire & Desire’ is a nostalgic nod to the 80s era of RnB, setting the stage for a contemporary twist that GeeMarr executes flawlessly. The track pulsates with modern cuts, seamlessly integrating autotuned reggaeton-esque vocal lines with sun-pierced melodies. The sax lines spill soul by the smorgasbord, weaving through the song and adding a rich, emotive layer to the already vibrant soundscape.

GeeMarr’s lyrics in ‘Fire & Desire’ resonate like mantras, creating a heady sonic haven that you’ll want to occupy all summer and ensuring that the midtempo vignette captures the sweetness of finding someone who evokes feelings of both love and lust. Even if you’re riding solo, you’ll get a taste of how sweet adding fuel to your carnal fire is.

Born in Jamaica and raised in South London, GeeMarr’s global influences are evident in his music. His repertoire spans Afrobeats, R&B, and Soul, and ‘Fire & Desire’ is a culmination of his artistic evolution. After a 5-year hiatus and a series of captivating freestyles on social media, GeeMarr is not just making a comeback; he’s redefining his sound.

GeeMarr’s involvement in every stage of his music, from writing and producing to mixing and mastering, ensures that his sonic signature blazes through ‘Fire & Desire’. This track is a must-listen for fans of RnB and anyone looking for a summer anthem that combines the best of global beats with the soulful depth of RnB.

Stream the official music video for Fire & Desire which dropped on March 28th on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sixsense – AYANNA: A Darkly Luminous Journey in Alt-RnB

Sixsense, the London-based alt-RnB visionary, redefined the genre with his latest single ‘AYANNA’. The emotional odyssey blends Afrobeat and Latin RnB into a soundscape that is as dark as it is scintillating.

‘AYANNA’ opens with a floodgate of visceral emotion, drawing the listener into a world of rhythmic compulsion and painful introspection. Sixsense takes genres known for their bright, euphoric atmospheres and steers them into uncharted territories of depth and darkness. The result is a compelling contradiction: a track that resonates with the lightness of its tones yet delves into the profoundest of emotional depths.

The artist’s talent is undeniable. His voice, a commanding presence in the London music scene, is set to proliferate the charts. With ‘AYANNA’, Sixsense is not just on the cusp of contemporary trends; he is pioneering a new direction in genre-fluid, vibe-driven music.

Described as a love song intertwined with the pangs of growing up, ‘AYANNA’ encapsulates that bittersweet nostalgia of memories lost to time. Following the success of his 9th studio release, ‘CUENTAME’, this track continues to showcase Sixsense’s knack for crafting lyrics that resonate.

Raised in Santiago de Chile and London, and influenced by his Jewish-South American and Australian heritage, Sixsense brings a unique perspective to his music. His self-taught musical journey, beginning with an electric piano in his youth, is evident in the intricate blend of acoustic melodies and electronic rhythms in ‘AYANNA’.

AYANNA was officially released on March 8; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Groove away heartbreak with the hot-to-handle afrobeat hit, Shakara Love, from Mr Yomi.

Waves of euphoria crashed in with the latest single from the heir to the UK afrobeat scene, Mr Yomi; Shakara Love is the perfect introduction to one of London’s hottest rising artists.

At tonal value, Shakara Love is your archetypal vibe-steady summer earworm, but lock into the captivating soundtrack and explore the depths of unrequited love, narrated by Yomi’s luxe with animated soul vocal lines which effervesce around the steamily ascending Afrobeat melodies that will leave you yearning to hit the dancehall floor.

It is one thing to create a high-vibe anthem from a track that gravitates around a bright lyrical theme. It is another entirely to hit the rhythmic ground running with a sunny-side-up sensibility while versing on raw emotion.

Shakara Love hit all major streaming platforms on May 26; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Tunde 2deep came in hot in his Afrobeat EDM hit, SUCCESS FEVER

Cape Town’s hottest independent artist, Tunde 2deep, elevated the emerging Afrobeat EDM scene with his euphorically mantric single, SUCCESS FEVER.

With Dancehall running right through the rhythmically intoxicating progressions, EDM beats that pound floor-filler material into the release and Tunde 2deep’s infectious brand of high-energy soul, SUCCESS FEVER is an introspective anthem that the Afrobeat scene will never forget.

All too often, high vibe anthems fail to speak to the people that need to hear that before the highs come the lows, SUCCESS FEVER conveys the fears and dark days which punctuate the journey to greatness and lets the listener know exactly how to overcome them. Regardless of the mood SUCCESS FEVER catches you in, it will be brighter once the entrancingly sun-slicked earworm has had its intrinsically rhythmic way with you.

“Afro-EDM has been gaining popularity in recent years; the hype inspired me to blend traditional African rhythms and instruments with electronic dance music. Success Fever is a high-energy track that celebrates achievements. I fully believe that greatness exists within us all; you just have to know how to unlock it; I hope this single is the key for my listeners.”

Add SUCCESS FEVER to your motivational Spotify playlists, or stream the official video via YouTube.

Follow Tunde2deep on Instagram and Twitter.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Moodytlb ignites sparks in his seductive Afrobeat hit, NAUGHTY

For his latest single, NAUGHTY, the Nigerian-born-and-raised singer-songwriter and artist, Moodytlb collaborated with the equally sensational Yvng Chriis to create a smooth, trappy Afrobeat hit that will get you more than ready for summer and the salacious sparks that ignite under the summer sun.

Since making his debut with his single, Letter to Aisha, in 2019, Moodytlb has come a long way in polishing his distinctive style and ensuring that the soul he pours into all of his mixes resonates. Each of his tracks is deeply personal, created as a means of expression, and produced to help others make sense of their feelings. On that basis, Moodytlb became one of our first loves in 2022. We can’t wait to see how far his gorgeously candid style takes him.

NAUGHTY is now available to streams on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sun Kovu puts an Afro-futurist twist on RnB in his latest single, Myspace

Sun Kovu’s latest RnB single, Myspace, is an indulgently innovative mash of Y2K vibes, Afro-futurism and hip hop. Sometimes, it can feel like RnB artists are struggling to keep the pace in terms of stylish progression, but paradoxically, Myspace is a brand-new trajectory into futurist genius.

The seductive beats and mellifluous yet trippy all the same melodies, which were produced by Tamira Slade, were orchestrated to take the listener on a trip through time and space. That definitely resonates once you’ve delved into the sexually urgent track that uses the lyricism to yearn for physicality while the vocals bring the soul and the beats bring the trancey and off-kilter textures.

Myspace is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The world music sensation Nancita Kapi put us into motion with her standout single, Let’s Ride

Let’s Ride, taken from the sophomore album Chambre Froide/Black Ice, is a fiery introduction to the singer-songwriter Nancita Kapi. The breaking artist takes soul in her harmonic stride and makes world music resonate as even more global with her multilingual lyrics, pop melodies, afrobeat timbre and nuances of dancehall and RnB.

Her infectious energy, almost spiritually high vibes and sun-soaked beats are an indulgent affirmation that when cultures collide, beautiful things happen. After sharing stages with luminaries, such as YAO, Jamice, Jade, Carimi and Kavanda, we do not doubt that Nancita Kapi will celebrate plenty more highlights in her music career. For dopamine’s sake, get her on your radar.

Let’s Ride is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JXY marries style with soul in his latest RnB single, Game 7

With his latest release, Game 7, the luminary RnB artist JXY proved that soul and style go hand in hand. The Jamaican-born, UK-residing artist never leaves his Caribbean roots behind in his colourful melodies; he fuses them with western RnB hip hop style for the ultimate contemporary vibe with a tropic twist.

The sensually downtempo release followed on from JXY’s other popular releases, such as his EP, NuLuv, which has surpassed 250,000 streams on Spotify alone. The tenderness to his passion and the atmosphere in his productions are sure to see him go much further in his career.

Game 7 is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Flow has brought RnB into a new era with ‘Where You Been’

https://soundcloud.com/flowsadventure/where-you-been

North Carolina RnB Soul pioneer, Flow, released his latest sun-soaked hit ‘Where You Been’ on December 11th, with elements of Deep House and Afrobeat weaved in, it’s impossible not to catch the infectious high vibes.

While playfully experimental progressions allow glitchy beats to add to the energy of the smooth RnB melodies, Flow gives you an idea of how he came about his moniker. By switching between soul-dripping crooning and energising Rap verses, there isn’t a moment in the track which will allow your attention to falter from the fresh ingenuity on offer.

You can check out Flow’s latest single via Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast