Browsing Tag

Contemporary Pop

Luchi shows us the weight of empty promises in his pop track, He Said

Posted on 14 January 2023

The Me + Tears Ain’t Strangers EP from the Glasgow-based Italian up-and-coming pop artist, Luchi is a meditation in mindful melancholy. The opening single, He Said, is the perfect introduction to the artist’s introspective candour that inspires empathy and reactive vulnerability in equal measure.

There’s nothing rawer than relaying all the empty promises when a relationship reaches an ennui-laden end, especially after we walked into the dynamic with hesitancy over vulnerability. When those red flags start to wave away every shallow word, we’re the ones left with the shame when it was never ours to carry. He Said stands as the ultimate affirmation of the disparity within romantic accountability.

Bringing new contemporary flair to the pop ballad, Luchi utilises climactic piano crescendos and tensile vocal progressions to stick to the roots before implanting modernist twists through the RnB nuances and utilisation of atmospheric reverb around the gently muted guitar strings that flow in synergy with the soft synths.

The Me + Tears Ain’t Strangers EP is due for official release on January 13th. Hear it on SoundCloud. Follow Luchi on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Expectation meets self-preservation in Aleandro Valente’s blissfully tropic indie pop hit, Not O.K.

Posted on 25 October 2022

The up-and-coming NYC-residing pop artist Aleandro Valente tore off his façade in spectacular fashion in his single, Not O.K. to expose the duality of his determination of being what others perceive him to be and staying true to himself.

The angular indie jangle pop guitars around the sun-bleached tropic RnB pop keys create the perfect platform for the high dynamic stretches of Aleandro Valente’s smooth vocal timbre that pulls you right into the battle of self-preservation and will.

It is Ariana Grande meets the 1975 in this vulnerable earworm that will see the Italian artist and his candour go far. It will undoubtedly be resonant for plenty of his listeners that feel the expectation to amplify their true nature to tick boxes that we never agreed to fill in the first place.

Not O.K. is now available to stream along with the debut album it was taken from, Bite on a Lemon, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ADELINE started a riot of optimism in her vibrant pop track, Like it That Way

Posted on 24 September 2022

Being raised in Tokyo, Geneva, Singapore, Copenhagen, and Montreal notably allowed the French-native pop singer-songwriter ADELINE to exude international appeal. Take her single, Like It That Way, from her debut album of the same name as the perfect example of her universally infectious appeal.

The tropical pop earworm is a riot of optimism, sun-blistered melodicism, folky organic notes and lyrical introspection which proves that ADELINE always verses from her emboldened soul. The future pop production of Like It That Way brings a timelessness to modernity to the genre that is often synonymous with superficiality. But with ADELINE shaking up the scene with her autonomously electric positivity, that may just become a thing of the past.

Like It That Way is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jae Cabrera – dancefloor groove and poppy hooks with ‘59Fifty’

Posted on 7 May 2021

Smooth, soulful, and full of spirit, 59Fifty – the new single from Canada-based artist Jae Cabrera – is a classic little R&B/pop single, all dancefloor groove, neat little programmed hi-hat patterns, and high-register vocals. Cabrera’s voice has a kind of sexy, crooning quality, that Michael Jackson high-end that’s almost but not quite breaking into falsetto.

‘59Fifty’, the track, is a mix of Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, and Charlie Puth, that perfect mix of dance-oriented beat and grind and sincere, lifting vocal-line, expressive and passionate yet equally poppy and immediate, catchy without being disposable, with a hook that sticks around long after the final bars have decayed to silence. It’s a perfect summer pop record.

You can hear 59Fifty on Spotify; check out Jae Cabrera on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Lloyd Jerwood takes us To New York with his debut dream-pop single.

Posted on 23 April 2021

After spending years as a session guitarist working alongside Greta Isaac and Hannah Grace, Lloyd Jerwood made his solo debut with his single, ‘To New York’.

The dream-pop track speaks to dreamers, to the ones who live vicariously through fantasy instead of inviting real-life chaos into their lives. Considering that we’ve all had plenty of time to spend with our fantasies and exploring meta possibilities during pandemic life, it is safe to say plenty will find resonance within this evocatively fiery release that utilises driving indie jangle-pop guitars and shimmering synths, to exhilarating radio-ready effect.

After such a promising debut, the rest of 2021 looks bright for Lloyd Jerwood.

To New York is now available to stream via Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

RnB pop artist Lenken released his soul-loaded summer playlist staple, ‘Into Mine’.

Posted on 2 April 2021

Through tropic trap-pop beats, euphoric imagery and radio-ready RnB vocals, Lenken’s latest single, ‘Into Mine’, has all the makings of a summer playlist staple. We may not be there yet, seasonally, but Lenken has a unique way of bringing tonal warmth through their vibrant soul-loaded sound.

So far, the artist’s vocal timbre has earned him a finalist position in NZ Idol in 2006, an opening spot for JA RULE and the top spot of the iTunes Independent Christian/Gospel Charts. With his influences including soul, contemporary pop and 90s RnB, there’s an instant feeling of familiarity with tracks such as Into Mine. His humble charisma has a way of making you feel right at home. Any fans of Ne-Yo, Usher and Boyz II Men shouldn’t hesitate to hit play.

Into Mine is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stella Reine bares all in her latest single ‘Who I Am’

Posted on 8 March 2021

American pop singer-songwriter, Stella Reine expressively bares it all in her latest single ‘Who I Am’. Kicking off with a tender and tentative prelude, Who I Am gently eases you into the phenomenally brave single which will show you the true meaning of being lyrically candid.

With angular reverb-laden guitar tones which are almost in the soul-clawing style of Slowdive, Stella Reine’s single doesn’t just boast mainstream appeal but appeal to true aficionados of music which is compelling and refreshing in equal measure.

Who I Am is the perfect introduction to this exceptionally magnetic artist who you’ll undoubtedly hear more about in the imminent future and far beyond.

Who I Am is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zoe Clark – Last One Standing: country-tinged upbeat pop

Posted on 26 February 2021

Poppy, irreverent, and clever, Zoe Clark – from the Music City itself, Nashville Tennessee – has a history of well-thought out, relatable tunes; ‘Last One Standing’, her newest single, continues that tradition, a country-tinged upbeat pop song with hints of what might happen if Katy Perry somehow crossed with Taylor Swift and a dash of Avril Lavigne, self-deprecating but insightful lyrics over the catchiest of catchy tunes. It’s humorous, emotional, and charming all at once, instantly familiar and approachable, whilst having a style and sound that’s ultimately unique.

Clark’s debut EP, ‘Lovers Mark’, released in spring 2020, garnered top reviews as well as getting added to over 140 Spotify playlists; now ‘Last One Standing’ has gone Tik Tok viral prior to release, with 2.3 Million views and over 30,000 presaves. It’s not hard to see why – one listen isn’t enough, it’s memorable, catchy, and snappy as hell. ‘Last One Standing’ deserves to be played. Often. And loud.

Hear ‘Last One Standing’ on Soundcloud; check out Zoe Clark on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Ooberfuse show us just how sweet liberation can sound with ‘Set Me Free’

Posted on 14 February 2021

While the UK collectively clawed at the walls in confined frustration, London-based electro-pop duo, Ooberfuse, were gearing up to drop their latest single ‘Set Me Free’. If you’re in the mood for some aurally-inspired liberation, feel your shackles lose their grip to the danceable drop.

With a touch of Tori Amos to Cherrie Anderson’s vocals, beats which will allow you to imagine what it would sound like if you fed a Portishead record ecstasy and a production which drips with electro-pop modernity, if Set Me Free was any more on-trend it would be writing the future. The track perfectly captures the emotions which come to fruition when you finally remove yourself from someone else’s control and it feels like nothing is out of reach. Liberation has never sounded sweeter.

The official music video was released on January 4th, you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Evade reality with Siena Bella’s resonantly moody electro pop single ‘Walking on the Moon’

Posted on 21 January 2021

With ‘Walking on the Moon’, Siena Bella vented the frustration which we’ve all been feeling since the start of the pandemic. We’ve heard plenty of lockdown-inspired singles, but few artists dare to go deep with their exposing introspection as Siena Bella did. Walking on the Moon may carry some heavy emotion, but the main thing you’ll take away from this unforgettably moody electro pop hit is the resonance which it implants.

With lyrics such as ‘No desire to look at my phone and see the hundreds of wars going on, everyone putting a show making me feel so small’ and the relatable ennui projected through the vocals, Walking on the Moon became one of the most essential singles released in 2020. For your sanity’s sake, get her on your radar in 2021.

Walking on the Moon is available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast