Browsing Tag

London RnB

East London RnB Luminary 8rii became the Queen of Headstrong Hedonism with ‘T.O.T.Y’

Posted on 27 November 2023

East London’s hottest independent RnB artist 8rii fuelled some fire into the genre with her latest single, T.O.T.Y, which fuses a gritty production with a solid backbeat to keep your rhythmic pules kicking and swathes of soul which spill from the earwormy vocal melodies.

Between encapsulating the East London attitude and searing her infectious sonic signature, 8rii ensured she established herself as one to watch with T.O.T.Y (the Time of the Year).

Since the age of 15, the songwriter has been crafting her own inexplicably fresh and fiery tunes, driven by a deep-rooted passion for music, showmanship, and the thrill of performance. So far, her discography is as versatile as they come. Whether she’s amping her audience up for a night of hedonism or setting the tone for introversion and self-care, her lyrical prowess always hits the mark while she tracks various eras of RnB.

After a whirlwind year, her latest single is set to close the year on a note as high as the track itself which captures the empowering liberation of embracing life’s journey and taking the rough with the smooth.

TOTY will be released on November 27, stream it on Spotify, and keep up to date with all new releases via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lyra unleashed Medusa in their latest funk-pop-RnB alchemic amalgam.

Posted on 1 September 2023

With powerfully alluring vocals slipping into an amalgam of funk, pop and 90s RnB, the latest single, Medusa, from the London-hailing prodigal children of soulful experimentalism, Lyra, is a boundary-breaking triumph.

With vocal lines that are as resonant and sonorous as the timbres you would expect from Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus and intellectually enlivening lyricism bolstering the track that is rich with lush reverb, disco grooves, and rhythmic alchemy, Medusa is a track that could easily help Lyra make an even bigger mark on the RnB map. I mean, have you ever heard a stronger opening lyrical line than “I slept with my demons, they never called me back”?

Since forming in 2016, the outfit has brought its live sound to many of the most prestigious venues, including The Bedford, The Camden Assembly, and 99 Feet East; they have also received the Track of the Week accolade from BBC Introducing. We’re sure that even greater things await after Medusa is unleashed.

Medusa will be available to stream from the 1st of September; hear it via this link. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rya welcomed in a dreamy new era of electro-soul with his latest single, SHOW OFF.

Posted on 25 August 2023

With his latest single, SHOW OFF., the trailblazing emissary of soul, Rya, wrapped the roots of RnB around modernist electronic dream pop tones and created a solid backbeat by infusing the track with rhythmically tight hip-hop nuances.

Rather than attempting to be everybody’s cup of tea, the London-based electro-soul singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer chose to take the visionary path to explore his experimental sound and create escapist worlds that you won’t need inviting to twice.

The emotion implanted into his singles may be raw, but by staying true to his distinctive production style, which melds jazz, R&B, and neo-soul tendencies, he always delivers ear candy sweet enough to give you a sugar rush.

SHOW OFF. Will hit the airwaves on the 25th of August. Hear it on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chazz Oliver & Amanda Marie dug deep in the trenches of their soul to come up gold with their single, Feelin’ Fine

Posted on 16 April 2023

In their latest single, Feelin’ Fine, the neo-soul sensations Chazz Oliver and Amanda Marie flipped the script on feel-good RnB. Instead of creating another run-of-the-mill track soul track to flood your psyche with superficial positivity, the dynamic collaborative duo dug deep into the trenches of their impassioned imagination.

If you have ever known true love, you will also know that it is synonymous with the compulsion to make reality glisten around whoever stirred those feelings in you; their happiness not only becomes paramount, but your sanctity rides on it. Feelin’ Fine mellifluously flows through the groove pockets around Amanda Marie’s divinely magnetic vocal lines to send compassionately sweet vibes surging through your senses. The London-hailing artist isn’t an icon in the making, she’s fully and flawlessly formed.

Feelin’ Fine is due for official release on April 14; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

bhxlu serenades novocaine in his melodically memorable hit, Wild

Posted on 7 April 2023

Indie RnB crooner bhxlu laid the laidback soul on thick in his latest single, Wild, which hit the airwaves on April 7th. The East London-hailing artist carries a fair amount of the dead innovative weight dropped by the rest of the contemporary RnB artists in the game with his fluidly smooth hit that pulls alt-pop, drill and trap tendencies into the colourfully sultry grooves.

With his tendency to mix dark themes with light instruments, you will always tune into a raw and real sonic rendezvous when immersing yourself in bhxlu’s innovation. Taking inspiration from Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown and The Weeknd could have resulted in an assimilated sound, but few artists hit the autonomous mark as distinctively as bhxlu, who never shies away from narrating toxic dynamics that are disturbingly rife in contemporary culture.

Stream Wild on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hipe the Nomad is Fighting for Love in his Clannad-Esque feat of Alt-RnB

Posted on 18 October 2022

With Clannad-Esque non-lexical vocal lines that are smooth and haunting enough to give you chills, Hipe the Nomad’s latest alternative single, Fighting for Love, does exactly what it says on the tin.

If the Cocteau Twins ventured into RnB, the end result wouldn’t be all too dissimilar from the ethereal soul in Fighting for Love, which was inspired in part by the Weeknd’s Trilogy and Sampha’s Sbtrkt era. Reminiscences aside, it is evident that the British / Saint Lucian artist is a pioneer of his own making. He’s as much of a nomad in the aural world as he is in the physical world; both lend themselves to his smooth, ambient RnB edge.

The official music video for Fighting for Love is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maria Manuel takes us to her Happy Place in her soul-pop single

Posted on 8 February 2022

“Happy Place” is the intensely soulful latest single from the up and coming London-based pop singer Maria Manuel. With the opening lyrics, “it was pretty when I thought I could have it all, it was pretty when I thought I could do it all”, you’re instantly disarmed by the vulnerable confession of previous naivety.

What few people prepare you for is how much growth can hurt when we detach ourselves from our innocence and fantasy-like expectations of the world. Maria Manuel softens the blow with the sincerity of her balladic RnB pop vocals and the minimalist yet consumingly resounding score of soft RnB instrumentals against orchestral strings. Happy Place is a track that you will want to delve into time after time for its consoling power and its minor-key earworm potential. You could listen to the radio all day and still never encounter an artist with as much soulful presence as Manuel.

You can check out Happy Place for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Charlotte Ooi delves into the unknown with her intimately sultry RnB single, Never Know

Posted on 10 December 2021

Charlotte Ooi proved how sultry bedroom pop always could be with her debut single, Never Know, which was released on December 3rd. If any artist warrants coining the genre ‘boudoir pop’ for, it is this London-based intimately evocative RnB pop artist.

Breathy vocals can be hit or miss, but Charlotte Ooi’s light vocal timbre is right on the money in her emotionally vulnerable release that delves into the unknown. In her own eloquent words, this is what Never Know lyrically encompasses:

“My new single shines on topics about vulnerability, hope and the essential need to embrace all types of emotions. I’ve personally struggled with a lot of anxiety moving a lot throughout my life and it has also become quite common in our society, so this song seeks an emotional intimacy with the audience.”

Check out Never Know for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maria Manuel – True: A Veraciously Soulful Take on Love

Posted on 13 August 2021

London-based singer-songwriter Maria Manuel has released her soulfully luxe single, True, which takes RnB pop to an artfully ethereal level. With the moody pop atmosphere lingering around the pensive RnB melodies, Maria Manuel’s scorned ballad gives the evolution of RnB a brand-new trajectory.

The lyrics are as affectionate as they are ingenious and the soulful vocal timbre that brings a cinematic edge to the noir pop soundscape also makes sure that True emanates plenty of mainstream appeal.

True is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London-based RnB artist Eleazar has made a soulfully empowering debut with “Karma”

Posted on 26 August 2020

If there is anything sweeter than karmic justice, it’s breaking RnB artist Eleazar’s 2020 debut single “Karma”.

The London-based artist ensured that there was a modernistic melodic feel to the light, warm and dexterous soundscape while making sure that she paid ode to the roots of Soul. The deeply narrative lyrics serve up plenty of relatable sentiments for anyone who has ever experienced someone rolling into your life as a hot mess, treated you like dirt and expected you to fix them. The verses run without a hint of negative emotion, just pure faith in Karma and empowered conviction. It’s a soulful invitation to let go of the anger and trust the process of karmic justice.

You can check out Eleazar’s single Karma for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast