Browsing Tag

Orchestral Pop

Ariana Molkara spellbound us with the spectral lexicon in her orchestral pop single, Boogeyman

Posted on 21 October 2022

LA’s Ariana Molkara became the spooky pop supreme with her orchestrally spellbinding single, Boogeyman. By using spectral lexicon to allude to the haunting nature of breakups, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter and actress staked her claim as one of the most talented songwriters of her generation.

Between the lines “now I’m stuck seeing your ghost, except I want you to haunt me for forever, you being gone is the horror” and “Hey Mr Mr, how about we do something sinister” the imagery grips you with a strength far greater than the fear instilled by the most iconic horror flicks.

Of course, there was no forgetting Molkara from her debut single, Birdies Gotta Fly, which introduced us to her effortless pitch perfection and magnetic vocal presence. Through Boogeyman, Molkara well and truly came into her artful own.

Check out Boogeyman for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Angie Hakeem clutches the sands of time in her cinematic pop ballad, Too Soon to Die

Posted on 11 July 2022

Too Soon to Die is the latest classically cut pop single from Ohio’s sincerest singer-songwriter Angie Hakeem, who stretched her glassily dynamic vocals back through the decades to remind us of how sweet our perspectives on love and life used to be.

The real beauty within Too Soon to Die is the lyrical ambiguity that allows you to implant your own experiences with loss, grief, and fear of losing into the cinematic ballad. It certainly wouldn’t be out of place in the Disney music genre with its orchestral arrangement, swoon-worthy crescendos and vocal highs that tempt the floodgates to open.

Too Soon to Die will officially release on July 8th. You can stream it for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ariana Molkara showed us the epitome of country-pop class in her coming of age debut single, Birdies Gotta Fly By

Posted on 3 June 2022

With all of the class and arcane beguile of a Parisian Chanteuse, the alt-country pop singer-songwriter Ariana Molkara has made a theatrical yet intimately captivating entrance with her debut single, Birdies Gotta Fly By.

Cinematic scarcely covers the luminous production, which comes complete with pianos that would leave Ben Folds weak at the knees paired with infectiously upbeat percussion and orchestral strings to amplify the bitter-sweet coming of age sentiments expressed in the profoundly flawless single.

If this is her coming of age single, Ariana Molkara has a seriously bright future ahead of her.

Birdies Gotta Fly By was officially released on June 3rd. You can hear it for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find the difference between night and day in the US indie-pop artist Hyde Park’s standout single, The Insomniac’s Lament

Posted on 16 March 2022

Few new 2022 releases have resonated with us quite as much as Hyde Park’s composition, The Insomniac’s Lament. After an evocatively loaded neo-classic prelude, the cutting minor-key piano melodies flourish into blossoming progressions and the poetically-titled single transitions into an orchestrally-scored power-pop single that glistens with optimism.

The evolutionary nature of The Insomniac’s Lament marks just how significant the shifts in our psyches can be. It brings brand-new meaning to the expression “it’s like night and day”.

The Insomniac’s Lament is just one of the singles on the indie-pop singer-songwriter’s debut EP This is Just a Simple Song. Even the US-based artist’s humility leaves us excited about his potential for success.

The Insomniac’s Lament is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Italian singer-songwriter, Flame set souls alight with her soulfully-composed, orchestrally-scored single, Anyway.

Posted on 5 December 2021

‘Anyway’ is the latest orchestrally scored single from the Italian singer-songwriter, Flame. With a vocal timbre that more than justifies Flame being put in the same league as Amy Winehouse and the stunning instrumentals that bring a cinematic edge to the release, you’re left with little option when it comes to surrendering to the artistic intensity. It is enough to make Adele sound pedestrian.

Anyway unravels as a candid open letter to the sorrow imparted through torrid passion; it runs through relatable and witty notions that are rarely voiced, but Flame’s boldness lends itself to her sonic style as much as her lyricism.

The official video for Anyway premiered on November 26th; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TIBIBI proves that romanticism still thrives in dystopic times through her celestial ballad, Aura

Posted on 28 September 2021
TIBIBI

‘Aura’ is the third confessionally passionate pop track from the alternative singer-songwriter, producer and engineer, TIBIBI. The dark and moody yet ethereally tender contemporary ballad spins a tale of loneliness and absolution through love. In a melodically powerful way, it reminds you that life is no fairy tale, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t wind up finding the salvation that you yearned for.

I can’t help admire how TIBIBI explored the fraught emotions as deeply as she delved into the euphoria of finally finding someone on your level. Aura is easily one of the sincerest songs that you will hear this year.

Aura is due for release on September 28th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abi Mia’s orchestral ballad, Shadow, resounds with empowerment

Posted on 22 September 2021
Abi Mia

Abi Mia’s latest piano pop ballad, Shadow, is easily one of the timeliest singles that we’ve heard this year; for the lyrics, she looked deep into the collective misery and burnout surrounding her, sonically, she constructed a compelling case for self-care that is impossible to ignore.

Our self-destructive need to work ourselves to exhaustion determination to be fine with everything our chaotic world throws at us is something that has been eating away at us since long before the lockdowns, but right now is the perfect time for a conversation. Abi Mia leads that dialogue with her soul-baring single that will quickly convince you to strip away your façade and allow the single to resonate with you on a deeper level.

The only question that the radio-ready orchestral ballad leaves you with is why isn’t she already a multi-platinum artist? It is only a matter of time before Abi Mia is scouted for her distinct vocals that only allow fleeting reminiscence while boasting the same robust propensities as Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Adele.

Shadow is due for release on September 17th. Check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Christopher Siu sets a cinematic score with his latest single, Once Again, featuring Amber Jakes.

Posted on 1 August 2021

For his latest single, Once Again, Toronto singer-songwriter and composer Christopher Siu collaborated with Amber Jakes to create a theatrically cinematic ballad; the orchestral score is almost arcane in its ability to immerse you in fantasy.

The light and sweeping piano notes set an evocative tone for Amber Jakes’ soulfully imploring vocal timbre that starts succinctly and climbs to the higher notes in line with the instrumental crescendos tenderly crafted by Siu. Once Siu’s vocals make a resounding appearance, his influences of Disney and music theatre start to shine through in the mesmerising single. Wherever Siu takes his sound next, we are sure that it will be a resounding, panoramic success.

The official lyric video is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mad Gallica evokes awe and emotion in her cinematic ballad, ‘Souls on Fire’.

Posted on 4 July 2021
Mad Gallica

For her latest single, the classically trained singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Mad Gallica wrote a cinematic pop ballad about supernatural romance; the orchestral soundscape is just as immersive as the deeply meta story weaved by the LA-based artist.

‘Souls on Fire’ is one of those tragically rare singles that evokes the perfect balance of awe and emotion as you listen to the fierce yet flawlessly pitched vocal crescendos. The LA/Nashville-based artist’s degree in vocal performance from the Musician’s Institute in LA was discernibly worth every cent.

She has toured the world as a keyboardist and backup vocalist, although I couldn’t easily name many voices that Mad Gallica couldn’t easily outshine. She has opened for the likes of Metallica, System of a Down, Ozzy and Guns and Roses.

Check out Mad Gallica via her website, YouTube and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Classically trained artist and producer Iona Maclennan has released her cinematic debut single, ‘I Walk Alone Tonight’.

Posted on 16 June 2021

‘I Walk Alone Tonight’ is the confessional debut single from the classically trained UK singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Iona Maclennan. With the orchestral strings pulling across the minimalist ballad, the instrumental score parallels the evocative magnetism of Iona Maclennan’s artful, spiritual in part, vocals.

After spending almost a lifetime trying to make sense of the world and the confusing dynamics within it, studying the sounds of Bastille, Finneas, and Jacob Collier, and taking lyrical influence from Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi and Taylor Swift, it comes as little surprise that the self-produced single carries enough emotion to leave your heart in your throat as you succumb to the power of the melodies and the lyrical poetry.

However she follows on from her debut, we’re stoked to hear it.

The lyric video to I Walk Alone Tonight is now available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast