Browsing Tag

Trap Pop

DNA unveiled the UK RnB debut you don’t want to miss with the dualistically stylistic hit, Love or Let Go

Whether you keep hanging on to a relationship that is showing no lifelines or are too hesitant to let down your barriers, DNA’s alt-indie RnB hit, Love or Let Go, will give you all the permission you need to move forward with no inhibition.

Between the grooves of the Latin guitars and the jarringly immersive electronic aesthetic that rocks turbulence behind the solid backbeat, DNA constructed the perfect platform to sonically visualise the emotional themes of Love or Let Go and carry the weight of his hot and heavy vocal lines.

With his vocal dynamism that shifts effortlessly from Hozier-esque timbres to light pop harmonies to electronically distorted dominance, the UK-based up-and-coming talent ensured that he was more than a new entry in the UK RnB scene; he exhibited himself as an RnB heavyweight right out of the gate. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Love or Let Go will hit all major streaming platforms on March 22; hear it on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Species Spoke on Staying Inspired on His Experimental Grind in an Exclusive Interview

Minnesota’s Taylor Spiess, better known as Species, has been carving a niche with his experimental trap-tinted hyper-pop edge. A&R Factory pulled him from the studio to explore his musical journey, influences, and how he’s been holding dominion over the airwaves with his hit singles, Barely Breathing and Use Me.

Species, welcome to A&R Factory! We’d love to hear more about your highly anticipated upcoming project with The Lotto Tribe, “Old Me”.

“Old Me is a story about an obvious toxic relationship. It ended with me either coping with it or breaking away from it for periods of time using different substances. Old Me is a song I wrote about that.”

How has the indie label imprint, The Lotto Tribe allowed your music career to gain momentum?

“So far, they’ve helped redistribute my entire catalog professionally and introduced better opportunities for me in this industry. They’ve also shared a lot of knowledge and helped me build a good base for my upcoming releases.”

How did your collaborations with Pardyalone and Henny Hermes come about, and are there any more collabs in the pipeline?

“Pardy grew up in the same town as me; Big Lake, Minnesota. Through mutual connections and just being in such a small community, we ended up in the same crowd. He ended up being influential to me at the beginning of my career by helping me become a better artist/person, building my image and eventually collaborating on a song titled, Sunset Drive. I played it for Pardyalone and his manager Jake, they liked it and thought he would fit on it, so he hopped on the song and killed the feature.

With Henny Hermes, it was a little different. I found him on TikTok, he was promoting a song of his and I liked his voice, so I hit him up on Instagram. He messaged me back and said he would be open to working with me, so I sent him a song I had called DANCING WITH THE DEVIL. He sent me back the verse for that on the same day and I knew we’d be making more together; the sound was just there. Right time, right place. You know? Since then, we’ve released two more collaborative records that we’ve done together, Novocaine and Use Me.”

Your previous projects like Barely Breathing caught plenty of momentum, what do you think was the key to the success of this single?

“I think the key to that project was honestly just loving the song so much and believing in the message. If you have a single that you’re confident in and you want the world to hear, it comes more naturally than trying to push a song just because you “have to drop.” Quality over quantity 100%. With Barely Breathing, I also shot a professional music video to accompany it, so that helped.”

What are your influences and goals as an artist? 

“Definitely the homie SLOE JACK. His work ethic is insane. He’s always doing something to better his craft and embracing a style you don’t hear much of anymore, all while doing it perfectly in my opinion. Also, an artist named, Kringe, for sure. He has out-of-the-box ideas and brings them to life beautifully. He’s a huge example of quality over quantity. My goal is to impact as many people as possible with my art while maintaining who I am and not giving in to pressure around me for I’m hoping a long time.”

Can you tell us about your new distribution deal with AWAL/The Orchard and being involved with the Sony Music network via The Lotto Tribe and A&R Bezel Brilliant?

“I’m super thankful to have this opportunity with The Lotto Tribe and to be distributed through AWAL. I’m grateful to the people who made it possible. I’m just excited to see what’s next and keep doing what I do.”

What does being an artist mean to you, and what are your future plans?

“Being an artist means you can voice your thoughts to be heard and help the people who listen and may face those same struggles in their own life. That’s what it should mean to anyone who’s doing this, in my opinion through music the world can come together. Stories that make people feel and a good beat go a long way! I have a few releases and some cool stuff planned throughout the next couple months. Live sessions, acoustics, and more music for sure. I’m just really looking forward to sharing my art with the world and seeing where it takes me next! So stay tuned.

Hear Species on Spotify and discover more about Species here.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Pop Stunna twisted trap with tropic heat and soul in his standout track, Good Talk

Pop Stunna’s standout single, Good Talk, from his fourth album, Youth, is a vibrant rebellion against the conventional trap narrative. The Austin, TX artist unleashed a spectrum of sonic vibrancy with Good Talk, turning the trap genre into a canvas of tropical hues and soulful rhythms.

Good Talk radiates with a warmth that’s as rare as it is captivating in the trap arena. His bars, fervent and full of life, impale the track with energy so tangible that listeners are instantly locked into its impassioned groove as Stunna runs through lyrics which pay ode to the complexities you find in the people you fall for and find connection within.

Distinct from his contemporaries, Pop Stunna’s persona is a blend of cool composure and aspirational verve. His American-Nigerian heritage, extensive global travels, and academic achievements lend a unique depth to his music. This track is not just a listening experience; it’s a journey through Pop Stunna’s richly textured worldview.

The single stands out for its masterful fusion of high-energy raps and catchy hooks, a signature style of Pop Stunna. Influences from Jay Z to Nina Simone echo through the beats, creating a sound that’s both a nod to the greats and a bold stride into new territories.

Stream Good Talk on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get lost in the twilight reverberations of TayFiinesse’s RnB-trap heartbreak anthem, The Party’s Over

TayFiinesse

The sun set on the conventional boundaries of RnB, pop, and trap as TayFiinesse emerged with ‘The Party’s Over’, a track that doesn’t just ride the wave of genre fusion but creates its own tsunami. This 18-year-old prodigy from Memphis, Tennessee, who grew up absorbing the rhythms of Soul Train and the genius of Michael Jackson, now channels his eclectic influences into a sound that’s uniquely his own.

‘The Party’s Over’ is a journey through the labyrinth of heartbreak, where each turn is a new shade of emotional depth. TayFiinesse doesn’t just sing about heartache; he makes you feel the shards of a shattered heart with every beat. The track is a bold foray into the realm of experimental sound, where the artist’s raw, unfiltered emotions are laid bare against a backdrop of innovative beats and rhythms.

The genius of TayFiinesse lies in his ability to blend the familiar with the unexpected. His influences, ranging from The Weeknd to Andre 3000, Dua Lipa to Prince, are woven seamlessly into his music. ‘The Party’s Over’ is a testament to this, with its smooth grooves and sudden, jarring transitions that mimic the unpredictable nature of love and loss.

Perhaps the most striking element of the track is its closing, where TayFiinesse daringly samples a monologue from ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. This unexpected twist adds layers of complexity to the song, turning it into a crafty, multifaceted soundscape that lingers in the mind.

As TayFiinesse prepares to take on New York and beyond, one thing is clear: the party may be over, but for this trailblazing artist, the celebration of music has only just begun.

The Party’s Over will call time on serotonin on January 15. stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Areeyedee’s latest single Insomnia is a waking industrial trap pop nightmare

With a sound as dark as the mise en scene from The Machinist, Areeyedee’s industrial trap pop single, Insomnia, conjures the disjointing and reality-warping nature of the depression symptom which creates 48-hour days where we’re left to replay twisted thoughts on a loop.

By capturing the nature of the beast and refusing to downplay the psychological downfall of the rabbit holes insomnia can take us down, the Kansas-born and raised, Darmstadt, Germany-based artist created a razor-sharp cutting exposition of mental disquietude in his lyrics and his aptly maniacal vocal delivery. With every line, he washes away the stigma while the branding of his sonic signature glows red hot through the release.

After fronting a rock band in the ’90s and landing the role of a hip-hop artist in a feature film, which made him fall in love with the genre, Areeyedee effortlessly melds the alternative with urban aesthetics in his discography, which includes tracks created with the multi-platinum producer, Freek Van Workum (21 Savage, Tech N9ne).

Insomnia will drop on January 1st; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

valetical synthesised hyper trap pop with post-hardcore in the vulnerable rancour of her latest release, attached

valetical has stormed into the alt-rock sphere with the innovatively cultivated debut EP, solitary, which melds post-hardcore rancour with elements of trap and hyper pop, to delicious, disquiet, distinctive effect.

With vulnerable vocal lines bleeding into the tumultuously infectious production, you can’t help but lean into the volatility that courses through the standout single, attached. For quieter reflections with the release, the EP also features a stripped-down version of the single, which reveals the evocative ingenuity within the lyrical lines, which won’t fail to strike all the right evocative notes.

After starting her career in 2018 as a satirical meme rapper who never shied away from cringey territory, the 14-year-old transgender artist and self-taught producer is making serious waves with her honed and already matured signature Expop (experimental-pop) sound. Solitary is the perfect exhibition of her ability to explore darker themes; it holds no prisoners while narrating the raw emotions a break-up can leave you to contend with as you traverse a surreal aftermath of affection.

Stream attached on Spotify and follow valetical’s ascent from the underground via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lana Volkov shared her ‘Fast Lane Fever’ in her debut trap track, ft Ayobaro

By putting the melodies in her debut trap pop track, Fast Lane Fever, into first gear, the up-and-coming artist Lana Volkov only needed half the duration of your average pop hit to craft the ultimate driving anthem.

With the collaborating artist Ayobaro in the passenger seat, Volkov orchestrated a sultry testament to her ability to stay in her own lane when it comes to creativity. The hypnotic textures within Fast Lane Fever will pull you right into the alluringly immersive mix that seamlessly progresses from hyper-pop momentum to trippy wavey ambient interludes that allow sensuality to take the wheel.

If her sound is this polished in her debut release, we can’t wait to hear what is in the pipeline; she ticks all the right trap boxes with her intoxicating vocals, absorbing melodies and infectiously siren-esque energy.

Fast Lane Fever hit the airwaves on 11th August; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

THE VISION blurred sonic boundaries beyond definition in his latest rocksteady with vibes production, WANNA KNOW

Sonic boundaries blurred beyond definition in the latest single, WANNA KNOW, from the London-based fusionist artist, engineer, and producer, THE VISION. Instead of pandering to arbitrary stylistic parameters, the alternative artist let rhythm and soul take the wheel and drive with the top down while painting a contemporary love story with more twists than a Shakespearean tragedy.

With so many lyrical layers to unpeel in WANNA KNOW, the trap pop hit spills a narrative that keeps giving with every listen; lock into the lyricism or lose yourself in the steamy synthetics of the hit, that provides the ultimate soundtrack to hazy summer nights with the Afrobeat rhythms, pop hooks, trap beats and deeply reverberant RnB vocal melodies.

WANNA KNOW hit the airwaves on the 14th of July; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Azure Kai is intoxicating in their pseudo-trap hit, Fine Wine 

Azure Kai kicked off their latest single, Fine Wine, by riding the vaporwave trend and running through with pseudo-trap percussion before the RnB-spliced hit starts to lavish the single with soul.
Many experimental artists solely rely on genre fluidity to make a distinctive mark on the musical landscape, but that is only the start for Azure Kai; beyond their creative versatility is the core of Kai’s authenticity. Their infectiously playful approach to their witty wordplay works in parallel to their sense of humour, which would give most stand-up comedians a run for their money.
Fine Wine ripped up the rulebook of traditional love songs; the un-archetypal hit is infinitely more arrestive for it, all thanks to Kai’s uninhibited expressive style, which throws pretence to the wayside to expose the heart on their superlative sleeve.
Stream Fine Wine on YouTube.
Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get Caught on the Hooks of Im Ty’s Latest High-Vibe Trap Pop Hit, Baddie

The Washington-born, Maryland-raised independent trap artist Im Ty gave his steadily growing army of fans a new addictively rhythmic fix with his latest single, Baddie.

Since his debut, Im Ty has gone down as one of the most dynamic names in the trap scene with this captivatingly authentic music and heart-of-gold-in-spite-of-honest-bad-intentions persona. If there is any room for more marks on the Maryland map, there are few artists more deserving of going down in hip-hop history than Im Ty after dropping Baddie on the airwaves.

Staying true to form, Baddie was created through his relentless MO to deliver infectious beats and melodies that will tattoo themselves across your mind as fast as tear-drop tattoos manifest as soon as they’re earned in the hood.

With elements of hip-hop, RnB & pop worked into the vibe-steady and dance-worthy hit that paints a relatable portrait of a modern femme fatale and advocates confidence and self-expression, there are hooks and high-energy harmonic accordance by the smorgasbord.

Stream Baddie on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast