Music News and New Releases

British rapper Chipmunk began his musical career during grime’s first wave of artists in the U.K., eventually moving toward a more mainstream hip-hop sound that brought him success in his home country and America. After the release of his second full-length, 2011’s Transition, Chipmunk officially shortened his name to Chip, signifying a gradual return to his grime roots. The change coincided with the collapse of Jive Records and Chip’s subsequent move to T.I.’s label Grand Hustle. His first release for the label was 2012’s London Boy mixtape, which featured both U.K. and American guests, including Iggy Azalea, Meek Mill, Skepta, and Wretch 32. Over the next three years — and two further mixtapes, Get Dough or Die and Rap vs. Grime — Chip re-established himself as grime artist; in particular an artist who wasn’t afraid out call out his peers, as in 2015 when he called out Tinie Tempah during a freestyle on BBC Radio One. Later the same year he also began feuds with Bugzy Malone and Yungen, as well as releasing a two-part EP series called Believe and Achieve. By 2017, Chip was fully submerged in the London grime scene; signified by the release of his third album, […]

An imaginative and stylistically dynamic rap artist who emerged during the early 2010s, Logic launched his career through uploads and independent mixtapes prior to reaching the mainstream with a Def Jam record deal. Born Sir Robert Bryson Hall II in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer dropped a mixtape as Psychological in 2009, then shortened his name. After the 2010 release of Young, Broke, & Infamous, Logic joined the independent label Visionary Music Group. A one-tape-per-year schedule continued with a trilogy of Young Sinatra releases, a period during which he toured internationally without label support and was selected for XXL magazine’s Freshman Class of 2013. Additionally, Logic and Visionary Music Group worked out a contract with Def Jam. Logic released his major-label debut album, Under Pressure, in October 2014. Executive produced by No I.D., it didn’t need any guest appearances to enter the Billboard 200 chart at number four, and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. The Incredible True Story, an ambitious concept album based 100 years in the future, arrived in November 2015 and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. The following year, Logic embarked on the Endless Summer Tour with G-Eazy, YG, and […]

“I wanted to write an album that could give justice to being someone complex in the pop world,” the surging French star sometimes known as Héloïse Letissier tells Apple Music. “Pop music is so much recently about trying to simplify narratives, and I was trying to complexify mine. Christine is really me taking your shirt and talking to you really up close. I just want to make sure you actually meet me.” If you have not yet made her acquaintance, you are about to: Her second album under the name Christine and the Queens takes her alter ego a step further with a bolder, more androgynous iteration named Chris. “The first album was born out of the frustration of being an aberration in society, because I was a young queer woman,” she says. “The second was really born out of the aberration I was becoming, which was a powerful woman—being lustful and horny and sometimes angry, and craving for this will to just own everything a bit more and apologize a bit less.” While the new album, also named Chris, undoubtedly works as an exploration of identity and sexuality and power—and as self-aware performance art worthy of touchstones like David […]

Armed with a mesmerizing, nimble soprano—and a vocal register often likened to Mariah Carey’s and Christina Aguilera’s—Ariana Grande began her career as a child star on Broadway and Nickelodeon before transforming into a pop and R&B powerhouse. Instantly recognizable thanks to her signature ponytail, cat ears, babydoll dresses, and breezy self-confidence, her slyly sexual personal brand has, like that of the Spice Girls before her, become an iconic image of young female power. But Grande is more than a symbol: Over the course of several albums and scores of hit singles—beginning with 2013’s “The Way” (featuring Mac Miler) through The Weeknd-assisted “Love Me Harder” and “Break Free” (featuring Zedd)—she has consistently outshined her male collaborators and deftly parlayed her stardom into activism. An LGBTQ advocate and outspoken feminist (“I’m tired of living in a world where women are mostly referred to as a man’s past, present, or future PROPERTY,” she tweeted in 2016), she uses her platform to confront issues like misogyny, sexism, homophobia, and bullying, spreading a message of love over all. Nowhere was this more clear than in May 2017: After terrorists attacked her concert in Manchester, England, killing 22 and injuring hundreds, Grande continued her tour. “Perspective […]

Kojo Funds emerged amid a number of rap artists mixing Afro-swing, dancehall, and R&B in the late 2010s. He was born and raised in East London — an area that also produced Dizzee Rascal, Kano, and Wiley — but was also of Ghanaian and Dominican Republic heritage, and African and Caribbean influences would later influence his work. Kojo’s music career began in 2014 when he started freestyling with friends, and their encouragement led him to take his musical aspirations seriously. His first track, “Want from Me,” was released in 2014 and featured his melodic rap style as well as demonstrating the impact of dancehall on his music. In 2016, Kojo released the track that would prove to be his big break. He collaborated on “Dun Talkin’” with Abra Cadabra, and it won the Mobo 2016 Best Song Award. ~ Bekki Bemrose https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/golden-boy/1434400391?app=music

Manchester duo Children of Zeus, a.k.a. Tyler Daley and Konny Kon, have said that when you live in a city that never stops raining, there isn’t much to do except sit inside and make music. Despite the gloomy conditions, the pair’s full-length debut is a warm and intoxicating fusion of hip-hop, jazz and soul. Their vocals float between rapping and singing with ease, maintaining a meditative pace made for Sunday-afternoon lazing. Keen to showcase more of Manchester’s rising talent, they invite R&B vocalist [ K S R ] to smother “All on You” with his honey-smooth voice, while rapper/singer Layfullstop contributes to the laidback ode to positivity “Fear of a Flat Planet”.

With a series of hits that bundled gangster rhymes, weed talk, pop hooks, and slick production, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rapper Wiz Khalifa went from breakthrough single (“Black and Yellow”) to feature film star (Mac and Devin Go to High School) in the short span of two years. Along the way there were revered mixtapes, sports anthems, a friendship with West Coast legend Snoop Dogg, the proliferation of his crew referencing Taylor Gang or Die T-shirts, and a friendship with the late actor Paul Walker that inspired the massive hit “See You Again.” A military brat, Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Thomaz, was born in 1987 in Minot, North Dakota. After his parents divorced when he was three, he lived in various places and military bases around the world. His first attempt at committing lyrics to paper was around age nine, and at 12 he was already recording and producing his own records in his father’s Oklahoma studio. Settling in Pittsburgh during his high school years, Khalifa laid down the groundwork for a solo career and kept busy recording music in a local studio, I.D. Labs. He stood out among the studio’s regulars, prompting the I.D. Labs’ staff to offer him […]

Known for a uniquely fluid and melodic yet mumbling vocal style, rapper Future busted out of Atlanta at the dawn of the 2010s with a flurry of mixtapes, high-charting albums, certified platinum singles such as “Turn on the Lights” and “Low Life,” and contributions to several other hits as a featured artist. Born Nayvadius Wilburn, he grew up in his city’s Zone 6 section with roots in the ATL’s Dungeon Family, who dubbed him “the Future.” Mentored by cousin and fellow Dungeon Family member Rico Wade of the revered Organized Noize, Future released his first mixtapes in 2010 and early 2011, which left him poised for a mainstream breakthrough. A few months after the January 2011 release of his third mixtape, Future was featured on YC’s “Racks,” a single that bubbled up to the Top Ten of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Shortly thereafter, the rapper signed with major-label Epic, and “Tony Montana,” his proper debut single, subsequently peaked just outside the Top 20. Its parent album, Pluto, landed the following April and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, supported by the number two R&B/hip-hop hit “Turn on the Lights,” which earned Future his first RIAA platinum certification. No […]

Canadian songwriter, producer, rapper, and singer Drake sustained a high-level commercial presence shortly after he turned to rapping in 2006, whether with his own chart-topping releases or a long string of guest appearances on hits by the likes of Lil Wayne, Rihanna, and A$AP Rocky. Each one of the former child actor’s first four proper albums, as well as a 2015 mixtape, topped the album charts in his native Canada and in the U.S. Though he caroused with his most hedonistic contemporaries, Drake was frequently praised for his sensitive, introspective approach to rap and R&B. He also used his platform to support emerging talent like the Weeknd, and eventually formed his own OVO Sound label. Known initially for his role as Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation, the Toronto, Ontario-born Aubrey Drake Graham stepped out as a rapper and singer with pop appeal in 2006, when he initiated a series of mixtapes. A year later, despite being unsigned, he scored major exposure when his cocky and laid-back track “Replacement Girl,” featuring Trey Songz, was featured on BET’s 106 & Park program as its “Joint of the Day.” He raised his profile throughout the next several months by popping up […]

The Hunna are a four-piece indie rock band from Hertfordshire, England. Singer/guitarist Ryan Potter, lead guitarist Dan Dorney, bassist Jermaine Angin, and drummer Jack Metcalfe quickly built a local following before teaming up with producer Tim Larcombe (Lana Del Rey, Halsey) to record their debut single. “Bonfires” and its B-side, “She’s Casual” were released in October 2015, coinciding with the Hunna’s first supporting tour with Bristol-based band Coasts. They spent much of 2016 in the studio recording their debut album 100, which saw release later the same year. Following headline slots at the Festival Republic Stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals, the band prepared for the release of their sophomore record with the lead singles “Summer” and “Dare.” The ten-track Dare was released in 2018. ~ Timothy Monger

South London’s 67 started life as a street gang before evolving into a music and media brand that involved a number of people from the Brixton Hill area in London. 67 strove to break away from the U.K. grime scene, instead pursuing a sound that had more in common with Chicago drill, in the process defining themselves as leading U.K. drill artists. The main players in the 67 family originally included six MCs — LD (with his iconic mask), ASAP, Dimzy, Monkey, SJ, and Liquez — the backing tracks were primarily handled by four main producers, known as Mazza Munroe, Gotti, LA Beats, and Carns Hill. They began to gain serious attention with their breakout track “Live Corn” in 2014; the following year they cemented their reputation with two high-profile singles, “Skengman” and “Take It There,” followed by their first acclaimed mixtape titled In Skengs We Trust, released just before SJ stopped appearing on releases for reasons that 67 refused to discuss. In 2016, the crew set their sights even higher. Their early single, “Let’s Lurk,” not only featured Giggs but set the table for their first charting mixtape, also titled Let’s Lurk, which ironically placed at number 66 in […]

Showcasing the melismatic vocals of Olly Alexander, London’s Years & Years artfully combine ’80s-style ambient synth pop with funky electronic beats. The group came together in 2010 in London when multi-instrumentalists/producers Michael Goldsworthy and Emre Türkman met online while looking to start a band. They eventually added vocalist and actor Alexander after hearing him singing at a friend’s house while taking a shower. The trio’s keyboard and electronics-based sound first gained exposure when the single Traps was released on Kitsuné Music in 2013. The group’s second EP, Real, came out in February 2014, and with some impressive live dates under their belts, Years & Years announced they had signed a deal with Polydor. Their first major-label single, Take Shelter, appeared in August 2014, followed by a collaboration with the Magician on Sunlight a month later and by the release of Desire in November. In 2015, on the heels of winning the prestigious BBC Sound Of award, Years & Years released their debut full-length album, Communion. Well received, the album debuted at number one in the U.K., and peaked in the Top 50 of the U.S. Billboard 200. The following year, they were nominated for four BRIT Awards and contributed the […]

Influenced by the Southern-style swagger of UGK and the rhymes of his hometown heroes the Diplomats, A$AP Rocky gave up slinging drugs in Harlem and moved to Elmwood Park, New Jersey, where he started rapping. By the time he had completed his GED, the self-proclaimed hood outcast had already gained comparisons to Wiz Khalifa and was being championed by Fader magazine, Stereogum, and rap superstar Drake, due to the Internet-leaked singles “Peso” and “Trilla.” In 2011, just after he turned 22, A$AP Rocky released the Deep Purple mixtape and followed it months later with the digital release of his debut effort, the street album Live.Love.A$AP. After signing a reportedly large deal with Sony, the album was re-released in February of 2012. Even without an official debut album, the rapper rounded out the year with a nomination for BBC Radio’s Sound of 2012 poll, performing alongside Rihanna at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, playing Lana Del Rey’s husband in the singer’s “National Anthem” video, and landing a spot in a television commercial for the popular video game FIFA Soccer 13. His official debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, finally landed in 2013 and featured the single “Goldie.” Santigold, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, and […]

It only took Shawn Mendes three years to realize his pop dreams. After catching a wave of fame on Vine, he steered it into solo stardom with two chart-topping albums, a world tour, and a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. Then, the Toronto-area native got right to work on his third album, an adventurous voyage of texture and tempo, with songwriting support from pop heavyweights like Ed Sheeran, Julia Michaels, and John Mayer. Lyrically, he’s still the same Shawn—brooding, broken, heart on his sleeve—but age and experience have emboldened him; heartbreak is no longer a curb on his powers, but his creative fuel. With a skillful balance of poise and risk-taking, he explores slick funk (“Particular Taste”), soulful piano ballads (“Perfectly Wrong”), and Kings of Leon-inspired pop-rock (“In My Blood”), showing us just how much he’s capable of. Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes

Chicago-area hip-hop musician Juice WRLD delivers introspective lyrics atop melodic production, echoing Travis Scott and Post Malone. Born Jarad Higgins in 1998, the Calumet Park artist grew up playing piano, drums, and guitar, turning to rap freestyling in high school. Influenced by rock music and Chicago drill from Lil Durk and Chief Keef, Higgins began recording as Juice TheKidd, a moniker derived from his haircut, which resembled 2Pac’s in the film Juice. His early tracks were all posted online, leading up to 2017’s Juice WLRD 999 EP. Produced by Nick Mira and Sidepce, the set included the singles “Lucid Dreams (Forget Me)” and “All Girls Are the Same.” Both tracks would also land on his official debut full-length, Goodbye & Good Riddance (Interscope), which peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 upon release in May 2018. ~ Neil Z. Yeung Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes

With her omnivorous musical tastes and cheeky attitude, London-based pop singer/songwriter Lily Allen made a name for herself almost as soon as she released her demos on the Internet. The daughter of comedian Keith Allen, Lily spent most of her childhood bouncing from one school to another; in fact, she attended 13 different schools between the ages of five and 15. This constant moving meant she didn’t have much of a chance to make lasting friendships, so Allen entertained herself with books and, especially, music: she listened to everything from T. Rex, the Specials, and the Slits to the Happy Mondays and drum’n’bass, and even ran away to see the Glastonbury Festival when she was 14. After she left school a year later, she realized that music was the only career for her. Allen concentrated on her songwriting and singing, developing a style that was equally sweet and bratty; late in 2005, she set up a MySpace page and posted demos of her songs, as both individual tracks and as part of two limited-edition “mixtapes” that also featured tracks by Dizzee Rascal, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Ludacris. The critical acclaim for her work fueled Allen’s publicity, leading to tens of […]

In the span of three short years, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, a wildly successful solo career. West paired his beats with tongue-twisting raps and a self-assured, flamboyant personality. His dapper fashion sense set him apart from many of his rap peers, and his confidence often came across as boastful or even egotistical, albeit amusingly so. This flamboyance, of course, made for good press, something that West enjoyed in spades during his sudden rise to celebrity status. He was a media darling, appearing and performing at countless awards shows (and winning at them, too), delivering theatrical videos to MTV, and mouthing off about whatever happened to cross his mind. He frequently spoke out against the rampant homophobia evident in much rap music, posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ, and even claimed during a televised Hurricane Katrina fundraiser that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” West courted controversy, no question about it, but his steady presence in the celebrity limelight couldn’t eclipse his musical talent. His production abilities seemed boundless during his initial surge of activity, as […]

Jorja Smith is an English R&B singer/songwriter whose soulful, jazz-tinged cadence, heartfelt lyrics, and retro sound invoke names like Alunageorge, Nao, Lulu James, and Amy Winehouse, the latter of whom the Walsall-based artist cites as her biggest influence. Smith issued her debut single, “Blue Lights,” in 2015, but it was 2016’s powerful “Where Did I Go?” that began turning heads. That track, and the follow-up single “Beautiful Little Fools,” eventually culminated in the late-2016 release of Smith’s debut EP, Project 11. The following year saw her international profile elevated via her multiple appearances on Drake’s surprise playlist/LP More Life, which saw her holding court among a bevy of high-profile guests like Kanye West, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, and Travis Scott. That same year, Smith released a pair of her own singles, “Beautiful Little Fools” and “Teenage Fantasy,” as well as the collaborative single “On My Mind,” with Preditah. In January 2018, she released the dark and moody “Let Me Down,” which featured U.K. grime artist Stormzy. ~ James Christopher Monger Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes

If ye, Kanye West’s solo album released one week prior, was him proudly shouting about his superpower—bipolar disorder—from the peak of a snow-capped mountain, KIDS SEE GHOSTS is the fireside therapy session occurring at its base. Both Kid Cudi and West have dealt with controversy and mental illness throughout their intertwined careers. It’s all addressed here, on their long-awaited first joint album, with honesty and innate chemistry. Kanye’s production pulsates and rumbles beneath his signature confessional bars and religious affirmations, but, centred by Cudi’s gift for melodic depth and understated humility, his contributions, and the project overall, feel cathartic rather than bombastic and headline-grabbing. On “Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)”, the sequel to ye highlight “Ghost Town”, both men bellow, “Nothing hurts me anymore…I feel free” with such tangible, full-bodied energy, it feels as though this very recording was, in itself, a moment of great healing.

Flame-haired singer/songwriter, beatboxer, and guitarist Ed Sheeran’s eclectic blend of acoustic pop, folk, and hip-hop has been championed by everyone from the underground grime scene to American Oscar winners. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England in 1991, Sheeran released his first EP, The Orange Room, while still at school, and his first two albums — his self-titled debut and Want Some — by the age of 16. After moving to London to gain more live experience, his performance of the self-penned “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” on YouTube channel SB.tv gained half-a-million viewers and attracted the attention of actor/R&B star Jamie Foxx, who invited him to appear on his Los Angeles Sirius radio show. Securing a deal with Elton John’s management company, he supported Example on his U.K. tour and, after signing with Atlantic, became just the third artist to score a Top 75 album purely on download sales, when his No. 5 Collaborations project, a star-studded seven-track EP featuring Wiley, JME, and Devlin, charted at number 47 in 2011. That same year he released the Loose Change EP (which featured the smash hit single “The A Team”) and his major-label debut studio album + (“Plus”). + was […]

Rachel Podger, Baroque violinist, is known for her highly accurate, virtuosic playing, outstanding musicianship and understanding of period style, and a cheerful, warm, and decidedly non-stuffy stage presence. Her father was British and her mother German. She was educated in Germany at a Rudolf Steiner school and studied violin. When she returned to England she continued violin studies with David Perry, then was admitted to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Pauline Scott and David Takeno as her teachers. She asked to be allowed to study Baroque violin as well as the standard violin with modern set-up, but was told the only Baroque fiddle was already given out to another student. In addition, as she said, “It wasn’t really the thing to do in your first year. You were supposed to establish your technique.” She did not let this stop her, “So I got hold of an instrument and did it anyway.” She surreptitiously took Baroque violin lessons with Micaela Coberti at the Guildhall and often visited Cambridge where her brother, singer Julian Podger, had founded a small ensemble called Trinity Baroque and gave her a chance to play some of the central Baroque repertory. From her second […]

R&B-influenced pop singer/songwriter Bazzi hit the mainstream after finding viral success with his breakthrough single, “Mine.” Born Andrew Bazzi to Lebanese-American parents in Dearborn, Michigan, he was a natural performer from a young age, imitating Elvis and Ricky Martin as a child and later playing oud and acoustic guitar. At the end of high school, he moved to Los Angeles with his father to pursue a music career. In addition to building an audience online, he appeared on Fancy Cars’ single “Fun” in 2016. Influenced by the likes of Justin Timberlake and Bryson Tiller, he released his solo debut, “Alone,” soon after. In 2017 he issued the singles “Sober,” “Beautiful,” and “Got Friends?,” but it wasn’t until “Mine” went viral with the help of an Internet meme that his audience grew. With its smooth, breezy sound, the romantic “Mine” became a streaming hit and landed Bazzi on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2018. His debut full-length, COSMIC, arrived months later. Featuring additional singles “Gone” and “Honest,” the set debuted at 35 on the Billboard 200. ~ Neil Z. Yeung Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes

British MC and actor Plan B (real name: Ben Drew) came to notice with “Cap Back,” a playful, Wiley-referencing track produced by Roll Deep’s Wonder that appeared on the 679 label’s Run the Road compilation in 2005. Signed to 679’s roster, the London native proceeded to release a handful of singles across 2005 and 2006, which culminated in his debut album, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words. With its Meat Puppets-referencing title, and tracks featuring clever samples of Hall & Oates, the Prodigy, and Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (often with acoustic guitars over shuffling breakbeats), the album made it clear that there was no easy way to classify the MC. Released in 2010, The Defamation of Strickland Banks — not just an album but also a short film directed by and starring Drew — was to prove a breakthrough for Plan B. Led by “Stay Too Long,” a stomping, organ-led rock song depicting an alcohol-fueled tailspin, the record was also heavily influenced by soul and Motown. The Londoner’s formidable singing voice shared the limelight with his rapping, helping to make Plan B a household name in the U.K., where the album was the fifth best seller that […]

North West London rapper Nines drew a loyal fan base through a dichotomy in his music that celebrated the grim reality of the streets while expressing his aspirational drive to escape them. Hailing from the Harlesden area of London, the burgeoning star (real name Courtney Freckleton) steadily built up an audience through a series of mixtape releases. The first, From Church Road to Hollywood, arrived in 2012, and seemed to reference the notorious London Church Road gang that his murdered brother was allegedly a member of. He was awarded Radio 1Xtra’s People’s Choice award in 2013, and nominated for a Mobo in the Best New Hip-Hop category. That same year saw the release of his follow-up mixtape Gone Til November, but it also marked a period when his career was put on hold after he was sentenced to an 18-month imprisonment at Wormwood Scrubs for unspecified crimes. Despite this setback, the prolific artist went on to release a further two tapes, 2014’s Loyal to the Soil and 2015’s One Foot Out. Over the course of his four mixtape releases the rapper had increased his profile, thanks in part to millions of YouTube views, and he signed to XL Recordings, which […]

J. Cole, the first artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, was among the most commercially successful rap artists of the early 2010s. Born in Germany but raised in North Carolina, Jermaine Cole grew up with a mother who loved rock and folk, and a father who was a fan of hardcore rap artists like 2Pac and Ice Cube. Cole’s high-school grades earned an academic scholarship to attend St. John’s University in New York City, where Cole knew he could make progress as a musician. After numerous days standing outside Jay-Z’s office in hopes of giving him a demo, Cole finally ran into his idol, but the reception was well below chilly. He was shocked when, weeks later, he received a call from the man and even more shocked when he got a chance to contribute to his 2009 effort The Blueprint 3. Later that year, Cole released the mixtape The Warm Up, while 2010 saw the appearance of the Friday Night Lights mixtape, with Cole handling most of the production. In 2011, Roc Nation released his official debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, which debuted on top of the Billboard 200. Featuring the single “Power Trip,” Born Sinner followed […]

British quintet Blossoms formed in Stockport, a town just outside of Manchester, England, in 2013. Started by school chums Tom Ogden (vocals, guitar) and Joe Donovan (drums), the band later incorporated Charlie Salt (bass, vocals), Josh Dewhurst (guitar), and Myles Kellock (keyboards, vocals). Their sound was pigeonholed as psych-pop, which the band didn’t like; rather, they hit a sweet spot between the Doors and Arctic Monkeys, combining a knack for classic pop songwriting and moody organ atmospherics with a youthful energy. Ogden’s delivery occupied the space between Richard Ashcroft (the Verve) and Alex Turner, of the aforementioned Monkeys, as the band slithered from spooky, groovy warmth to peppy Brit-pop. Debut single “You Pulled a Gun on Me” was a fine example of this combination, and the band continued to develop on subsequent singles “Blow” and “Cut Me and I’ll Bleed.” 2015 saw the release of two EPs — Blown Rose and Charlemagne. As the band gained exposure, they released another EP, At Most a Kiss, in February 2016. The four-song set featured some new elements, including synths and a more driving urgency. A month later, Blossoms revealed plans for their debut full-length. The self-titled album was released in summer 2016, […]

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, and actor Janelle Monáe left her mark on 2010s R&B with an energized retro-futuristic sound wrapped in theatrical science fiction concepts. Growing up, Janelle Monáe Robinson felt constrained by the limited resources offered in her greater Kansas City, Kansas environment. When she finished high school, she moved to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy with the intention of pursuing musical theater, but in 2004, after performing in a couple off-Broadway shows and encountering a lack of desirable roles, she opted to try her luck in Atlanta. She soon joined a band and toured the local college circuit, where she eventually got in touch with her future partners in Wondaland Arts Society — a collective and label that looked to promote experimental arts — as well as OutKast’s Big Boi. The rapper was so impressed by Robinson that he included two of her performances on his 2005 compilation Got Purp?, Vol. 2. Robinson also appeared on OutKast’s 2006 soundtrack, Idlewild, and appeared in the video for “Morris Brown.” Robinson made her proper solo debut in August 2007 with an EP entitled The Chase, the first of four planned “Metropolis suites” based in […]

Dropping basketball references like the old-school but wrapping them in thoroughly modern beats, Post Malone hit in 2015 with his single “White Iverson.” Raised in Dallas, Malone was NFL before he was NBA thanks to a father who worked for the Cowboys. He loved music from a young age, and planned on joining a band thanks to the video game Guitar Hero, but when his dad gave him a copy of Terror Squad’s hit “Lean Back,” Post decided to become an MC. He hung with Dallas crew the IRAS until a move to the West Coast dropped him in Los Angeles. After putting some braids in his hair, he coined the term “White Iverson,” and when he posted the track in early 2015, he hit a million views within the month. Malone signed with the Republic label later that year. In 2016, he released the single “Go Flex” along with his official debut mixtape, August 26th, which was actually released in May. Months later, his first studio effort arrived. Stoney featured guests like Justin Bieber, Migos’ Quavo, and Kehlani. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. ~ David Jeffries Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes

Essex, England-born Anne-Marie Nicholson was no stranger to performing by the time her debut EP dropped in 2015, having shared the stage as a 12-year-old with none other than Jessie J in a West End production of Whistle Down the Wind. She also auditioned for Les Misérables without telling her parents, and was offered a part. It was a risk that paid off, as it served to open her parents’ eyes to her singing ability. Aside from West End commitments, the intervening years between her days as a child star and the advent of her career as a pop singer were spent becoming a world karate champion no fewer than three times, an art form she credited with teaching her discipline and focus, two essential traits of becoming a successful musician. After a chance meeting with an aspiring singer/songwriter, she managed to secure some studio time in Elton John’s Rocket Studios, and, after hearing what she could do, she was subsequently picked up by Elton’s management company Rocket Music. Anne-Marie released a demo in 2013 entitled Summer Girl, which drew some attention to the singer, most notably garnering a fan in Ed Sheeran. Despite the encouraging start to her solo […]

UK-based Swiss born independent vocalist and songwriter FAY (born Nour Alessandra Fahmy) has an innovative approach to Pop and R&B. She started singing and experimenting with music from a young age quickly becoming clear that this is the path for her. Moving from Switzerland  to Amman in Jordan and finally to London has majorly affected the influence and style of music that she creates. Having been releasing music through Soundcloud for the past few years she has a repertoire of tracks that appeal to both the masses and niche audiences. In 2017 FAY released her first EP  ‘Purple’  collaborating with producers and artists from all around the world with her music falling under the genres we would expect from the likes of Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez to alternative artists like Banks or Lorde, but FAY does so in a way that sets her apart from the rest. The new single ‘Candy Crush’ was produced by Mantra and is out now on FAY Records. ‘Candy Crush’ has received phenomenal support from U.K Club DJ’s and hit the Top 30 of the official U.K Commercial Pop Charts at Music Week. FAY Online: Snapchat: @not.fay Instagram: @not.fay (www.instagram.com/not.fay) Facebook: @itsnotfay (www.facebook.com/itsnotfay) Twitter: […]

At more than 90 minutes, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 is one of the longest symphonies ever written. In Haitink’s hands it becomes one of the most intense musical experiences imaginable. The natural, unforced sound matches the astonishingly wide dynamic range—particularly in the vast first movement, where peace is threatened by violent and constant brass outbursts, and in the Scherzando, where birdsong abuts marshal fanfares. Mezzo Gerhild Romberger is controlled and poised in the fourth-movement setting of Nietzsche’s “Midnight Song”, while the finale blazes bright in the awesome climaxes. This deservedly won Recording of the Year at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2018. Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes

Inspired by a range of styles and artists, including classic pop-soul and M.I.A., Kali Uchis (Karly Loaiza) is a left-field pop singer, songwriter, and producer who also designs her own artwork and co-directs her music videos. Born in Colombia, she and her family moved to the U.S. during her childhood. As a teenager growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C., she learned to play piano and saxophone and got into recording. In 2012, she debuted with the 40-minute mixtape Drunken Babble. Within three years, she had several singles to her credit, including “Know What I Want” and “Lottery,” as well as collaborations with GoldLink (“Divine”) and Major Lazer (“Wave”), among others. Following the independent release of Por Vida — a free digital-download EP with tracks produced by Diplo, Kaytranada, and Tyler, the Creator — Uchis started releasing her material through Virgin EMI. A DJ Dahi-tweaked version of Por Vida’s “Ridin Round,” issued in November 2015 after she relocated to Los Angeles, was the artist’s first single for the major label. “Only Girl,” a relaxed Kaytranada production featuring Vince Staples and the Internet’s Steve Lacy, followed in April 2016. January 2018 saw the release of the single “After […]

London-based producer/singer/songwriter Tom Misch blends hip-hop-inspired beats with smoothly soulful vocals and guitar. The son of an artist and a psychiatrist, he grew up in a home that encouraged creativity, and learned to play violin at a young age via the Suzuki method. While he was still a child, his family also discovered Misch could sing when he belted out Patrick Watson’s “Man Like You” one day after school. After listening to rock music for most of his childhood and teens, he discovered hip-hop during his sixth form years thanks to one of his sister’s boyfriends, and was particularly inspired by the work of J Dilla. Misch started making his own beats and took classes in music technology, and began posting tracks online in 2012. Up-and-coming rappers sampled his beats in their own work, and Misch also collaborated with local singer/songwriter Carmody, ultimately releasing the Out to Sea EP with her in 2014. That year, he also issued Beat Tape 1, a collection of instrumental tracks that included “Dilla Love,” an homage to his idol that earned approval from Dilla’s mother, Maureen Yancey. “Memory,” Misch’s debut single on his own Beyond the Groove label, arrived that July. The following year, […]

On the one hand, in the pop music arena, worldbeaters such as Kylie Minogue are few and far between. Singers and performers of her stature and popularity rarely maintain their power for as long as she has. Her streaks of number one singles in both Australia and the U.K. are nearly insurmountable. And yet, on the other hand, her inability to really crack open the American pop market over the course of her career is a story that is heard all too often from groups hailing from nations as pop powerful as Australia and the U.K. Eventually, with the hugely successful “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” Kylie would rattle the American pop psyche, reminding the rather insular scene that the bubbly girl who had first made waves with the 1987 cover of “The Loco-Motion” had developed into a stylish, experienced, and able pop performer with a clear agenda — both musically and visually — and the chops to match. To focus on Minogue’s American problem would only be looking at a small fraction of the larger story. Born in Melbourne, Australia on May 28, 1968, Kylie began acting in television dramas at the age of 12. Although the […]

Thirty Seconds to Mars’ maximalist rock has always been a vehicle for big ideas: Jared Leto and crew explore themes of war and peace, sexuality, freedom, and faith through concept albums and glossy videos. But the widescreen focus of AMERICA may provide the group’s broadest statement yet. In an attempt to survey, as he put it, “the good, bad, and the ugly” about his homeland, Leto even hitchhiked cross-country to promote the record. Guest turns from A$AP Rocky (“One Track Mind”) and Halsey (“Love Is Madness”) both draw parallels between romance and insanity. But Leto seems to have a different form of madness in mind on “Hail to the Victor” as he cries, “Another night, another war/Another ‘What are we fighting for?’/Is everybody out here crazy?” Muzicmirror selections – GET this hot new release from iTunes UK 

Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow,” the most chantable song of 2017, introduced the Bronx MC’s lively around-the-way-girl persona to the world. Her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, reveals more of Cardi’s layers, the MC leaning forcefully into her many influences. “I Like It,” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin, is a nod to her Afro-Caribbean roots, while “Bickenhead” reimagines Project Pat’s battle-of-the-sexes classic “Chickenhead” as a hustler’s anthem. There are lyrical winks at NYC culture (“Flexing on b*tches as hard as I can/Eating halal, driving a Lam”), but Cardi also hits on universal moments, like going back and forth with a lover (“Ring”) and reckoning with infidelity (“Thru Your Phone”). Muzicmirror selections – GET this hot new release from iTunes UK