Toronto-based singer/songwriter Alex Frew shares some nostalgic visuals for his new single ‘Antisocial Love Song’. It has a modern emo aesthetic with a pop tinge. Watch below.
The wonderful Seraphina Simone returns with her deeply personal and moving single ‘O M D’. It’s a ruminating love affair that sees Simone tackle the minefield that is life in your early twenties.
Sounds like: Celeste, Lana Del Rey, Laurel, Chløe Black, VÉRITE, Blondie
Introducing UK/Stockholm based producer/artist Danny George. His new single ‘Thinking Out Loud’ is a harmony-led ode to dating in your twenties, from a male point of view.
Multi-instrumentalist and all-round talent, Mokita shares his emotionally-charged pop/EDM single ‘Ready Yet’, continuing to explore songwriting themes such as depression, anxiety, and relationships.
Uniquely talented songwriter Aimée Steven is sharing her view on the fragility of the current world in new single ‘Today’. Taking a classic approach to the single, it’s reverb-drenched and full of retro charisma.
Hedara has just released ‘We’re Not The Same’, the final track from her stunning, effortlessly powerful new EP ‘Sad Girl Syndrome’, full of piano-led, electro-pop.
Canadian born popstar Mathew V releases his enigmatic single ‘Don’t Let Me Go’.
A bold, unabashed pop track, Mathew V is using his strong roots within the LGBTQ+ community to express himself and let the music do the talking. Listen below.
Debut act MΛD FVN has a lot to say, about a lot of things, including the light hearted topic of life, which she so nearly lost in two separate accidents.
A call to arms, this is emotional, raw and powerful.
Rising Los Angeles vocalist kauf is offering a rework of his first original track featuring another vocalist Overjoy – one of three artists on his burgeoning label ONE / HALF.
Taking a more “pop” approach to his music, he has added a UK garage style beat and some looped vocal samples, giving it more energy and bringing it into the dance world.
Only on her second release, 16 year old Romanian electro-pop act Francis On My Mind is proving that “Euro pop” is very much a thing of the past.
Sparing synth, melodic drums and fragile but still powerful vocals, this new song comes as a breath of fresh air in a saturated industry of overproduced singles.
Danish pop newcomer ELBA is 25-year-old singer and songwriter Ellen Bathum. She tells stories about the loss of control and the many nuances of love.
Her new single ‘700 Angels’ has a catchy pop hook, but it almost feels like it splits in two directions – experimental electronic music and indie that ultimately culminates into a fiery explosion.
Former death metal singer, Cloudy June, takes a proud new step into the world of pop.
Expect her new ‘Psycho’ to be an exhilarating ride of rock and pop. It proves once again how young self-made independent talent can make a real impact.
With a modern twist on an emo/pop-punk ballad, the song was initially written in the format of a love letter to an ex, and shows a more sentimental perspective to Mokita’s music.
Nashville bootgaze/indie-rock outfit Creature Comfort share the fuzzy ‘Arcade Fire’.
Not to be confused with the track ‘Creature’ Comfort’ by the band Arcade Fire (a cheeky nod to Arcade Fire unexpectedly releasing ‘Creature Comfort on the same day Clark and his bandmates performed at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in 2017), this is a psychedelic explosion with wavy electric guitar and unrelenting percussion.
Fresh rising artist Zachary Knowles quenches our thirst for love with ‘Cherry Wine’, a song written about the girl he loved before she even realised (and don’t worry, it all worked out fine – they are very happy together as far as we know!)
Signed to the prestigious FADER Label (home to Clairo, Matt & Kim), The Texas-bred songwriter/instrumentalist crafts addictive R&B with silky flair.
Sounds like: The Weeknd, Alec Benjamin, Kayden, ASTN
London-based, alt-RnB artist, Latir, loves to fuse the sounds of hip hop, old school jazz, indie and electronica. Glistens of his old soul expresses itself through his younger-leaning music.
Created with Leeds-based producer Luvian, ‘Wallflower’ shows a truly romantic side.
Sounds like: Miller Blue, Ayelle, Joe Hertz, Tom Misch, Miguel
Using an old voice recording of Hyde’s, the electro-pop number is about distracting yourself from the mess of life, until finally letting someone in to see the mess and accepting their offer to help.
Originally planned to be released in this month, UK duo TENDER has made the decision to still share ‘Living’, inspite of the fact it serves a well recognised backdrop to these “unprecedented times”.
Speaking about the track, they explain,
“It’s about inspired by isolation, before we were isolating. It’s a song about locking yourself away with sadness. Hiding your emotions, in fear of showing how you feel to the world. The segregation only pushing you further into despair.”
Sounds like: MOTHXR, Jungle, Glass Animals, HUNTAR, Caribou, Air, The National, Tame Impala, Boxed In, Honne
Half American, half German songwriter-producer turned YouTuber Chris James shares his new single ‘Melancholy’.
Growing up in California, but moving to Germany at a young age, James is on a journey to showcase positivity and fun through his upbeat lyrics and melodies.
Sounds like: Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Calum Scott, Liam Payne
It may only be April, but the summer-tinged tracks are making their way out of the studios. Or maybe we’ve got this completely upside down, as Australian artists are coming out of summer and moving into their winter.
Anyway, cue Briskey and his new single ‘Don’t Want To Talk About It’. An emotionally-driven song that tinkes with alt-pop, dance, electronica, and even includes a cheeky sax solo.
Young Midlands-based quartet JupiterMoon is causing a bit of a ruckus.
Their energetic choruses and Asian influenced guitar hooks are written for sweaty, intimate venues. Conjuring up homegrown rock anthems at Blank Studios in Nercastle, their strongest track to date ‘The Reason’ is all the justification you need.
Nashville’s John-Luke Carter, aka Mokita, is a singer/songwriter/producer known for his lyrical and buoyant electronic-based pop.
Classically trained in piano in his youth, he later taught himself to play guitar and eventually transitioned into electronic music production. Taking a rewind to his classical routes, Mokita shares an orchestral version of ‘colorblind’ and it’s spellbounding.
Effortless and majestic with a highly cinematic yet vulnerable approach, Tsar B‘s single, ‘Unpaintable’, sees her functioning as a one-woman orchestra, songwriter, producer and singer.
An ode to the muddled emotions people that are too intelligent to just live a normal life feel; ‘They are uncatchable. They are unpaintable.”
The coastal town of Bridlington isn’t the first place in the UK that you think has a buzzing music scene, but we’ve stumbled upon the brilliant Seafret, who have proved us wrong.
Made up of Jack Sedman and Harry Draper, their new single ‘Magnetic’ is an indie-pop anthem at it’s finest – addictive vocal harmonies and commercial riffs, complete with a killer pop chorus
Sounds like: Kodaline, Amber Run, Imagine Dragons, Lewis Capaldi
Luna Li (fka VEINS) shares the brooding new single, ‘Trying’.
A undeniable strong presence in the alt-pop world, Luna Li uses and blends her 14 years of classical piano and violin training with dreamy rock, to create a vulnerable and distorted sound.
L.A Songwriter Matt Simons shares ‘Cold’ – a powerful piece of electronic pop that blends nostalgia and melancholic sentiment.
Speaking about the track, which has been released in time for any Valentine’s Day pessimist, he explains,
“People change, and change in any relationship is inevitable. The only question is, can the two people change together and adapt? Cold is about a relationship where they did not.”
An introvert at heart, Dräger creates unabashed synth pop bangers born from a modern heartbreak.
Co-produced by House producer LEFTI, the single ‘New Life’ marks a fresh start for the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Spencer Draeger, as he uses sounds of the past to channel themes of the modern age, taking a satirical approach to the narcissisms and anxiety illuminated through technology.
Sounds like: New Order, Soft Cell, Holy Ghost!, Dansu, The Cure, White Lies, Cocteau Twins
Fiery LGBTQ artist Lauren Sanderson has incredible drive. That’s clear from her music and attitude (not many people can say they’ve given a TED Talk at the age of 18).
Her new single ‘Upset’ flips the issues of the despondent Generation Z on it’s head.
Australian pop artist Phoebe Sinclair is a self-confessed emotional wreck, and this makes for intoxicating music.
Her new single ‘OMG’ is Sinclair taking ownership of her mistakes whilst not letting them define her.
Backed by a four-piece all girl ensemble, oozing confidence and power, and armed with a massive pop vocal, Sinclair smashes out electro pop tunes with an inescapable energy.
British artist Tallsaint releases the highly chic and addictive ‘Model Effect’.
Taking inspiration from early 2000’s tracks as well as a more modern pop culture of now – born from a visual scene in Killing Eve where Villanelle sees Eve in the bathroom for the first time and makes a comment on her hair.
Sounds like: Bat For Lashes, Anna of the North, Stereo Honey, RALPH, St Vincent, Lykke Li
Self-taught musician Beau Diako shares his new single called ‘Flamingo’, taken from his debut EP, ‘Flutter’.
Featuring neo-soul artist Jordan Rakei, the track is probably his most “pop” song from the EP, which is a glorious fusion of indie, jazz, folk, electronic and soul.
ANDRO may have plenty of experience touring in Jungle‘s band, but now it’s his time to shine.
His debut single, ‘GYMH’ (Give You My Heart) kicks off a new collection of theatrical pop melodies that balance between the ethereal and emotional, perfectly encapsulated by the beautifully shot video below.
Also from Nashville is singer/songwriter/producer John Luke Carter, aka Mokita.
Known for his lyrical and buoyant electronic-based pop, Carter was classically trained in piano in his youth and first started performing in his church. Later, he taught himself to play guitar and eventually transitioned into electronic music production.
His new single ‘Colorbind’ is an attempt to try and describe depression to someone who has never experienced it.
Sounds like: EXES, Handsome Ghost, joan, FRND, Nick Anthony, Luna Pines
Named after a harbour road that lead to the sea, unique Welsh songwriter based in London Penniless Cove, is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist that writes raw, affecting music drawing from a number of different genres.
The music obsessive shares ‘Too Tight’ – a weird and wonderful array of jazz, blues and folk.
Sounds like: Regina Spektor, Björk, Ibeyi, Alev Lenz, Kate Nash
Italian artist GINEVRA shares her Francesco Fugazzaco-produced new single, ‘Burning’.
It’s gentle poetry of spoken word flowing amongst minimalistic and delicate melodies.
She says about the single, “‘Burning’ is the last sunset of the summer, running to catch the train just to see your lover and share that one last kiss, the feeling that – for one moment – everything is possible. It makes me feel light, like dancing under a pink sky, until the sun sinks into the sea. It’s a song I’m very proud of, just like I’m of the close team that works with me.”
Manchester-based artist Mike Dignam challenges himself by self-producing his first-ever single. Titled ‘Under the Influence,’ it contemplates the idea of heartbreak having control over you like an addiction.
Tt marks a soulful turn for the British songwriter, as well as his new role as producer.
Sounds like: Lewis Watson, JP Cooper, Gavin James, Zak Abel
Crossing emo with dance can be a tricky one, but Midoca has no trouble in ticking this box in his latest single ‘Dry of the Rose’.
Described as “a visceral journey through complex sound”, the song is unique in it’s style – a deeply personal encounter with melodic and melancholic tendencies.
Belgian DJ/Producer and EDM prodigy Lost Frequencies teams up with Nash-ville based Mokita the instrumentals start to release a modern music gem titled ‘Blue’.
The melodic composition is quite simple, yet the chorus is super catchy in a way that showcases the talent from the two up artists. ‘Black & Blue’ is definitely a gem that’ll hang out onto your personal playlists for a while!
Elise Hayes’ new single, ‘New York City’ is a dreamy, danceable mid-tempo that chronicles distance in a relationship, and the spontaneous choices that are made as a remedy.
Speaking on the track, she explains; “This song is a true story. In my own relationship, we are both touring constantly. I have a fierce desire to be independent, but missing someone makes you so vulnerable at the same time. Sometimes you’ll fly to New York City on a whim, or do something out of the blue just because you miss your person.”
The Dublin-based singer and songwriter Aimée hits us again with a beautiful acoustic piece untitled ‘Break Me’, featuring The Gardiner Street Gospel Choir who is one of Ireland’s most renowned gospel choirs.
Once again, her beautiful voice is backed by a great piano melody and spiritual vibrancy that sets her apart from other pop stars of her generation.
Nashville based multi-talent, Mokita is the one-stop-shop for sparky acoustic pop.
His new six-track EP, ‘4201’ is out now and whilst it’s powered by club engineering, it pleasantly switches up between R&B, pop and country, and all that’s inbetween.
Check out some of his influences below.
‘Elevate’ – St. Lucia
This is has been one my favorites since it came out in 2012. One of my favorite albums as well. I love the 80’s undertones w/ the roto toms in the transitions. The wavy chorus-y guitars make me feel like I’m on a cloud.
‘All Day All Night’ – Moon Taxi
This song has been a staple in my running playlists. Its the perfect tempo for a morning jog and it just gets you bobbin your head. I’ve been a fan of this band ever since I saw them play live when I was in college.
‘You Never Need Nobody’ – The Lone Bellow
One of my favorite bands in college. The three part harmonies are so tight and perfect. I’ve seen them live and their vocals are even better in person. Zach Williams, the lead singer, has one of my favorite voices in the world. This song blends folk with pop melodies so well.
‘Find Yourself’ – Great Good Fine Ok
I’ve always loved Great Good Fine Ok ’s production and melody choices. I love the sparseness in the production. This band has taught me a lot about how making smart production choices can make a song feel so big without needing a bunch of elements. This chorus is infectious.
‘Hide and Seek’ – Imogen Heap
I know this is a well known song and sure most people are familiar with it, but hearing this song for the first time made realize the power of simplicity. This is the one of the most beautiful melody compositions I’ve ever heard, and I love that its slightly messy and airy. The breathiness of the vocals and the white noise just makes its feel so organic.
‘Settle Down’ – The 1975
This guitar and arpeggiated synth in the intro just immediately hooks you. I love the repetitiveness of the melodies and how they follow a lot of the guitar lines. The syncopated pocket of the chorus melody just makes me wanna dance.
‘Blu’ – Jon Bellion
Several things get me on this one. I love that the pre chorus almost happens in between 2 verses . Its unpredictable just like all of his songs, which is why I love him. The chorus has its own vibe and just feels so airy and warm matched with a beautiful falsetto melody. Also love the tempo slow down before the chorus
‘Need the Sun to Break’ – James Bay
This album really changed my life in college. Still one of my favorites. One of my favorite songs of the last 10 years. The chorus melody just feels classic .
‘When a Heart Breaks’ – Ben Rector
As a piano player, any song that can be driven by just a piano I’m all in. Just a great song. It has the folky feel but the melodies are just so infectious.
‘Industry’ – Jon McLaughlin
This album taught me so much about how to write songs on piano. I remember learning this whole album on piano when I was in college. To this day this is still one of my favorite piano riffs to play.
‘Ocean’ – Martin Garrix, Khalid
The soundtrack feel of this song is what hooks me. Khalid’s voice is so listenable and the minimal production is so well placed. Just a great vibe.
Mokita (aka John-Luke Carter) always writes heartfelt music, and his new single ‘Inside Out’ is no exception.
Written during a time when Luke was battling depression, the track studies the battle of being human, and that it’s ok not to be ok.
Speaking on the track, Luke explains:
“I wrote ‘Inside Out’ during a time of my life where I was battling some major depression. I actually wrote the first half of the chorus when I was 17 when someone close to me was going through some major addiction issues. Years later the chorus kept coming back into my head as I was dealing with some similar issues of my own. I felt like I was chasing success simply for the sake of finding meaning. I wasn’t being a good friend because I was only focused on myself, trying to find meaning in places that only let me down. You can have the world, but if you don’t have people to share it with it’s meaningless and empty. I was struggling to believe that someone could love me for me; that if they fully knew me and saw my issues that there wasn’t any way I could be truly loved. This song at its heart is simply about the battle of being human, and knowing that we weren’t meant to have it all together.”
Producer and remix heavyweight (having put together remixes for Betty Who and soon, Maggie Rogers), Nashville’s John-Luke Carter, aka Mokita, is a singer/songwriter/producer and self-trained multi-instrumentalist known for his lyrical and buoyant electronic-based pop.
His heartfelt new single ‘Kiss & Tell’ is another addictive cut. Check out the video below.
If any UK-based readers want to know what sound is big in the US right now, this is it – the new one from Said The Sky and FRND called ‘Faded’.
Said The Sky is a classically-trained Berklee graduate, who has a great ear for infectious electronic melodies, whilst FRND is a producer who has a knack of fusing synth and pop elements into catchy sounds.
