Tag Archives: The Weeknd

Billy Vena – Retro Religion

billy vena retro religion

Rising hitmaker Billy Vena has just dropped a scintillating brand-new single titled ‘Retro Religion‘.

A synth-pop banger, full of nostalgic textures and ultra sticky melodies.

Speaking about it, he explains: “‘Retro Religion” is about how no matter the amount of devotion I could possibly have for someone, it was never going to be enough for them to love me in the same way or in general.

The Panama native (now based in Converse – Texas) has spent the last few months showing his dance skills on Tik Tok (where he has now amassed +70k followers and duetted with Lil Nas X on the rapper’s own page). His fanbase is constantly growing and he’s now at +300k monthly listeners on Spotify only. Keep an eye on him !

Sounds like: Michael Jackson, The Weeknd,

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Playlist: Máni Orrason

Máni Orrason

Self-confessed emo kid Máni Orrason shares his latest ruminatory offering that captures his vulnerabilities through a frivolous lens in which he recounts the fascination of molding a new identity and the idea of erasing yourself to create something better: an untouchable Romeo wrapped in leather or a ghostly fabrication of effervescent cool.

We asked Máni to put together a playlist, which you can listen to below:

Francis and The Lights – You Still Take Me To The Light

A couple days ago I read this NYT interview with him from 2020. It’s a really moving article that gave me a new window into his music. I’ve been listening a lot to him the last few days. I love this song with Kanye, Bon Iver, Chance The Rapper and him.

Nicholas Britell – Agape

I always say that it’s really difficult to be anxious floating in the ocean. That’s kind of how I feel about listening this song. It forces me to breathe. It’s like dawn in spring. I listen to this all the time

Björk – I Remember You

I don’t need to fall in love as long as this song exists. Björk transcended the physical realm with this one. I get goosebumps every time. I feel one step closer to god when Björk belts like that.

Madlib – Slim’s Return

This song is on the “Shades Of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note” album. I found it randomly a couple weeks ago. Madlib was given access to the whole Blue Note discography and he made this album. It’s really brilliant. I just want to play chess and drink cognac by a fireplace when I hear it.

Yeat – Sorry Bout That

My 16 year old brother has been trying to get me into Yeat for a while. I kind of just got into him but it’s so good. Stylistically so on point. Insane heat.

Black Country, New Road – Good Will Hunting

An amazing song from an amazing album. This song feels like if Funeral and Arcade Fire made an album in 2022. Also feels like Cap’ n Jazz and those emo bands a bit.

Moondog – Pastoral II

I think most of the music I’ve been listening to has just been to get me through the winter. This song is so soothing. Harp music. Listen to this and tell me you don’t feel a bit better.

Clairo – Bambi

I think first of all this album sounds so incredible. These songs, the arrangements, the production is just so inspiring to me. I really love it.

Samaris – Góða Tungl

Samaris is an amazing Icelandic band. I bought the EP this song is on when it came out almost 10 years ago. I was recently going through my records at my parents house a few days ago and put this on. It’s so interesting listening to something you haven’t heard for 10 years and how differently you respond to it. It such a good song.

A$AP NAST, D33J – Designer Boi

I listen to this song on loop all the time. It’s perfect.

Overmono – Bby

I was in a trance with this song for a few days. I didn’t listen to anything else.

FKA twigs – meta angel

This new FKA twigs album fills the void of PC music Charli XCX. It feels like Pop 2 in some ways. This song is great.

George Jones – I’ve Aged Twenty Years In Five

I recently finished listening to season 2 of Cocaine and Rhinestones. It’s a podcast about country music and the new season focuses on George Jones. I really recommend it wether you like country or not. When you hear George Jones sing “I’ve seen the dark side of life”, he means it. It’s really heartbreaking music.

The Smile – The Smoke

I love that the most subversive thing Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke could do right now is start a rock band. I also love this song cause it fills the void of the Sault album not being on streaming platforms anymore.

Död Mark – Paranoid schizofren

I love Yung Lean. His project as jonatan leandoer96 is really inspiring to me. I really like this album too from his punk band.

Elliot Smith – Ballad Of Big Nothing

I was always scared of Elliot Smith, when I was young I heard how he died and it made me really scared of his music. Like there was a darkness to it I couldn’t handle. But I don’t think there’s an album I’ve listened to more the last year than Either/Or.

The Weeknd feat. Tyler, The Creator – Here We Go… Again

I get really emotional every time I hear the weekend sing “my new girl, she a movie star”. Don’t know why. Love this song.

Sounds like: Jesse, SUM41, The 1975, Neon Indian, Toro y Moi

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Milky Chance – Synchronize

Milky Chance by Anthony Molina

Milky Chance by Anthony Molina

Returning from their sold-out US & Canadian tour, German duo Milky Chance share their brand new single ‘Synchronize’.

The nostalgic indie-dance number takes us back to better times and the video exudes joy, to match. It’s out now through their independent label Muggelig Records.

Sounds like: Will Heard, KYKO, Paul Simon, Jagwar Ma

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36Birds – BOY

36Birds

Queer artist 36Birds wants us to fall in love with rave again, and his new single ‘BOY’ does just that.

Interpolating Underworld’s iconic ‘Born Slippy’ and underscoring it with a tough kickdrum while also referencing Bronski Beat’s ‘Hit That Perfect Beat’, his vocals, seduced in autotune, fuse heart-on-sleeve R&B with rave. In a bid to give something back, 36birds wanted his fans to receive it as a free download, which you can get below.

Sounds like: LSDXOXO, serpentwithfeet, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Britney Spears

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Phoebe Green – Make It Easy

Phoebe Green

24 year-old Manchester rock chic Phoebe Green releases ‘Make It Easy’ on Chess Club Records. Bang on trend, Green is establishing herself as one of the UK’s leading contemporary lyricists.

The video, directed by Lillie Eiger, showcases the lighthearted theme behind the song, and lends more towards darker electronic pop than previous guitar heavy endeavours from Green.

Sounds like: Billie Eilish, Self Esteem, Baby Queen

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The Ology’s – IJWICHTY (I Just Wish I Could Have Told You)

The Ology’s

Introducing The Ology’s, a five-piece indie pop/rock band from the UK.

Echoes of 60’s sentiments, their hazy new single ‘IJWICHTY (I Just Wish I Could Have Told You)’ is a psychedelic journey to a slow-rock, retro world.

Sounds like: Fleetwood Mac, Kings of Leon, The Libertines

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Briskey – I Will Be Here

Briskey - Nothing To Lose

Australian pop artist Briskey releases his astoundingly catchy debut EP, ‘Nothing To Lose’.

A first attempt of producing, Briskey eventually teamed up with renowned Australian engineer JP Fung, resulting in an EP full of bedroom dance-pop feelings of loneliness, emotions & ambitions that push the limits of Briskey’s songwriting ability.

You can listen to the EP and synth-pop single ‘I Will Be Here’ below, which is about the butterfly state you feel at the start of a relationship.

Sounds Like: Bazzi, Charlie Puth, The Weeknd, Troye Sivan, Calvin Harris

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Shango SK – Sleeping On My Own

Shango SK

Brit-pop meets R&B isn’t a combination of genres that we usually come across, but we’re so glad that we have. Shango SK has a lot to answer for.

Raised in Stockport, the fast-rising prodigious talent takes cues from the melting pot of sounds that he’s been surrounded with growing-up. Citing Manchester legends Oasis as one of his main influences, he’s also quick to list Future and Bon Iver as guiding forces too.

Fusing his love of alternative rock, emotive balladry, experimental hip hop and pop melodies Shango SK’s sound is hard to pin down. Speaking about new single, ‘Sleeping On My Own’, he explains,

“SOMO is about getting cold feet basically. Having my own time and space to think is vital for my happiness, unfortunately in this case I felt smothered. This is the aftermath of being innocent, going from being crazy in love with someone and having to constantly chase them for gratification, to the roles being flipped and them now chasing you and it being overwhelming.”

He also released ‘The Rush’, which you can listen to below:

Sounds like: Hazlett, Bon Iver, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino

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Briskey – Mesmerising

Briskey - Mesmerising

Releasing his second instalment of the year, Australian artist Briskey returns to our airwaves with exciting summertime pop track ‘Mesmerising’.

‘Mesmerising’ does just that, grabbing your attention with a Charlie Puth quality intro, before taking your breath away with a stunningly soulful vocal. As the track progresses we are treated to funky bass lines and some gorgeous synth sound design, taking a modern twist on the 80s.

As Briskey explains below;
“This is one of those songs that came together quite naturally, it’s a song about finding a sense of purpose and accomplishment, and also acts as a reminder to never give up on what you truly want or need.”

The newcomer to the music scene is still only dipping his toe in the water at this point, but rumour has it that he is working up to his debut EP that could be shared by the end of 2020.

Sounds Like: Bazzi, Charlie Puth, The Weeknd

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Jude the Obscure – Strong Enough

Jude The Obscure

Manchester-based musician Jude The Obscure shows resilience in the face of adversity in jazz, hip-hop and soul-inspired track, ‘Strong Enough’.

Sounds like: Loyle Carner

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James Blake – Are You Even Real?

James Blake

James Blake releases the atmospheric ‘Are You Even Real?’, in partnership with Apple’s Behind The Mac campaign. Another contender to the evergrowing back catalogue of comforting masterpieces from the British producer and multi-instrumentalist.

Sounds like: Jamie Woon, Jamie XX, The Weeknd, SOHN

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Declan McKenna – Daniel, You’re Still A Child

Declan McKenna

We all know a Daniel, or perhaps we even are one – the one that gets “lost in the sauce, stoned, lost in some existential fear or lost his way in some VR game”, yet has so much to prove. Declan McKenna gives us a delicious taste of his forthcoming album, ‘Zeros’.

Sounds like: HUNNY, Sea Girls, Peach Pit, The Night Café, Chaz Cardigan, The Beatles, Circa Waves, The Magic Gang, Vistas, Love Fame Tragedy

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Connie Constance – James

Connie Constance

Refreshing alt-pop artist Connie Constance bares all and dives into “an ocean of narcotics” in new single ‘James’, summing up how we all want to feel and act right now – to get a bit squiffy and then crawl back to bed.

Sounds like: Kate Nash, Laura Misch, Joy Crookes, Rosie Lowe, Poppy Adjudha, Arlo Parks, Cleo Sol, Moses Sumney

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NZCA Lines – Prisoner Of Love

NZCA Lines by Aleksandra Kingo

NZCA Lines by Aleksandra Kingo

Time to get sweet and funky with NZCA Line‘s ‘Prisoner of Love’. We surrender to its smooth and delectable slice of opulent disco.

Sounds like: Metronomy, Gold Panda, New Order, Ronika, Thor Rixon, Hot Chip, Prince, Roosevelt

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Aquilo – Moving On

Aquilo by Morgan Hill-Murphy

Aquilo by Morgan Hill-Murphy

Sounding particularly Glass Animals, and more instrumentally upbeat than previous releases, duo Tom Higham and Ben Fletcher – aka Aquilo – return after a two-year hiatus with the ‘Sober’ EP, featuring ‘Moving On’.

Sounds like: SOHN, Great Good Fine Ok, Hurts, X&Y, Young Empires, Fenech Soler, Glass Animals

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MAX RAD – It’ll All Be Fine

MAX RAD

Singer and producer MAX RAD takes a positive stance with new single ‘It’ll All Be Fine’. Comparing the track to an out-of-body experience, he advises to look at the bigger picture, and stop internalising. Wise words.

Sounds like: Tash Sultana, Foals, Chet Faker, Honne, Ben Khan

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THEY. – Count Me In

THEY.

Blending emo rock sensibilities with acoustic tinged R&B, THEY.‘s new single ‘Come Me In’ is a sneak peek of their upcoming album, ‘The Amanda Project’.

The release was expected in early June, but Dante Jones and Andrew “Drew Love” Neely decided to postpone in the wake of the demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd.

Sounds like: The Weeknd, Always Never, La Bouquet, JAHKOY, Roy Woods, PLAZA

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XY&O – Left Alone

XY&O - Left Alone

What a way to kick off the gems this week! Welcome back XY&O.

Teasing a debut album (finally!) comes ‘Left Alone’ – another slice of hazy pop with simple and effective melodic structures, and of course, Skip Curtis’ luscious vocal mix.

Sounds like: Kid Astray, Sir Sly, Lost Boy Crow, Nonaphoenix

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Limón Limón – Barcelona

Limón Limón

Future indie duo Limón Limón is taking us back to sweeter times in ‘Barcelona’.

Conjuring up dreams of warm summer nights sitting on the beach drinking wine, as the salt air drifts over our warm bodies. Perfect!

Sounds like: Midnight Pool Party, La Felix, All The Rest, argonaut & wasp, Goldroom, Pastel, 90’s Kids, Empire of the Sun

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Jamws – Toronto

Jamws - Toronto

When you are in flow, you are completely engrossed in the task in hand. Hours can pass without even noticing. This appears to have happened to South London multi-instrumentalist, performer and bedroom producer Jamws whilst working on his debut EP ‘Toronto’.

The five heartfelt tracks describe various stages of heartbreak, starting with a separation, following his partner of ten years moving to Toronto.

Sounds like: Summer Heart, The 1975

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Max Alexander – Stay Where You Are

Max Alexander - Stay Where You Are

Max Alexander is a new alt-pop singer/songwriter from London.

Originally an acoustic artist by heart, he’s decided to go straight in with the electric guitar, to create an all together fist-to-chest sound in ‘Stay Where You Are’.

Sounds like: WEIRDO

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Victor Perry – What I Observe

Victor Perry

It’s always worthwhile to take a step back sometimes, and reflect.

NYC-based singer-songwriter/vocalist Victor Perry does exactly that in his lyrically mature new song ‘What I Observe’. As he croons in a poetic form of self-expression, we witness a subtle electro-pop space in which the track really starts to breathe.

Sounds like: Rhye, Rationale, Jacob Banks, James Blake, The Weeknd, Labrose

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dekleyn – Who We Are

dekleyn - Who We Are

Australian duo dekleyn fuses electro-pop with pop-leaning dance in the catchy single, ‘Who We Are’.

It touches on the topical subject of mental health and the sense of vulnerability that comes with almost every relationship.

Sounds like: LANY, joan, LAUV

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PELA – South Of

PELA

South London duo PELA share ‘South Of’, the first song they wrote together.

Amalgamating differing musical influences, it’s another stellar example of the duo’s sonic trajectory into a moody, melodic melodious song.

Sounds like: Kudu Blue, James Blake, KAYTRANADA

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Amy Milner – Wildside

Amy Milner

Singer/songwriter Amy Milner shares her new single, ‘Wildside’.

Written about catching yourself before you lose control, facing those demons and welcoming the dark side of your mind, it’s energetic commercial alt-pop at its finest.

Sounds like: Birdy, Emma McGrath, Florence + The Machine

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Jens – Nocturnal

Jens by Sigurd Fandango

Jens by Sigurd Fandango

Bergen-born Jens could be the next big Scandi-pop superstar.

His off-kilter single ‘Nocturnal’ has all the makings of a pop banger – upbeat, catchy vocal hooks with a carefree bass line.

Sounds like: Troye Sivan, Myylo, Charlie Puth

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Timsters – Don’t You Give Up

Timsters

Timsters is the project of French-born, former truck driver Julien.

A surprising work history perhaps, but his love of music is what got him to where he is today. The singer-songwriter-producer develops his own Lynchesque touch mixed with classy pop songwriting in a retro meets futuristic way.

Sounds like: Mew, The Weeknd

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