Andria Piperni

Montreal neo-soul/R&B singer Andria Piperni infuses "Coming Home To You" with retro-flavored doo-wop textures.

Reminiscent of the Southern soul sound of the '60s and '70s, "Coming Home to You" boasts glossy soul and R&B influences. Andria's honeyed voice is a dreamy as she croons, "I couldn't see / beauty in moments / major and small / the light and the shadows / the rise and the fall."

Keep ReadingShow less
MUSIC

Six New Songs You Should Hear This Week: Musical Mixology

This week's best tracks include new songs from Lizzo, Aisha Badru, Johnyswim, and more.

This week's best new releases combine disparate genres and unexpected sounds to create listening experiences that are alternatively climactic, relaxing, and transportive.

Whether you're seeking a soundtrack for your trip to the beach, a venture out on the town, your next car chase, or a night lounging around in your lingerie, there's something here for you.

1. Saxsyndrum: Up To You

The Canadian trio Saxsyndrum just released their sophomore album, Second Nature, and it's an expansive fusion of dream-pop and luxurious saxophone. Having cut their teeth in the Montreal underground scene, they're ascending to the mainstream with their unique blend of danceable beats, ethereal synthesis, and raw instrumental talent, which all come together to form something both accessible and complex. The album's first track, "Up To You," is a carefully crafted bath of catchy beats, flawless production, and folky vocal lines. All in all, it's a treat for the ears, a swirl of saxophone and rhythmic bass that balances out to create a track that's calming and energizing at the same time.


2. IYVES: Gold

Iyves returned this Friday with a new single, "Gold," a seductive, cinematic track that feels appropriate for a striptease, a James Bond-esque car-chase, or a montage of both. The singer's flawless vocals take center stage, flanked by elegant production and an extravagant chorus backed by a wall of thunderous, gritty basslines. Ultimately, it's a dramatic tribute to opulence and excess, packaged into a gleaming track that seems made for the climax of the next blockbuster.

3. Crimson Apple: Somebody

Hawaii-born, LA-based up-and-comers Crimson Apple just dropped a new single and video, "Somebody." It's a crystalline alt-pop earworm that takes notes from singers like Broods and MARINA, combining alternative edginess with the refined, polished pop sensibilities of LA's top producers. It's a tribute to all-encompassing love that combines the anthemic ecstasy of a hit song with the darkness of edgier influences, which come together to form something as inviting as a path of tall grasses leading towards the ocean.

CRIMSON APPLE - Somebodywww.youtube.com

4. Aisha Badru: Enough

Aisha Badru has steadily been crafting some of the best dream folk out there, and her acoustic rendition of "Enough" continues this tradition. Like most of her songs, it manages to be a complex bundle of emotions that doesn't shy away from the truth, but maintains a sense of hope and faith in something greater than the self. "We're made to rise above," she sings. "Don't be afraid to love." In another artist's hands these lyrics could sound trite, but Badru's mix of lamentation and quiet optimism manages to be believable and uplifting without veering into the territory of disingenuity. "Maybe loneliness brings us closer to ourselves," she muses. Starting from quiet introspectiveness, the song builds up to a luminous chorus; and combined with her soft, lush vocals, it's an easy-listening piece of sonic magic.

Aisha Badru - Enough (Acoustic)youtu.be

5. Johnnyswim: Souvenir

On "Souvenir," the husband-and-wife duo mix genres into a balanced confection of alternative rock, pop, and folk, forming a buoyant medley of voices and sounds that's beachy and melancholic at the same time. This song, off their LP Moonlight, has the makings of a sleeper hit; quietly optimistic, light and unassuming but with enough drive to dance along to, it's a collage of instruments and textures that fits together like a puzzle. It helps that Amanda Sudano's voice sounds uncannily similar to Kimbra's, and combined with its bouncy synth motif, the duet evokes memories of "Somebody That I Used to Know," but with more ambient, atmospheric leanings.

Moonlight - Souvenir (Official Stream)www.youtube.com

6. Lizzo: Lingerie

No list of the best new songs out this week would be complete without the gift of Lizzo's new album, Cuz I Love You. Mostly a collection of uncontainably joyful, electric hip hop, the final track, "Lingerie," has more of a laid-back, classic R&B feel, with Lizzo's incredible vocals soaring above a punchy guitar line. Beginning quietly, it quickly becomes a hybrid of soul, alternative, and pop; and when it all comes together, the whole thing kind of feels like lying down to paint your nails cherry red after you've cleaned your whole place, completed your self-care routine, and lit incense. The bittersweet chorus, with its growling guitars and dreamy violins, evokes the vague romance of a 50's standard, but the verses showcase Lizzo's mastery of hyper-modern rhythms. She's a master at conjuring sensation and evoking emotions through her tunes, and this one is no exception.

Lizzo - Lingerie (Official Audio)www.youtube.com


Eden Arielle Gordon is a writer and musician from New York City. Follow me on Twitter @edenarielmusic.


POP⚡DUST | Read More...

Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, and the Sexist Backlash Against Female Sadness

Kodak Black Arrested at U.S. Border on Weapons, Drug Charges

Lizzo Releases New "Juice" Video Featuring "RuPaul's Drag Race" Queens

MUSIC

RELEASE RADAR | Premiere from Church Girls

PLUS | Features for ASHRR and Daniella Mason

Marissa Carroll

It is all about the stand alone tracks and videos this week.

RELEASE RADAR is here to give you the breakdown of your top singles, albums, and videos to check out as you head into your weekend. Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new stuff from those you already know and love.

SINGLES...

⭐️ PREMIERE ⭐️ | Church Girls | "Just Like You"

Courtesy of Clarion Call Media

An upcoming track from the band's soon-to-be-released EP is sweet and simple, the way summer should be for everyone. The band's founder Mariel Beaumont had the following to say about the single:

"Just Like You" is about falling for someone who over-indulges in all your bad habits -- you want to get swept away, but you know it could lead you down a dark path. I wrote it with my friend Molly Martin in Nashville - it was my first and only co-writing session and it was a blast. The rest of the band was psyched about the initial demo and helped turn it into a super fun song that we all love playing live.

You Might Also Like:Palehound, Angel Olsen, Superchunk

Follow Church Girls on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Keep ReadingShow less
Rising Star

PREMIERE | Satya Releases Debut Single, 'Maybe We Should'

'Maybe We Should' exudes wicked, erotic electricity

satya

"Maybe We Should," the debut single from Montreal's Satya, is "a personal love story of love at first sight." Co-written by Satya, JT Roach, and David Brook, the music video was directed by Olivier Picard for Parce Que Films.

Abandoned at birth in Morocco, Satya was adopted and moved halfway across the world to Canada, where as a young child she fell in love with music. Bullied in school because of her skin color, Satya, desperate for acceptance, turned to alcohol. When she was 18-years-old, Satya hit rock bottom. Her family stepped in and she began rehab at the age of 20. Love, music, and perseverance proved to be her salvation.

Opening with emerging synths, followed by a deeply thrumming bassline, "Maybe We Should" blends hefty doses of R&B with contagious electronic dance flavors. Insistent synths ride atop a Jovian rhythmic pulse, giving the tune a dark, simmering sensuality. Luminous, glowing synths hover in the backdrop, enhanced by oozing vocal harmonies.

Satya's dulcet voice, cool, sultry, and opulent with voluptuous timbres, infuses the music with nuances of palpable carnality. Full of lush, erotic tones, Satya's voice infects the song with erogenous tension that's inescapable.

The combination of fluid R&B hues and tight dance vibes imbues the tune with wicked hormonal energy, as well as turbulent yearnings that increase rather than subside, resulting in a powerfully suggestive sensation.

"Maybe We Should" exudes a sonic aura of lethal sensuality. The pulse of the rhythm, dark shimmering synths, and Satya's hunger-drenched tones make "Maybe We Should" a definite triumph.

Follow Satya on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Keep ReadingShow less