North London’s R&B singer/songwriter CILLA RAIE returns with a brand new music video for her sultry romantic single ‘Open For Love’ featuring US starlet Tiffany Evans (best known for her singles Promise Ring ft Ciara and Texting My Ex ft T-Pain).
The music video follows a journey of discovery and features a replica of Cilla herself, playing the role and replacing Tiffany Evans (based in the US). Open for love is an awakening, being ready to embark on a new romantic journey after healing from previous toxic relationships. The collaboration signifies a new moment for R&B, with this UK to US female R&B collaboration.
Australian band TORA‘s single ‘When Will I Learn’ – the second cut from their upcoming album, ‘A Force Majeure’ – is laced with melancholic but calm dynamics with dark harmonic undertones, which lyrically examines human self-reflection and self-care amidst trying times.
Speaking on the new release, the band said: “’When Will I Learn’ is about the harsh realities that we all have to face at times in our lives, it’s about going inwards and engaging in self reflection, which becomes the catalyst for rapid growth and expansion, and how sometimes you just need to face problems head on to solve them.”
In early 2020, Byron Bay’s Tora relocated to Amsterdam, set to make the city their base; an anchor around which a full year of European and American touring was to revolve. Soon after their arrival however, the threat of COVID-19 became a very real presence, forcing Tora to cancel their entire tour schedule, but also retreat into a strict new locked-down lifestyle.
Though the opportunity to perform was taken away, the band’s love for creating music remained and so, across the next eight months, Tora’s focus became set on A Force Majeure. The 11-track project follows their richly-textured 2019 album ‘Can’t Buy The Mood’ and their 2017 debut full length ‘Take A Rest’. Over the course of the two albums the band have received support from respected members of the international music community including both Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1) and Sir Elton John (Beats 1), press from The Guardian to Pigeons & Planes, with their catalogue now boasting upward of 150 million streams.
‘When Will I Learn’ is taken from album, ‘A Force Majeure’ slated for release 3rd September. Check out the official video for the single below…
Vancouver musician BUKOLA‘s highly anticipated debut EP, ‘The Chronicles Of A Teenage Mind’ is out today on all digital streaming platforms. And to celebrate, she’s also releasing a brand new single and video, ‘Falling Deeper’.
‘Falling Deeper’ is the third single from Bukola’s new EP. The sweet laid back love song hits on that classic R&B sweet spot, while drawing inspiration from one of Bukola’s favourite artists.
“‘Falling Deeper’ is one of my favourites off the EP because it has a really sweet classic R&B vibe to it,” says Bukola. “It also draws sonic inspirations from Daniel Caesar who is one of my favourite artists. The music video for the song was also so much fun to shoot as it was a one-take video. It’s set in a beautiful jazz club and features dancing and choreography from Zavien Garrett and guitar playing from Anthony Anderson.”
Deeply influenced by artists such as India.Arie, Daniel Caesar and H.E.R., Bukola worked with Grammy Award-winning producer, Chin Injeti, and Juno Award-winning producer Ben Kaplan on her debut EP ‘The Chronicles Of A Teenage Mind’. Still a teenager at 19 years old, she came up with the concept and title for the EP when she was in grade 8.
“I never thought I would ever get to create my own EP, but I knew that if I did, I wanted it to be about my experiences as a teen,” says Bukola. “I started recording and working on the project full-on when I was in grade 11 and I even got some help from 2 of my friends when I wrote the intro and outro bits for the EP.”
The Chronicles Of A Teenage Mind is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. Have a listen to ‘Falling Deeper’ below…
‘Begging For The Tide’ holds a special place in LUCAS DIPASQUALE‘s heart as he produced the soothing R&B/pop joint entirely on his own. The single documents the comparison of a girl that Lucas once liked to a warm wave of ocean water.
Lucas explains further the meaning behind the single: “My dad would take my brothers and me to the beach in the evening when the waves would be really big and we would get decked trying to boogie board into them. The bigger the waves, the better.That experience inspired the entire song – I liked this girl so much that I felt like I was sitting on a beach begging for a wave to come and envelop me. I wanted to see her so bad that I found myself asking the universe to make it happen.“
‘Begging For The Tide’ marks a new chapter in Lucas’ music career since parting ways with a major label. Check out the single below…
‘I Need a Holiday’ was written and recorded at home by ALBA during lockdown and produced in collaboration with up-and-coming London-based music producer Ed Black, aka edbl.
The Spanish-born and London-living singer and guitarist is known for her timeless yet fresh pop-rock sound with undertones of neo-soul, funk and R&B. The latest single boasts a soothing presence of soulful R&B, taking centre stage, later joined by raging guitar plucks giving the production that much-needed edginess.
“This song is an ode to escapism, figuratively and literally speaking. Quarantine forced me to get acquainted with my deeper feelings and emotions. I’m sure many can relate to this feeling of being trapped, constantly ruminating past experiences, regrets and worries, which can really damage one’s mental health. I wrote this song in the midst of this (unsolicited) journey of self-discovery in the hope of better days. I was very excited to collaborate with edbl, whom I deeply admire as a musician and producer, and who helped me take the tune to a whole new level.” – ALBA
‘I Need A Holiday’ follows ALBA’s singles ‘Sister’ and ‘Child of the Stars’. Also released during the pandemic, the singles have been aired on radios around the globe, and received coverage from well-known publications, blogs and tastemakers such as BBC Radio, Amazing Radio and Wonderland Magazine.
New Lease Music 