He started the week on a banging high on the blog with his cover of CalBoy’s hit, ‘Envy Me’, stealing the Song of the Day hotspot along the way…
Now A1 is back, aiming the end the week on the high, with a brand new freestyle of AfroB’s tropical/Afrobeat joint, ‘Joanna’.
Go on, check him out below…more freestyles on the way from this New Yorker…
22-year-old singer RYAN DE LA CRUZ returns with a trap tinged, R&B joint ‘Stubborn’, the second single off his forthcoming EP ‘Syko’
Originally launched into the spotlight in 2017 with single ‘Know About Me’, which quickly surpassed one million views and was crowned ’the best rap video of 2017′ by DJ Semtex, Ryan has been a tearing up the scene for a while. He is now back in full force following the success of his collaboration with Ghetts and S Wavey on ‘Player’ and critically acclaimed single ’Syko’ earlier this year.
Drawing influences from the likes of Michael Jackson, D’Angelo and Chris Brown as well as his tough East London upbringing, Ryan has been setting himself apart from the new generation of UK talent. He injects soulful R&B feels into his fruitful plethora of inspiration, while making it an aim to sing about real-life, important issues.
This upcoming EP is a true testament to this and highlights Ryan’s unique way of thinking. ‘Syko’ is a conceptual body of work, playing on the different facets of his personality with singles like ‘Stubborn’, ‘Crazy’, ‘Rockstar’ and of course, ‘Syko’. The project is an ode to being accepting of who you are, and as Ryan states: “We’ve all got a sense of craziness, be cool with that, it’s ok to be syko”. Using his passion for playing on the juxtaposition of emotion and concept, each track and video really highlight his undeniable eye for fashion and art that has forever been setting him apart from the rest.
With ‘Stubborn’ as a somewhat warm up for what’s he has under his sleeve – so brace yourself for his conceptual greatness! This young artist has truly up’ed the ante this year and this is only the beginning.
Check him out below…
Since DANI DARLING came under the NLM radar, with neo soul single, ‘2:22’ her musical direction has taken a detour – a massive detour. Her shift of direction comes in form of the six-piece EP, ‘Nocturne’.
Classic soul meets new hazy lo-fi soul, in this EP, largely in an experimental and almost stripped back setting, that’s immediately appealing. Third effort, ‘One Of Us’, displays use of sound spanning from the Golden Hollywood era, fused with a mesmerizing lo-fi hazy tone providing that four-on-the-floor pattern.
With the exception of concluding piece, ‘Stranger’, all of the singles were no longer than two-and-a-half minutes long; it’s a shame, as I would like hear more!
With her delicate vocals serving as a backdrop for the genre-bending combo, DANI DARLING proves that a great soulful piece doesn’t always have to feature the classic powerhouse performance as the main focal point. Have a listen below:
Must Listen: One of Us, Stranger
Following their debut appearance on the blog with single ‘Light It Up’, alt pop-rock trio HUNGER share their carefree video for the latest uplifting offering.
The electrifying act has garnered global attention through their track ‘Amused’, which was featured as part of the soundtrack to Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why’ and on several TV and online commercials. ‘Amused’ also amassed over three million Spotify plays.
Check out the video for ‘Light It Up.’
ELIZSABETH‘s single is the ultimate anthem of self-empowerment. The true essence of her brand new offering illuminate the track, highlighting simple delicate piano, candid vocals and shimmering layered harmonies, which resonate deep in the soul.
The London-based songstress reveals: “The song is about regaining back our power after giving it away for so long and in doing that finding a freedom we didn’t realise we were missing”.
Having garnered acclaim for her previous releases, including reaching number two in the UK singer/songwriter iTunes Chart, for her single ‘My Comfort Zone’, ELIZSABETH continues to shed layers, evolving into who she is, whilst radiating positivity. Fuelled with emotion, ‘I Choose Myself’ currently available worldwide.
