‘By the River’ is a dark and moody alternative R&B piece with soul and pop influences by MERMAID BLOOD. The duo consists of two 23-year-old artists representing Ajax, Ontario, who hope to not only impress listeners with their sound but to connect with their audience through their lyrics chronicling their growing pains and journeys through love, loss, homelessness, sexuality, race, etc. Mermaid Blood are new to the game but hope that everyone can see the potential that they see in themselves. Check them out below…
Check out POP Buchanan’s New Album, ‘Sober Is Dope’
‘Sober is Dope’ is the second album by rapper POP BUCHANAN which highlights his entire life and his road to recovery from alcoholism.
Produced by Nudgi-Nudge, ED-APE, Scott Freebase, and K. Miles, the ‘Sober is Dope’ album is dedicated to POP’s late Uncle “Atiim” Lyn Ferguson”, Kevin “Brick Jones” Byrdsong, and the addiction recovery community. Recorded in a unique podcast style, this album brings together the Sober is Dope podcast with POP Buchanan’s music thus bridging together both worlds. With hints of motivation, real-life testimonies, raw Boom Bap beats, and solid lyrics, “Sober is Dope” is an album that Pop hopes can inspire and stand the test of time.
‘Sober Is Dope’ was released last Thursday (29th September) across various music platforms. Check it out below…
Must Listens: Dear Poppy, Black Irish, Legacy
Watch NLE Choppa’s Video For Track, ‘Little Miss’
Multi-platinum Memphis star NLE CHOPPA drops emotional new single ‘Little Miss’. On the track, Choppa raps about being in love with an independent woman. It’s the kind of unfiltered, stream-of-consciousness anthem that makes the 19-year-old one of hip hop’s most exciting artists. Check out the video below…
RAYL Reminisces Over The Perfect Love With New Single, ‘Summertime’
Just over a year after she burst onto the Canadian R&B scene with her critically acclaimed debut EP Romeo Must Die, emerging Toronto singer and songwriter RAYL is back to close out summer 2022 with the aptly titled ‘Summertime’ featuring fellow up-and-coming Toronto talent Erin B. Written by Rayl and Erin, and produced by Adam Josh, who has also worked with some of Toronto’s finest including Savannah Re, LOONY, and Yarah, ‘Summertime’ is the precursor to Rayl’s upcoming film project for her Romeo Must Die EP, which is set for release at the end of the year.
Inspired by Rayl’s fascination with love in the summer, ‘Summertime’ is a beautiful guitar-led R&B ballad about two lovers reminiscing about their perfect summer romance, with Rayl waxing lyrical about her insecurities in love, and wanting her man to take her feelings seriously, and Erin B professing his love, and assuring his leading lady that he is for real, and theirs is a love that’s meant to last.
Have a listen to ‘Summertime’ below…
Preyé Shares Her Seductive EP, ‘Don’t Look Down
Nigerian singer-songwriter PREYÉ delivers her much anticipated seven-track debut EP, ‘Don’t Look Down!’ – centred around love and self-discovery. The budding songstress is unburdened and carefree as she floats on every beat, teasing unique flows and using her honeyed vocals to sing us through the many stages of finding and loving herself and the people around her.
‘Don’t Look Down!’ achieves everything a solid R&B/Soul record should – head-nodding production, evocative storytelling and an attitude that reminds you that indeed, this artist is one to pay attention to.
To anchor the release of Don’t Look Down! Preyé enlists Nigerian rapper LADIPOE for the project’s lead single ‘Love, Today’ – a perfect end-of summer track. As the two artists exchange flows over pulsing 808 drums and a lingering guitar loop, we experience a genuine chemistry and connection.
On Preyé’s ‘Love, Today’, LADIPOE delivers one of his most personal verses to date, opening up about balancing the realities of his recent success with his continuous quest to find peace and never lose sight of who he is. Preyé’s enchanting refrain, “Don’t let them waste it, we got love, today .. we got love, today!” soulfully reassures her listeners that: although life can be unpleasant, there is always something to be grateful for. Preyé wrote this song after a period of feeling stagnant and her delivery is charged with the same sense of reassurance she herself needed at the time.
Preyé continues to show a level of mastery with her writing and vocals that is truly exceptional and highlights a star in the making. In June, Billboard listed her single single ‘Malibu’ as one of their Top R&B finds. She was also recently selected as one of six artists for Spotify’s Africa Month global campaign, Spotify Sounds of Africa, alongside LADIPOE, Zoë Modiga, Nomfundo Moh, Chris Khaiga and Nikita Kering. Have a listen to Preyé’s latest EP below…
Must Listens: Red Wine, Love Today, Malibu
New Lease Music 