Song of the Day: Blind – Miesa

A poised and heartfelt vocalist, MIESA‘s knack for updating the classic R&B and pop sounds of the past comes to the fore on singles such as 2016’s ‘Too Bad for You,’ ‘2020’s ‘Unsaid,’ and the following year’s 4U.’ Miesa has been involved in the entertainment industry on some level since childhood, going back to performances at pageants and talent shows. Her father, a musician, encouraged her interest in a wide variety of music. After Miesa signed to the Sony-affiliated Siri Music Group, she released a handful of singles from 2013 through 2016.

In early 2017, she issued another single, ‘Overdrive,’ which was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart; it also received remixes and appeared in an acoustic version. As the 2010s came to a close, Miesa delivered more singles, including 2018’s ‘Broken’ and 2019’s ‘Unsaid.’ Also in 2019, Miesa was featured as the Grammys’ NEXT artist and kicked off their Drop Series. Following the 2020 acoustic collection ‘Stripped,’ which featured the Emeli Sandé cover ‘Breaking the Law,’ she issued the single ‘Worried.’

Produced by Viirgos (Arianna Grande, Nicki Minaj) Miesa’s latest single, is as bold in production as the lyrics, while infusing the soulful warmth of her vocals.

Miesa confides, “‘Blind'” is one of those songs that feels like everyone’s story and no one’s story all at the same time. Sometimes in relationships the picture could be blurry.”

Mixed by Paul Boutin (Toni Braxton, Babyface, Ariana Grande) and mastered by the legendary Herb Powers Jr. (Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston), “Blind” is off of her upcoming set. Have a listen below…

Ricardo Williams Comes Through With ‘He Ain’t Me – Radio’ (Remix)

Hailing from Birmingham, RICARDO WILLIAMS has a REAL treat for us this summer as he drops the remake of his 2018 single, ‘He Ain’t Me’, featuring Slick Rick. Originally a R&B/trap infused production, the single receives a New Jack Swing-esque treatment from Grammy award-wining producer Kyle West.

As well as working on original music over the last few years, Ricardo has done backing vocals for a number of high profile artists including Stormzy, Tweet, and on Emeli Sande’s latest album, quickly gaining the reputation as one of the strongest vocalists in the UK.

After coming to BBC 1xtra DJ Ace’s, attention in 2018 and signing to his newly formed independent record label ‘Recordbox’ with the release of ‘Come Over’, Jamaican-born Ricardo gained critical acclaim for the track which featured R&B royalty Teedra Moses. His year continued to see his profile rise seeing him support Faith Evans at O2 Indigo in London and he has since teamed up with some of R&B’s leading lights on both sides of the Atlantic.

Here’s your chance to hear the master-on-the-rise; have a listen to ‘He Ain’t Me – Radio’.

Song of the Day: Cooked Food – Vicky Sola

BBC 1Xtra and Capital Xtra supported Brixton Afrofusion singer/songwriter, VICKY SOLA is one to watch this year! She kick starts her 2019 with the exciting new music video for her latest single ‘Cooked Food’, taken from her long awaited and highly anticipated debut EP, which is set for release later this year.

Written by VICKY SOLA, and produced by Delirious, who has previously worked with Tinie Tempah, Lady Leshurr, Stylo G, Mista Silva, among others, ‘Cooked Food’ is an infectious R&B/Pop slanted offering, with unmistakable Afrobeats sensibilities, which is backed by lush piano arrangements and bass heavy drums, and held together nicely by Vicky’s captivating vocal and lyrical performance.

For the ‘Cooked Food’ video, VICKY SOLA took things back to her hometown in Brixton, with the help of burgeoning video director Marika Godwin (Nolay, Trillary Banks, Runtown). Filmed around the vibrant Brixton market, with choreography directed by Patience J (WSTRN, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Emeli Sande), the outcome is a fierce and colourful visual offering that not only brings the record further to life, but also showcases Vicky’s infectious personality and performance prowess.

Check it out below:

New Music Video: Buss A 9 – Sharna Bass

SHARNA BASS continues to prove herself as one of R&B’s most captivating stars with the release of the video for her new single ‘Buss A 9’.

Produced by Rachet (Emeli Sande, Devlin, Krept & Konan), ‘Buss A 9’ is dark and brooding with Sharna’s executing delicate vocal restraint, allowing her emotion to pierce through via her biting lyricism. Expressing devastating heartbreak and the irrational risks you’d take for love, both the delivery of the audio and the visual are both mesmerising, raw and hang in the balance between love being both the best and worst feeling that it’s possible to experience.

At twenty years old, SHARNA BASS’s ascension has been an impeccable journey and began as a far cry away from what her music has matured into at its current stage. At just 13-years-old, Clean Bandit heard her singing in the Tabot Mix Centre and two years later, whilst looking for someone to take on the vocal line of their hit ‘Extraordinary’, they contacted her on Facebook to ask her to record. Despite the experience being overwhelming, SHARNA BASS recorded what would become a number 5 in the Official Charts.

The experience set her on a clear path to developing her own sound and profile, and she credits producers such as Rachet with giving her a canvas to ascertain creative freedom as displayed in the formidable ‘Buss A 9’.

Moving stuff…check out the video…

New Music Video: Be With You – Jessica Agombar

Rising east London singer-songwriter JESSICA AGOMBAR gave the music scene a taste of her addictive, one of a kind R&B sounds when she released her debut EP ‘Bullet For Your Love: Chapter 1’ earlier this year. With the EP seeing her mixing smooth R&B stylings with grittier hip-hop and grime sounds, Jessica returns with the captivating visual for one of the project’s tracks – the hypnotic ‘Be With You’.

Already picking-up support from the likes of Noisey – who described her sound as ‘infectious’ – Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJs MistaJam and DJ Target, collaborating with the likes of Iain James (Craig David, Emeli Sandé, Wretch 32) and Levi Lennox (Zayn Malik) and just recently signing a publishing deal with Stella Songs and Sony/ATV, Jessica quickly caught the attention of music fans and credible music outlets with the release of her debut EP.

Comprising a collection of 5 songs written by Jessica herself, featuring production from some of the UK’s freshest and hottest, new production talent and gaining support from Spotify on their ‘New Music Friday’ playlist, the ‘Bullet For Your Love: Chapter 1’ EP is a soulful journey of love and loss from Jessica’s own personal experience, telling the story of being in love with the wrong kind of guy and the highs and lows that can bring.

With the debut of her new visual, an already rapidly growing fanbase and the promise of new music coming soon, JESSICA AGOMBAR is on course to end the year with a bang which only signals huge things for 2018. Stay tuned!