DENEL‘s latest single ‘Crossroads’ is compelling right from the beginning, with the dark R&B/pop infused undertones, accompanied by a synth and heavy bass production. The thought-provoking tune is self-produced and written by the South African born, New Zealand bred artist who showcases his talents through beat-making and lyrical prowess to tell a story of unification and the need for one’s own validation.
Denel comments on ‘Crossroads’, “We’re constantly in a state of chasing the next big thing, staying validated and sometimes all of this comes at the detriment of our own selves. I think it’s so important to know your identity and be comfortable with who you are. That’s really what this song is all about.”
His previous track ‘Make It Right’ enjoyed a number eight spot on the NZ Hot 20 in its first week and has attained over 177,000 streams on Spotify alone. Its music video was nominated for ‘Best Music Video’ at Sony’s Catch Light Film festival held in Sydney last year.
Denel has set his sights on diversifying his audience, making music that appeals to people of all ages. 2023 has its own set of goals in mind for the singer-songwriter and producer…Check out his smooth joint below…
Following the release of her pop single ‘Simple Life,’ first-generation Iranian-American artist LEXY PANTERRA has released her empowered female focused single, ‘Bad Bitch, This ‘woman’s- first’ anthem is a catchy rap/hip-hop track that promotes being your authentic self; equating it to being a bad bitch. On the revitalizing single, Panterra finds herself reminding the world that we all are confident and should be proud of ourselves.
The accompanying music video includes a diverse array of women celebrating what makes them confident and beautiful. The creative use of ethnic diversity is eye-catching as she highlights women of different races and ethnicities, including women in hijabs in various states of dress and undress, supporting her ongoing attention to amplifying her own background and cultural values. The repetitive lyrics “I’m a bad bitch” reinforce the mantra-like message that aims to inspire her fans to be their most confident version of themselves without needing anyone’s validation. The visual narrative gathers her friends to learn the steps she’s taken to become the “bad bitch” we know Lexy to be, and pushes them to take charge and be the freest, most independent versions of themselves.
“I’ve been experimenting with music for a long time and I love all kinds of genres. With the last single, “Simple Life”, I really wanted to touch on the simple things in life. With this new single, I really wanted to concentrate on women empowerment and what makes us strong and unique,” said Panterra.
In 2019, she spent nine weeks on the Billboard charts with HARBER for their ‘More Than You’ collaboration. Panterra released her EP ‘A Gemini Valentine’ in January 2020, which was followed by a West Coast tour with DaniLeigh. Lexy’s music shows her versatility as a true musician, including a mix of hits from ‘Virgin Lex,’ Lexy’s fun and care-free alter ego, who is responsible for the more upbeat, fun, hip-hop songs, as well as ballads from Panterra herself, displaying her chops as a singer in acoustic form, a side not enough people have seen or heard from her yet as an artist.
Most known as a bubbly entertainer with a loyal fan base of over 9 million followers, reaching an impressive 500 million views and one billion impressions across her platforms to prove it. As an international artist, Panterra has collaborated with powerhouses Marshmello, and Lil Yachty, to name a few. The artist’s debut EP, ‘A Gemini Valentine’ featured singles ‘Want Him Now’ and ‘Room’ as well as the Mozzy-assisted ‘My Love.’ She also collaborated with the likes of Too $hort (‘Pretty Young Savage’), Shaun Frank (“Where Do You Go”) and more.
Now it’s time for you to check out the fierce video to Panterra’s equally fierce single…
GRAMMY®-nominated artist MASEGO‘s latest single, ‘You Never Visit Me,’ is a heartfelt reflection on the way love can fall by the wayside while chasing one’s dreams. The jazz/hip-hop/R’n’B multi-instrumentalist prodigy recorded the track with GRAMMY®-winning producer Wu10 (J. Cole, Ari Lennox) and Todd Pritchard (Trippie Redd, Tinashe) at Wu10’s Huntsville, AL studio, and with co-producer Louie Lastic (Kehlani, Ambré) in Los Angeles. Justus West (Alicia Keys, John Legend) joins on electric guitar.
Masego, who has amassed nearly two billion combined global streams in his career to date, is currently touring Europe in support of Studying Abroad: Extended Stay, the deluxe edition of his acclaimed EP, which earned a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album. The sold-out Australian leg of the tour included a performance at the Sydney Opera House. Studying Abroad: Extended Stay includes the Gold-certified hit ‘Mystery Lady’ Ft. Don Toliver.
Following the 2018 release of his debut album, ‘Lady Lady’ – which contained the breakout hit ‘Tadow,’ which has been certified Platinum in the U.S., Diamond in Brazil and Gold in Mexico – Masego embarked on a multi-year headline tour that found him selling out shows and playing festivals on every continent but Antarctica.
The sultry single follows ‘Say You Want Me,’ another track from Masego’s forthcoming album. Check it out below…
Swedish Grammy-nominated artist and producer THE FUR returns with the Christmas single ‘Miracle X’. It is a re-work of the recent single ‘Miracle’ which was co-written by guest singer Tyte (known for her work with Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige), the new version offers a fresh take on the track with festive percussion and vocals from GET UP Soul Choir adding a soul and gospel feel to the pop ballad.
With an ongoing career as a classical musician, The Fur is a dance-pop project to complement his other musical endeavours. Despite only releasing music as The Fur since June 2021, the solo artist has already smashed through one million streams on Spotify and continues his growth as an artist.
The idea behind the new single ‘Miracle X’ was to expand and elaborate on the Christmas elements in the original song ‘Miracle’, with the addition of being produced in one of Sweden’s most famous recording spaces, Baggpipe studios.
Sonically, ‘Miracle X’ is a prime example of The Fur’s ear for melodies and ability to create warming, cinematic pop soundscapes which encompass both polished pop production and live instrumentation. Layering soulful gospel vocals over two pianos playing in unison, the track instantly sets an affecting, emotive tone. As the track develops introducing bass, drums and strings courtesy of Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, the gospel undertones of the track brought largely by the GET UP Soul Choir come to the fore as the ear-worm vocal line shines.
Speaking on the new Christmas single, The Fur shares: “I felt that you could do something more Christmassy with the original song. To simply make a good contribution to Christmas music. You get really tired of all the commercial Christmas music that is played everywhere. Miracle has a Christmassy message where you ask for a miracle, but it doesn’t sound like a typical Christmas song. It feels like a song you can imagine listening to at Christmas, but it stands out a little from the crowd.”
Check out the official video for ‘Miracle X’ below…