Song of the Day: 18 – Jonah Kagen

Pairing his signature acoustic-driven sound with lyrics that tug at the heartstrings, JONAH KAGEN‘s single, ’18’ (released via Arista Records) explores the trials and tribulations of young love.

He adds, “’18’ is a song that I never thought anyone in the world except myself would ever hear. It’s about falling in love as a kid and how that same love can go from absolutely everything to nothing in just a few minutes. I wrote this song from the deepest part of my being, and I hope you find your own story somewhere in the lyrics.”

The 23-year-old singer and songwriter grew up in Savannah, Georgia and took up guitar at the age of six, diving deep into the instrument’s technical aspects after his jazz musician grandfather showed him performance videos. He further found inspiration in the music of guitarist Andy McKee, whose finger-style technique lit a creative fire within. “He opened my eyes to what an acoustic guitar could be,” he recalls, as he dove deeper into creating music on his own. “If you can bring somebody something with your music that they can’t get anywhere else, there’s nothing better than that.”

’18’ follows Jonah’s debut EP, ‘georgia got colder,’ which was released in December 2022 on Arista Records. He’s already cut impressive figures with over 130+ million global streams, a US tour supporting Maisie Peters, nearly two million Spotify monthly listeners, and was included on Shazam’s 2023 predictions list. An exciting new voice bringing an undeniable energy and sincerity through his multifaceted sound, Jonah Kagen is undoubtedly an artist on the rise. Watch the video for ’18’ below…

Precious releases sultry Sapphic R&B/Pop track ‘Her Spell’ + Summer EP

Taken from her highly anticipated summer EP ‘Babe, Come Outside’, which released on Saturday (May 13), rising pop artist PRECIOUS dishes up her new single, ‘Her Spell’, an electrifying Sapphic pop anthem, intended to captivate listeners with its runway-worthy fierceness and bring them to tap into their own sensual power. With her bubbly aesthetic and early 2000’s influences, Precious brings a fresh and dreamy vibe to the queer pop music scene.

Having previously been featured in Sesi Mag and Pop Passion Blog this year, as well as collaborated with exciting names in music such as rising rapper Baby Tate and actor/singer Rotimi, Precious has built a dedicated online following, which she calls her “gumdrops”, and she has garnered over 100k of them on Tik Tok. As a black queer artist, Precious is committed to representing underrepresented voices in pop music.

Her EP ‘Babe, Come Outside’ showcases Precious’ growth as an artist, as she takes full control by writing and producing all of the tracks, including the infectious single ‘Her Spell’.

To complement the release of ‘Her Spell’, Precious will be releasing a visually stunning music video that captures the EP’s essence and embraces a dreamy pink aesthetic…but for now, check out the spell-binding single below…

Song of the Day: I’m Not In Love (Remix) – Nsh Ghxst

Hailing from Philadelphia, NSH GHXST is hitting full speed with single, ‘I’m Not In Love’ (Remix) Ft Nsh Da Real. Melodic, catchy, and far from basic- Nsh Ghxst has found his sound.

Growing up, music always played a major part in the 22-year old singer/songwriter’s life. His growth in only a year paired with his grind, displays raw talent, individuality & most importantly, HUSTLE. Young and hungry, Nsh Ghxst plans to push out even more consistent music in an attempt to grow his popularity. Step by step, his efforts are beginning to pay off; having reached over 11K views on his “GYALIS” freestyle via TikTok!

Have a listen to ‘I’m Not In Love’ (Remix) below…

Song of the Day: Lumoflove – Sad Boys Club

London alt rock band SAD BOYS CLUB‘s latest single ‘Lumoflove’, is a powerful and vulnerable piece of their upcoming debut album Lullabies From The Lightning Tree, out 5th May via Modern Sky.

Radically changing up from their previous singles and back catalogue of music, ‘Lumoflove shows Sad Boys Club, and particularly lead singer Jacob Wheldon, at their darkest, but also most alluring. Paring sparse piano and murky production elements with bursts of vocal passion highlights the dichotomies of love and lust.

Dark, mysterious and brooding, Sad Boys Club are set to have their breakout year. The band’s upcoming debut album Lullabies From The Lightning Tree builds upon their previous string of EP releases that have seen them co-signed by the likes of Fred Macpherson, Matty Healy, Phoebe Bridgers and more.

Speaking on the album – Wheldon says: “It’s almost like a little bit of a coming of age record, it’s just 10 years later than it’s supposed to happen. It’s just for your late twenties and realising the ephemerality of all of that stuff, at this age we’ve all had relationships that haven’t worked out that we thought would last forever, we’ve all loved bands that we thought we were gonna love forever, we’ve all seen beauty in different ways.”

The story of Sad Boys Club is one of yearning, the feeling of reaching, but never quite touching. The constant ebb and flow of euphoric success and seemingly inescapable set-backs. Debut album Lullabies From The Lightning Tree not only marks a journey of four friends, but a generational rallying cry for self acceptance and love for those lost in the quagmire of their mid-to late twenties.

As Milan Kundera writes in his 1984 classic ‘The Unbearable Lightness Of Being’: “Anyone whose goal is ‘something higher’ must expect someday to suffer vertigo. What is vertigo? Fear of falling? No, Vertigo is something other than fear of falling. It is the voice of the emptiness below us which tempts and lures us, it is the desire to fall, against which, terrified, we defend ourselves.” Kundera’s comical scepticism of life is an ever present theme for Sad Boys Club on their debut outing.

Combining The Cure’s penchant for emotionally vulnerable rock anthems, The 1975’s lyrical aptitude and driving guitar based sound of Death Cab for Cutie, Sad Boys Club have cut their teeth on the live circuit for a number of years, supporting Spector, Swim Deep, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Slow Readers Club to name but a few. Their live shows are dynamic, dramatic, and with a wealth of new music to play for the first time, they’re set to be one the UK’s “must see” live shows from a break-out group.

For their previous releases, Sad Boys Club have garnered support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, The Independent, CLASH Magazine, Dork Magazine, The Rodeo, Gigwise, The Line Of Best Fit, Whynow and more.

Sad Boys Club’s debut album Lullabies From The Lightning Tree is out 5th May via Modern Sky. New single ‘Lumoflove’ is out now. Sad Boys Club embark on tours of the UK and Europe in the spring. Have a listen to their stunning ballad below…

Song of the Day: Moments – Caitlin Min Fa

Inspired by a composite of pop / ballad styles, CAITLIN MIN FA‘s latest single, ‘Moments’ is a celebration of her five year anniversary with her partner Ryan, reflecting on and appreciating all the incredible moments and memories they shared in this crazy world. Funnily enough, two days after the song came out … they got engaged!!

Produced by Melbourne’s ARIA award winner Rob Amoruso, the track has the energy of Jojo, and elements of H.E.R. With the infusion of both Pop and urban R&B, ‘Moments’ is not only romantic, but intertwining visual story telling within the lyrics, and also providing three and a half minutes of pure escapism.

Officially ready to be added to your playlist, it’s a song that belongs on radio with it’s bold energy that contrasts a playful and vulnerable attitude simultaneously. Have a listen below…