NOELLE‘s piano-led single, ‘Seasons Change,’ chronicles waiting for ‘that special person’, no matter how long it takes. Her emotive offering is accompanied by a glamorous music video, inspired by the vintage Hollywood aesthetic.
Commenting on the video, Noelle explains: “I really wanted to portray the feeling of unconditional love. You’ll be on standby no matter what, and they can take all the time they need.”
Why not check out the video for the classic love note below…
Following the success of his last album Augustine’s Legacy, which was dedicated to his late father and his first child and has now accumulated over 16 million streams on Spotify alone, Texas-based international rap artist S.O. releases new EP. ‘Larry Ginni Crescent’, which sees him tracing his footsteps back to his hometown in Nigeria, where he was born and raised. The new project is nostalgically named after the street in Lagos, Nigeria that S.O. lived on as a child called Larry Ginni Crescent.
Written and composed by S.O. and produced by long-time collaborator and Grammy Award nominated producer GP, alongside burgeoning Nigerian producers TBabz (Travis Greene, Faith Child, Aaron Cole) and SteveRawd, the Larry Gini Crescent EP is driven by lead singles ‘Kinda Love’ and the previously released ‘Corner (O Ti De)’ – the former is a summer-ready afropop love song from S.O. dedicated to his wife, where he exudes the virtues of their love, while the latter is an infectious head-bopping track that sees S.O. boasting about who he has in his corner, as he sings “no babalawo in my corner, just God putting things in order”.
Chronologically, the EP opens with the infectious up-tempo ‘Prosper’, which was penned in direct response to S.O. losing his grandmother last December and sees him putting an afrobeats twist to the popular Bible verse “no weapon formed against me shall prosper”. Elsewhere on the EP, S.O. is full of gratitude on the uplifting sing-along number ‘Good To Me’, while the up-tempo dance floor filler ‘That One’ sees S.O. fusing afrobeats, rap and a motivational message together to great effect. The EP then winds down with the sexy R&B driven ‘Want You’ and the afrohouse influenced ‘Wonder’ with its cautionary tale about battling sin and temptation.
Speaking about the inspiration behind his new Larry Ginni Crescent EP, S.O. says: “This is a project that is connected to my African roots – Larry Ginni Crescent is the name of the street I lived on as a child back in Lagos, but it’s also deeply sentimental for me and it is dedicated to my grandmother who passed away from COVID late last year. As a proud Nigerian, I have always loved my heritage, from the food and the language to the music and the culture, and afrobeats is one of the branches on the Nigerian tree that’s rooted in the diaspora.
This project has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while and the lockdown opened the door for that. I got to collaborate with two special Nigerian producers TBabz and SteveRawd, as well as my long-time collaborator GP. Not only am I a Nigerian but I am also a Christian and that comes out in this project. So ‘Larry Ginni Crescent’ can be described as deeply Christian and deeply Nigerian. From the songs about faith, to songs about love, everything connects to this one point – al that we do, all that we experience, can be used for our art. I hope it moves you”.
With over 40 million global streams and sold-out shows across America, Europe and Africa, and having also lived in Lagos, London and now Texas, S.O. is the true definition of an international artist. Since his now classic debut mixtape 5 Solas, S.O. has gone on to chart in the top 10 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart, in the top 30 on both the Billboard Rap album chart and the Billboard Christian album chart, and in the top 5 on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap album chart across his four albums and two EPs. As his new project Larry Ginni Crescent arrives, S.O. is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Check out the blog’s song recommendations below:
Must Listens: Corner (O Ti De), Good To Me, Kinda Love, Want You
Before she had even turned 21, NIJA had written scores of Billboard Hot 100 hits. Now 23, the three-time GRAMMY Award-winning contributor has reached a new milestone: the release of her self-penned, self-produced debut single, ‘Ease My Mind (Come Over)’ via Capitol Records. With her enticing, self-assured vocals, Nija delivers an irresistible invitation on the track, which is an inventive mixture of R&B and drill music.
Shot in Los Angeles, the official video for ‘Ease My Mind (Come Over)’ is a visually surreal exploration of inner space, traveling through Nija’s subconscious mind. Director Child (Big Sean, Janelle Monáe, H.E.R.) gives us a keyhole view into the vibrant worlds conjured by her imagination as she awaits the arrival of a lover.
Nija says, “This song is about those times when you’ve had a long day, maybe stressed out from work, and you just want to get your mind off things with that special person at the end of the day.”
Born in New Jersey and now based in Los Angeles, Nija has demonstrated a knack for translating her experiences into relatable, emotional songs for artists such as Beyoncé, Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Drake, H.E.R., Lady Gaga and Maroon 5. As she started working on her own music, she relished the freedom she had to fully express herself. Now Nija is writing songs that are more intensely personal and taking control of her music and narrative in a way she never has before.
‘Ease My Mind (Come Over)’ is the first single from her forthcoming debut project, slated for release later in the year. Check out the video for Nija’s debut below…
I was first introduced to CHERYLL through her smooth nostalgic number, ‘Fess Up’ and since then, I had my eyes firmly peeled on her next move. So when she dropped her debut EP Transition, I had to catch up with the South London singer-songwriter about the six track project. Trust me, this newcomer is FIREY and I thoroughly enjoyed the Q&A session with her and I hope you will too. Check her out below…
NLM Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2021 treating you so far?
C: 2021 has been a year of change and transitioning into a better version of me. I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs however I feel as if I’ve come out of it stronger than ever.
NLM: You released your EP, ‘Transition’ back in March. What is the public perception on the project so far?
C: My project was received extremely well. Its been played on BBC Radio as well as reaching a number of local radio stations that play it regularly. It has also introduced my sound to a lot of new supporters who now listen/follow me because of the project.
NLM: How would you describe the EP’s sound to potential fans?
C: It’s a new school version of RNB with the nostalgic elements of the 90/00’s – timeless!
NLM: What inspired you to produce the EP?
C: I’ve always known I wanted to release an EP however I was waiting on the right time. I felt like the last year I really transitioned into the artist I’ve always wanted to be and I wanted this project to be a memory of that. I had a few songs written already however when I linked up with D’wante Navire (producer) he really brought these songs to life. I had also gone through some ups and downs in my love life and wanted to express this through the EP.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the EP and why?
C: My favourite singles on the EP I would have to say are Crushin’, Fess Up & What About Us. They all have that ‘bounce’ that I love even though they are all different tempos lol! I just find myself really vibing to those three
NLM: What message would you like the listeners to take away from your EP?
C: That R&B is still alive and kicking!
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the EP, who would it be and why?
C: I’ve always wanted to work with Stormzy – I feel like having him on a feature would just be a perfect combination. His flow x My flow would just make so much sense.
NLM: Do you have other project(s) for 2021?
C: I have a couple of releases before the end of the year which are quite exciting. I won’t give away too much but yes its definitely something to look forward to.
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
C: Twitter/Instagram – @ohsocheryll
Youtube – Oh so Cheryll
Facebook – Cheryll
NLM: Finally, any special shout outs to those involved in the production of ‘Transition’?
C: D’wante Navire – for the production of the EP. He mixed and mastered every single song and dealt with my craziness on top of that! Hes a real one!
Also Tory and Jollof who have been involved in all the videos for my EP – they are a great team!
A follow-up to the addictive his previous single ‘It Is What it Is,’ Nigerian Afropop sensation ADEKUNLE GOLD‘s latest offering, ‘Sinner,’ which features US R&B singer Lucky Daye, is inspired by the tragic story of King David and Bathsheba. The Marcel Akunwata-produced single is taken from Adekunle Gold’s upcoming album which is due out early autumn (via Platoon).
One of the most recognizable and exciting pioneers of the Afropop genre- currently dominating airwaves across the globe – mixing Afrobeat and Pop music and, Gold is one of the most elegant artists to come out of Africa.
Watch the official video for the single, featuring Lucky Daye and Gold’s wife, Afropop star Simi.
New Lease Music 