Song of the Day: Cruel – Jessica Wilde

The third single taken from Wilde’s debut album, out later this year, ‘Cruel’ signals her delving back into her first love, a toxic relationship that inspired a harnessing of her bisexual identity but also led her to addiction – a subject she’s tackling on her debut album.

Co-produced with producer Jay Nebular and Grammy award winning producer Kiris Houston who have worked heavily with the likes of The Disciples and Little Mix, ‘Cruel’ has a nice lazy summer haze 90’s classic hip-hop and R&B vibe where Jessica is at her most cutesy, sultry but equally dangerous as her lyrics offer a little sting in the tail. The official visual tracks Jess wandering South London, paying homage to a nostalgic look & flava, shot on disposable cameras and VHS, it gives an authentic feel, themed throughout the album. Check it out below

Song of the Day: Confusion – M.anifest

award-winning Ghanaian rap veteran and UNICEF ambassador M.ANIFEST‘s latest single, ‘Confusion’ is rich in musicality from the very start. The lush guitar licks and percussion drums are the central elements of the alluring sonic bed of hip-hop and afrobeats which blends seamlessly together.

‘Confusion’ is driven by M.anifest’s captivating wordplay, assured cadence, and infectious melodic rap flow, as he weaves an enthralling tale about the beautiful chaos of living in a modern African city like his hometown Accra. According to M.anifest, “such is the paradox of life in our cities, that there is always a constant tension between the feeling of ‘hurry hurry’ and ‘ok wait’”.

A rap music veteran of over a decade, with six acclaimed projects spanning that time, countless awards over his career and over three million fans on social media, M.anifest is one of the most revered figures in the African music scene. Described as the foremost rapper on the continent by The Guardian UK, with further acclaim from BBC, CNN and Revolt, his musical reach extends beyond Africa, with collaborations that range from Damon Albarn and Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Flea, to Erykah Badu and Tigga Da Author, to Kojey Radical and Burna Boy.

Have a listen to ‘Confusion’, produced by MOBO Award nominated artist and producer JULS (GoldLink, Kojey Radical, Pa Salieu, Ms. Banks)…

Alt-pop Provocateur Tyra Jutai Unveils Video For Single, ‘Frida’

Toronto singer, songwriter, producer and all-round creative TYRA JUTAI is making some of the most compelling alternative pop music right now as is evident on her brand new conceptual EP, ‘You Weren’t A Muse’, which is inspired by Golden Age Hollywood actress, singer and sex symbol Mae West and her classic 1933 movie, I’m No Angel. Taken from the six-track EP, Jutai presents the cinematic music video for early favourite ‘Frida’.

Written and produced by Tyra Jutai and award-winning Montreal producer John Nathaniel (Gwen Stefani, OneRepublic, Kygo), with the accompanying visuals conceptualised by Jutai and burgeoning creative director Piper Ellis, ‘Frida’ is an exquisite slow-burning gloomy pop offering driven by ominous marching drums and string arrangements, which sees Jutai unfolding a gripping tale of betrayal, jealousy and ultimate revenge between lovers and best friends that is underpinned by her captivating songwriting and resounding vocals.

Check it out below…

Rising Star SVMI Drops Single, ‘P.O.P (Hold It Down)

Following the breakaway success of his viral hit song ‘Bait Lies’ that has amassed over three million plays and tracks under his belt like ‘Old Friends’ and ‘Timeout’ nearing a million plays, which have seen him garner strong support from BBC 1Xtra, Capital Xtra, GRM Daily, Link Up TV, Mixtape Madness and BBC Introducing, fast-rising Manchester artist SVMI circles back to unveil his latest single, ‘P.O.P (Hold It Down)’, having also just signed to Northern music and entertainment powerhouse NQ Records (Aitch, WhyJay).

Produced by LiTek (Rag’n’Bone Man, Bugzy Malone, Central Cee), ‘P.O.P (Hold It Down)’ is an infectious melodic rap track with smooth R&B leanings underpinned by a bouncy bassline and lush synths, over which SVMI showcases his catchy flow, rap skills, smmoth vocals that have made him one of the most exciting young prospects coming out of Manchester this year.

Sampling the viral Donna Goudeau ‘I’m legally blind’ meme, which also informed the title of the track, SVMI confesses that the inspiration for ‘P.O.P (Hold Me Down)’ comes from wanting to go on a spontaneous ‘baecation’ with someone new. The accompanying music video, directed by SVMI himself and Archie Erskine, brings the track further to life and captures a day in the life of a young creative enjoying the process and taking it all in his stride.

So here it is…check out the video for ‘P.O.P (Hold Me Down)’ below…

Fabian Secon Returns With Single, ‘Hey Girl’

Genre-bending artist, FABIAN SECON has returned with his brand-new single, ‘Hey Girl’, which taps into his love for pop-punk.

Speaking of his latest release, Fabian says, “I’ve always wanted to expand more into the punk/pop-punk world, as this comes very naturally to me. The melodies in my music have always been inspired by alternative, pop and rock music, so it was an obvious progression. A typical Fabian Secon track has generally been slower in tempo and chilled, so it feels great to be able to keep evolving and explore new sounds.”

Recounting the tails of a rollercoaster relationship, the self-written and produced track is another impressive addition to Fabian’s growing discography, which currently stands at a staggering 35 million streams globally across all platforms, a huge feat for the independent DIY musician.

Why not check out the accompanied visuals directed by Theo Batterham.