Song of the Day: This I Miss – Anabella Paige

NYC based singer-songwriter ANABELLA PAIGE‘s sophomore single ‘This I Miss,’ a timeless pop offering which takes form as her own version of a love letter. Produced and co-written alongside Henry Bloomfield, the track’s production samples The O’Jay’s ‘A Prayer,’ boasting heavenly strings and soulful piano licks that evoke a warm sense of nostalgia. At only 17 years old, Anabella Paige’s vivid storytelling abilities solidify that she is wise beyond her years, as she details the appreciation of a relationship while acknowledging that it is not meant to last forever. Through her lyricism, listeners come to understand that this relationship is stored in a time capsule, serving as a beautiful piece of history that both parties can reflect on with admiration and love.

On the inspiration behind the single, Anabella Paige explains, “Some people come into your life at a specific place and time for a reason, and I’ve found that it’s better to acknowledge that rather than wish you could have it forever, allowing it to lose the specialness that it had.”

Anabella Paige creates music that is thought provoking and sophisticated, painting a sonic world that puts a modern touch on sentimentality. She draws inspiration from artists including Norah Jones, Jane Birkin, SZA and Olivia Dean. Growing up, she moved from state to state frequently, which resulted in lots of time for soul-searching. At a young age, songwriting became her most trusted vessel when it came to expression; but at the time, she didn’t realize that the verses she penned in her diary would manifest into songs she would share with the world.

‘This I Miss’ follows the release of her debut single ‘Bandage’ (April 2023), which earned placements on Spotify Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Pop. The rising artist opened for Rosie (Sony/Arista) on her most recent full US tour, and made her debut NYC performance opening for William Joseph Cook (Atlantic Records) at Mercury Lounge.

She’s definitely worth a listen..click play on the blissful ballad below…

Arlo Maverick unveils video for track ‘Night Shift’ ahead of album

Canadian hip-hop artist ARLO MAVERICK‘s video for new single, ‘Night Shift,’ offers a portrait of a person wrestling with the increasing demands of getting by and fulfilment, and positions Maverick as a chronicler of modern day working-class woes. The tune will appear on his upcoming release, Blue Collar, set for release on 20th October.

On the track, Maverick ponders the tension between balancing making ends meet and material success, and the overwhelming sacrifices made to reap the rewards. The video, co-directed and edited by Maverick and featuring emcees KazMega and Just Moe, depicts various people – a labourer, an office worker, and a janitor – grinding through a day of work.

“We wanted the video to be an honest representation of what sacrifice sometimes looks like for people hustling to get ahead,” says Maverick. “Being able to share the fruits of that labour with family is what makes it all worthwhile.”

Through a succession of buoyant, march-like beats, the track mirrors the monotony of work, while Maverick delivers the bleary-eyed refrain, “Working that night shift/I just want to go home/I just want to go home/I just want to go home.”

“This song shows the impact of shift work on your health and happiness; how you miss important moments in your family’s lives, and how these typically dead end jobs offer no possibility for advancement,” Maverick adds. “The dilemma we face in trying to live our best lives and make our families happy is often more overtime and less time together.”

Much of the themes on Blue Collar revolve around a universal pursuit of purpose, prosperity, and happiness, from the disillusionment of the job market after graduating from college to the gratification of indulging in material things to being undervalued at a 9 to 5. It’s an album that tries to capture the seemingly endless balancing act to meet our personal needs, satisfy our wants, and get ahead in an economic environment that makes it harder and harder to do so.

‘Night Shift’ is out now, with more to come from Maverick as he preps the release of his second full-length solo album. Check out the video for the track below…

Song of the Day: Come Thru – Cheryll x Rebecca Winter

R &B Star CHERYLL and Afro-fusion princess REBECCA WINTER have teamed up, claiming the blog’s Song of the Day top spot with latest single, ‘Come Thru’.

Produced by Dwante Navire, this summer bop will transport you back to the 90s with its titillating R&B soulful vibes, directed at a love interest who is more than keen to make a move, but they’re dragging their feet to Come Thru – and through their lyrics, the girls makes it very clear they’re not wasting any time.

With every potential to be a summer hit, ‘Come Thru’ adds to the strength of both artists’ burgeoning music journey: A MOBO unsung semi-finalist, Cheryll’s impressive contribution to the London music scene has been recognised by Robin Thicke , where as Rebecca Winter has opened for the likes of Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy.

Have a listen to ‘Come Thru’ below…

Song of the Day: Mango – Vadé

Largely known for solely utilising their spine tingling harmonies, which captivated listeners of all walks of life from across the globe, UK’s very own A cappella quartet VADÉ (pronounced vah-day), have taken a fruitful route with their latest single, ‘Mango’, out now across various music platforms.

2023 sees the guys venturing out and experimenting with various genres and they certainly push their creative boundaries to new grounds with ‘Mango’, by incorporating a summer-charged instrumental – a vibrant fusion of Afrobeats and R&B – to complement their infamous harmonies.

They said of their latest offering, which was featured on BBC Radio London and BBC Radio Berkshire: “We wanted a song that represented who we are as well as something that captured fundamental parts of our lives, so we came up with Mango, combining the exotic fruit with culture and how the sweetness of it relates to the fondness of a partner.”

The lyrics capture in simplicity some of the things the guys love about their partners: “You’re not the fighting type/baby you’re sweet and fine/ you got my back when i need it/ you be my ride or die!” Similarly, the single also describes how they liken this love to the sweetness of some of the foods and drink synonymous with their Afro-Caribbean culture, “You’re sweeter than Fanta oh, plantain and pineapple!”

Vadé was formed by Philip Yeboah and JJ Hammersley in the summer of 2013 and was later joined by Jermaine Sanderson and Roy Crisp. Their aim is to encourage listeners to reimagine today’s hits and timeless classics through a cappella by collaborating with other artists and together. Their mission paid off as Vadé have quickly captured the attention of music lovers all around the world. Since late 2021, they have accumulated over 16M views of their musical arrangements across their social media channels and have engaged with their fans through duets on TikTok.The evolution of Vadé’s sound progressed in the summer of 2022 while collaborating with Erik “Blu2th” Griggs, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and multi-platinum producer for Dr. Dre and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. The result was their first festive single, ‘Christmas Wish’ was released in November 2022.Vadé continues to explore new music styles through their debut EP later this year…until then, the guys gives an exotic taste from their forthcoming collection with ‘Mango’, out now across all music download and streaming sites.

Follow Vadé via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/vadesings/
T: https://twitter.com/vadesings
IG: https://www.instagram.com/vade/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vadesings

OUT TODAY: Listen to McMillin’s Single, ‘What It Was’

A dynamic Nashville based guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, McMILLIN is a jack of all trades and an artist in every sense of the word. Gaining inspiration from pop, rock, and funk genres, McMillin cannot be put into a box, but rather mends genres seamlessly, becoming what he calls a “fusion artist.”

His new single ‘What It Was’ off starts strong, with four ear-piercing distorted guitar notes quickly followed by a much more mellow beat under a groovy bass riff. McMillins’ smooth voice comes in with “Maybe it’s just better off this way / Some say you begin to die when you refuse to change.” The guitar music stays mellow throughout the chorus with lots of variation in the drum set, a steady beat along with the occasional closed hi-hat and loud crash of a ride cymbal. The song builds throughout each verse adding more and more riffs from the lead guitar and bass guitar giving it that rock-pop sound. McMillin sings “And then it hits you all at once / It never will be what it was.” McMillin accepts that with time comes change but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss what used to be.

Hailing from the music capital of the world, Nashville TN, McMillin has been playing in clubs and bars in the heart of music city and beyond. Combining the elements of poetic dark pop with funk and rock components, McMillin creates a truly immersive, revolutionary musical adventure.

Currently, McMillin is representing Rolling Stone as the frontman for the Rolling Stone Rock Room featured on Holland America Cruise Lines. McMillin describes the guitar as “his one true love” and this is clear as his talents of lead guitar playing, as well as his impressive rock vocals, are on full display in this electrifying show. Their itineraries include the Mediterranean and Scandinavia, as well as most of the Caribbean.

‘What It Was’ is out today (1st September). Have a listen below…