Newcomer ELLIE BYERS may well pull a few heartstrings with her debut, ‘Role Play’ as the smooth, toe tingling afterhours single is universally relatable when it comes to relationships.
The UK R&B/pop songbird says of her debut: “Role Play is a very personal song to me. It’s about pretending to be what you think your partner needs and wants, in an effort to keep a floating relationship afloat – even if it means sacrificing who you really are.”
Through her debut, Ellie hopes those in a familiar situation, will find solace and overcome that feeling of being second best to their partner.
‘Role Play’ is the first release from Ellie’s upcoming debut EP ‘Too Far Gone,’ slated for release in late 2022. Have a listen to ‘Role Play’ below…
ALANA SUKUL is an exciting, new-on-the-scene artist emerging from South West London. With parents hailing from the Caribbean, she has grown up surrounded by the influences from her culture that she has interpreted into her image, musical style and character, while also blending in the vibe of hip-hop culture. Although she is often perceived as a soulful R&B artist, she refuses to be identified as fitting into any single genre and instead experimenting with a variety of sounds and styles such as her current favourite, R&B-tinged funk-pop.
Throughout 2021, the 20-year-old newcomer introduced listeners to her genre-blending style with dancey pop number ‘Be Friends’ and upbeat bop ‘Closer’, both with a deeper message that can be interpreted by the listener however they wish. One thing that’s clear, Alana doesn’t write love songs, instead her lyrics reflect the wide variety of struggles that life can throw up at you, but always with a positive attitude.
This is something that you’ll hear in her first release of 2022, ‘Good To You’. It’s a heartfelt reminder to cut yourself some slack and to not crumble under the pressure, which are present right throughout our lives, but for Alana, it’s young adulthood that she’s facing right now. Throughout the song, she incorporates dancehall rhythms and luxurious pop melodies into a simmering production.
Speaking about the main motivating behind ‘Good To You’, Alana Sukul shares: “Sometimes as young adults we try to live up to certain standards and pressure, this is just a reminder to live your life the way you want to.”
Indie, dream pop artist RYAN WRIGHT‘s surreal and intense debut EP, ‘A Dream I’ll Forget’, is the half-forgotten soundtrack of a memory: the music blasting through the gritty speaker of your ex’s beat up car, windows rolled down, flying fast down a familiar highway.
The motif of teenage intensity serves as the EP’s consistent through-line—the internal monologue of a person experiencing the highs and lows of “firsts”. Recurring images of cars, parties, and cell phones serve as a reminder that ground the listener squarely in the world of teenage carnality but are juxtaposed with references to the sky, dreams, and music, pointing to something more ephemeral -and more eternal.
Lyrically, Wright hints at traumas that are both intimate and individual, but the sentiments are open to interpretation and can be applied universally. There’s a dark humour that undercuts that intensity—a winking acknowledgement of how trivial the vicissitudes of the teenage experience truly are despite how dire they may feel in the moment.
‘A Dream I’ll Forget’ is the musical embodiment of the teenage experience in all its confusing, messy, exhilarating glory. Why not check out the EP below…
TILLY VALENTINE‘s her latest single ‘Thinking of You (Déjà Vu)’ is a great escapism song. So when things in reality doesn’t go to plan, let subconscious dreams kick in and play things the way you would like them to go.
Valentine says: “Sometimes your subconscious just can’t let someone go, and your dreams keep taking you where you’ve been before.” Her first single of the year was co-written by artist and writer, Jack Vallier, and produced at Numen Studios (Dermot Kennedy, Emily Burns, Dua Lipa, Zara Larsson and more).
The independent artist has been described as “the type of quirky you can pair with a coffee or a party”, as her self-releases gain BBC broadcast across BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, 6 Music, The Hot List, BBC Introducing Mixtape, Jazz FM, Fresh on the Nets Track of the Week 2021, BBC Introducing Best of 2020 and more.
‘Thinking of You (Déjà Vu)’ sets the tone for 2022 to be Tilly Valentine’s best year yet. Have a peep at her visual for the single below…
Hailing from New York, avant-garde ‘Spectra Rock’ outfit SAVARRE’s latest single ‘Scars’ is a passionate ode for anyone who has bounced back stronger than ever from a traumatic experience. Savarre is fronted by multi-talented singer-songwriter, composer, playwright, and novelist Shannon Denise Evans, whose perfectly soaring vocal performance would deeply resonate with each and every one of us. The real message of the song there is not to look back on the bad experience with anger but to go forth with pride, proudly presenting the scars from that journey.
Shannon shares, “For me, the experiences that created my scars made me stronger, smarter, and more resilient. I wear my scars proudly now; they are markers on a path that led me back to myself.”
‘Scars’ is now available on all music platforms, including Spotify. Follow Savarre via Instagram to know more about them and upcoming ventures.
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