Known for his role in Top Boy as Aaron, HOPE shares his single ‘Can’t Box Me’ and accompanied video, both released last Friday (19th May).
Hope says of his new single: “Can’t Box me explores the frustration of being ‘boxed’ into one medium and not taken seriously when branching out. Artistry can be expressed in multiple ways. For me I’m an actor who branched into music who can still be successful in both.”
Hope is a Rap/ R&B artist as well as an actor who is well known for his role in Top Boy as Aaron. His musical influences stem from the likes of Dave, Drake as well as 90’s/ 2000’s Hip Hop and R&B. Hope’s first single ‘Stop the Rain’, amassed an amazing 2,404,069 streams.
Can’t Box Me is the first single from his forthcoming, unannounced self-released EP, Mirror Man, out 8th September. Check out the video for the smooth single below…
Danish, London based musician, producer and vocalist MARIE DAHLSTROM releases her highly anticipated second album ‘A Good Life’ via her own JFH Records label. The release of new album ‘A Good Life’ today arrives exactly three years to the day since the release of her debut album ‘Like Sand’ in 2020, and features collaborations with acts including Jay Prince, Kofi Stone, Cory McKenzie Tribbett and Delleile Ankrah.
Working with some of her closest musical allies across the album on its production, notably Young Poet/Ninja Tune signee Conor Albert and her partner Dan Diggas – who has previously lent his talents to the works of Mahalia and Central Cee; braiding together sun-kissed RnB, Nordic jazz, and resonant neo-soul, Dahlstrom strives to create a tapestry that presents life completely and truthfully, where leaning into moments of the dark and the light which make the days – and the music – all the richer.
Hers is a voice with the kind of divinity that could only be god-given. That sense of soulfulness – so hard to quantify but unmistakable to the ear – meant that Marie Dahlstrom went far beyond crafting sounds but rather singular worlds, where mood, ambience and emotion were instruments to be commanded like any other, pushing the parameters of what RnB is and can be.
Marie Dahlstrom contains multitudes, a thousand selves co-existing and contradicting at once. A singer-songwriter. A mother. A producer. A partner. “These different pockets of life also create friction,” she acknowledges.
The album is about dismantling the idea that your validity as an artist diminishes when it’s not the focal point of your life, that being a parent negates creativity. Marie went on to say:
“I’ve been figuring out where I belong, what I’m supposed to do and how I fit into all this – because I am so much more than an artist. When you have big dreams or goals and you see time being taken away from achieving them, and going towards something else – how do you make that a positive experience? There are always challenges, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good life. A Good Life is based on reflections from a few years of my life with many changes and adjustments. It’s an album about human interaction in all its complexity.”
The scope of Marie’s ambition not only for herself, but those she admires, was something she once could explore with abandon – but the arrival of her son meant that she had to recalibrate the woman she had been with the mother she had become.
‘A Good Life’ is a testament to her determination to embrace every dimension of who she is without limitation, to hold onto her passions even when they are no longer the most salient priority in her life. “I wanted to make sure I kept my essence for him,” she insists – and so A Good Life was nurtured in the spare evenings when she put her son to bed, written during a transitional period lived out of boxes between London and Copenhagen as she and her partner sought to renovate their permanent home.
From the introspective RnB-kissed duet of resilience that was lead single ‘Clouds’ featuring MiC LOWRY’s Delleile Ankrah, and the understated grooves of ‘Make It Up To You’ featuring Birmingham-hailing rapper Kofi Stone, to the nocturnal piano-led ‘Too Much To Ask’ and the shuffling beat of the Jay Prince-featuring ‘Let Me In’, Marie Dahlstrom’s spectacular second album ‘A Good Life’ is an instinctive, spontaneous and arrestingly honest depiction of an era of her life – a snapshot in time.
Marie Dahlstrom is supported and praised widely at press by the likes of Billboard, NPR, Complex, The Line Of Best Fit, Mixtape Madness, NYLON, New Wave Magazine, Wonderland Magazine and more, as well as being listed as a ‘Sleeper Pick’ by Joe Budden (twice) on The Joe Budden Podcast (the most influential podcast in R&B and hip-hop globally). Marie Dahlstrom has also received substantial radio airplay from BBC 1Xtra DJ’s Jamz Supernova, DJ Target, Toddla T and Rinse FM’s Jyoty.
‘A Good Life’ was released on Monday (22nd May) via Marie’s own JFH Records label…have a listen below…
Must Listens: A Good Life,The World Feels A Little Better,If I Belong (Freestyle), On My Own
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…
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!
Rising neo-pop/R&B artist GROOVY returns with the release of his intoxicating Jersey Club single ‘BADGURL’. The breakthrough act taps into the cultural phenomenon that put 2000’s R&B on the map, channeling love, lust and desire as he shares his ode dedicated to all the ladies who are looking to set themselves free by embracing their wild side. GROOVY’s vocals are easy on the ears, gracefully crossing between genres as go-to producer Alejandro flexes his ability to take a smooth slice of Y2K R&B and morph it into an ambitious Jersey Club anthem. Booming staple triplet drums, velvety sampled vocals and hypnotic keys swirl together to create a world fuelled by steamy passion, one that is sure to draw listeners in upon first listen.
The sophisticated badgurl anthem is accompanied by an official music video directed by Chris Andrade. The cult-inspired visual follows a beautiful girl who yearns for sexual empowerment and freedom. She stumbles across a magazine ad calling for all badgurls and decides to call the number listed. Soon after, she finds herself at an eerie warehouse surrounded by a group of alluring women dressed in black cloaks. GROOVY makes his entrance as the charismatic leader figure, and the two share a drink from a chalice, symbolizing the indoctrination of the newest badgurl.
‘BAD GURL’ follows the Union native’s latest release “jersey luv,” which was praised by media tastemakers around the world including BET, Mixtape Madness and more. The track also landed placements on top editorial playlists, including Spotify’s Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Hip-Hop and Apple Music’s The New New York. Keep an eye out for GROOVY as he continues to shine with his eclectic blend of neo-pop, R&B, and house while solidifying himself as one to watch in 2023.
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