Song of the Day: Walking Contradiction – Prima

PRIMA‘s single ‘Walking Contradiction’, boasts a silky smooth, soul-tinged pop arrangement topped off with slinky vocals, where the Manchester-based R&B siren gives an open and honest account of her search for self-awareness, understanding, and ultimately self-love.

With BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra tracks of the week under her belt for singles ‘Weekend’ and ‘What RU Saying?’, and appearances at The Warehouse Project, Reading & Leeds Festival, and Printworks London, Prima has established herself as a one-to-watch.

The soulful singer’s recent jam ‘100’ announced the start of a new creative chapter, with a full R&B project in the works. Co-signed by some leading tastemakers including Manchester’s very own Children Of Zeus, music blog Earmilk, and a forthcoming collaboration with Pretty Little Thing, it’s safe to say Prima is continuing her uphill trajectory.

Have a peek at Prima’s music video for ‘Walking Contradiction’ below…

Song of the Day: Twerkulator – City Girls

Hip-hop duo, CITY GIRLS‘ track ‘Twerkulator’ is one club-ready banger that showcases their unmatched confidence and a wily sense of humor over a punchy sample of the 80’s classic ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force.

For the last several months, a snippet of Twerkulator has seen a massive run on TikTok with over 1.2M+ Creates and 750 Million Views on the platform. Now, with the official release of the track available to stream, City Girls are primed and in serious contention for another song of the summer.

Check out the video for the fierce track below…

Check Out Alus & Cakes Da Killa Sultry Video For Latest Track, ‘Wig’

Coming on the back of her ambitious 52 Shades of Alus series, which saw her release a new original song every week throughout 2020, amassing over one million plays along the way, rising pop-R&B star and singer/songwriter ALUS is back with a new single ‘WIG!’ in collaboration with prolific New York rap house artist CAKES DA KILLA in celebration of Pride Month. The single comes with a captivating new music video and the release of an exclusive NFT auction of the visuals, with proceeds going towards LGBTQ+ charity Transgender Law Center.

Shot and directed by burgeoning filmmaker Sally Tran, with choreography by Omari Brown (Justin Bieber, Ashanti, Chris Brown), the music video for ‘Wig!’ is a choreographed interpretation and embodiment of what using the term feels like. The track sonically evokes confidence, sass and freedom from Alus and Cakes Da Killa, which is what the dance-led video represents in the form of a one-take shot on 16 mm film, featuring a cameo appearance from trans model and actress Yén Nguyen, and a vocal sample from Canada’s Drag Race star Lemon.

Driven by a vision to inspire all and serve as a beacon of solidarity and women empowerment, Alus stems from a lineage of talented musicians and has always been drawn to music, taking inspiration from her touring violinist grandmother who attended the revered Juilliard, and performed with Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack. Classically trained with guitar and piano skills, Alus comes with co-signs from Nicki Minaj, Big Sean and Steve Rifkind, scene-stealing performances at Madison Square Garden, SXSW and Nassau Coliseum, and has been championed by MTV, VIBE Magazine, Ladygunn, Popdust and Flaunt Magazine, among others.

Check out the fierce video for ‘Wig’ below…

Hip-Hop/R&B Artist Babylung Drops Track, ‘Funny Innit?’ Ahead Of Album

BABYLUNG digs deep into his past with his anthemic and celebratory new single ‘Funny Innit’ which follows the release of previous single ‘Betrayal’ and is the 2nd single from his forthcoming album To Live And Die In Surrey, slated for late on 30th July.

Babylung says of his newest release: “‘Funny Innit?’ is a song reflecting on my juvenile delinquency, now as a young adult with a redemption story to tell. I recently drove past the Surrey Police Department and remembered having to meet monthly with my probation officer when I was 13. Passing by there, now having traveled the world thanks to music, graduating, and working in the music industry, I knew I’d come too far to end up in that dark place again. I’m college-educated, musically gifted, alive – everything I wasn’t supposed to be. Funny innit?’”

For Babylung, ‘Funny Innit’ is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reflecting on his past. On To Live And Die In Surrey (TLADIS), he psychoanalyzes the ego death of his destructive youth and the birth of a new identity found in love, passion, and purpose. The album reveals Babylung’s inner dialogue, touching on his dark past as an at risk youth, his search for meaning as a juvenile delinquent, and the passionate pursuit of his new found life in music. Babylung reflects on his journey, now with an understanding that his past only empowered him to discover his true creative destiny.

Have a listen to ‘Funny Innit?’ below…

Song of the Day: To The Beach – Magi Merlin

Montréal-based alternative R&B and neo-soul artist, MAGI MERLIN‘s single, ‘To The Beach’, the latest installment of a larger body of work titled Weather Music. The full collection comes as a deconstructed album with each release marking a different season, this particular piece being the one of spring, a time of growth, change, and catharsis.

Underpinned by an uncompromising introspection while exploring themes surrounding her own racial identity, love, and personal growth, the FunkyWhat-produced single follows on from her recent EP, Drug Music, and a string of standalone singles which have found her opening for the likes of Chiiild, R.A.P Ferreira and the cyborg rapper, Orrin. Merlin’s music ties together a diverse set of influences, spanning from the likes of Childish Gambino and SZA to Radiohead’s In Rainbows, Hyukoh’s 23, and Tim Maia’s World Psychedelic Classics, Vol. 4 knotting together this scintillating web of syrupy R&B and experimental electronic textures.

Magi uses her music as a way of processing deeply personal emotions, it’s a method of catharsis with this particular single also marking one of her more intimate cuts. “I tend to overshare through my music, I use it as a tool to process the more important moments in my life,” she explains. “‘To The Beach” is the perfect example of that creative process. I’ve always had a difficult relationship with my father. I wrote this song after deciding I no longer wanted to speak with him. This track allowed me to sing my way to catharsis.”

Watch the official video for the single, directed by M A Ï L I S