Produced by Sak Pase and directed by Condry Calvin Mlilo and Michael Stuart Daley, ALEISHA LEE’s official music video for latest single, ‘Dámelo’ offers a pulse-raising narrative between herself and her love interest, over a three-minute period.
So if you can stand the heat, why not click play on the video below. ‘Dámelo’ is out now on all download/streaming sites.
Featuring Yorkshire-based rapper KDZA, solo artist TONIA VICTORIA‘s brand new R&B gem, ‘U Cute’, could be described as a worthy anthem for female empowerment.
On the surface, the single boasts carefree and flirtatious tones along with Tonia first expressing her interest for her potential lover. Beyond the eye-catching exterior, the Huddersfield-born/South London-raised songstress then questions if her potential love interest has the integrity to be a life-long partner.
Out now on all download and streaming sites, ‘U Cute’ is Tonia’s first single in three years, after headlining in Sheffield’s Hallam Shower as well as performing at Tramlines and Soundwave festival in Croatia. During the three-year break, Tonia became a mum for the first time!
Check out the video for Tonia’s smooth R&B slammer below…
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was considered a landmark achievement of the Civil Rights Movement. While there have been many strides made since then, there’s still much more progress to be made in the fight for racial justice and equality 56 years later. This year has seen one of the biggest moments of reckoning for racial inequality and injustice in US recent history.
The Grammy-nominated viral R&B/Soul sensations, THE HAMILTONES keep the momentum going by letting their voices be heard, and encouraging others to do the same, in the new music video for their single ‘Message to America’, debuted on their YouTube channel last night (10/5/2020).
‘Message To America’ is from The Hamiltones’ powerful new album ‘1964’, which was released on the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech at the March on Washington, and the 65th anniversary of the high-profile death of Emmett Till. With features from rapper Petey Pablo, and a recording from Congressman John Lewis, ‘1964’ serves as a timely tribute to the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., while providing a moving soundtrack to the current global movement for racial justice and equality.
Check out the video for ‘Message To America’ below…
Hailing from Canada now based in L.A. artist/producer ZEE‘s new EP is definitely a throwback to the late 1990’s, paying homage to hip-hop and R&B of that era. Although this is a nostalgic collection – which evidently draws influences from 90’s R&B heavyweights including Usher, Destiny’s Child and Aaliyah – I couldn’t help but hear some influences of fellow Canadian artist/rapper Drake, particularly in introductory track, ‘Amazing’.
Further along the EP, Zee makes use of samples from some of the R&B classics, such as Kelly Rowland’s/Nelly’s hit ‘Dilemma’, putting a lick of a misty urban/hip-hop bass to the original through fourth effort, ‘All I Need’.
There’s also an air of the late 1980s included in the EP, when Zee put his stamp on Brenda Russell’s classic, ‘Piano In The Dark’ through concluding track, ‘Letting Go’, by dropping a modern R&B/pop version, giving off a summer hazy feel.
Documenting the events of his first summer love (presumably back in the late nineties), Zee encourages us to re-immerse into our most treasured memories – or create new ones – with his feel-good mini collection. Check out the song recommendations and EP below:
Must Listens: Amazing, Crazy Enough, Mean It
British/Rwandan singer-songwriter, JENNIFER KAMIKAZI‘s soulful and uplifting R&B single, ‘Black Skin’, could not be released at a more pivotal time. The song carries a powerful and uplifting message of black pride and beauty.
Kamikazi ( meaning ‘little queen’ in her mother tongue) has made a striking transition from indie/folk to R&B, collaborating with producer Tania Ilyashova. Jennifer’s sweet-sounding and velvety tones are complemented beautifully by the chilled laid back groove of the track. Speaking on the inspiration behind the song, Kamikazi vulnerably describes her personal experience of colourism:
“I wrote this song during quarantine to celebrate the skin colour that I now adore, not just my complexion but every complexion. Growing up in Rwanda, I was never ashamed of my dark skin. It wasn’t until I moved to the UK I experienced the harsh reality of growing up in a society with toxic beauty standards hardly anyone can meet. Through ‘Black Skin’ I hope to challenge the western beauty ideal, and also wish to start a conversation on colourism, something prevalent both in Black and Asian communities.”
‘Black Skin follows’ her two successful EP’s ‘Wildflower’ and ‘Wander in Wonder’ with now over one million streams. Check out the video below, created by Jennifer during lockdown…
New Lease Music 