Song of the Day: Lullaby for Lucas – Katherine Abbott

Free spirited folk singer /songwriter KATHERINE ABBOTT‘s single, ‘Lullaby for Lucas’ is a song about forgiveness and not being so quick to judge others. Written after a man named Lucas, who she met whilst walking the Camino de Santiago, Abbott felt compelled to tell his story of an opera singer turned nomad.

She explains, “Lucas was an opera singer in Vienna but had lost his voice and had taken to living a nomadic existence. We had a jam in a bar one night and he tried to sing but his voice just came out as this croak which brought him to tears.”

‘Lullaby for Lucas’ glows with warm guitar melodies providing the backdrop for her delicate, ethereal vocals and storytelling lyricism. The minimalist arrangement allows for Abbott to demonstrate her ability to craft authentic music, creating a poignant and euphoric emotion.

Have a listen to the stunning piece below…

 

Song of the Day: Complete (Remix) – Teeah (ft. Ice Prince)

TEEAH latest single, ‘Complete’, sees the East London singer and songwriter collaborating once again with London-based producer Delirious (Tinie Tempah, Lady Leshurr, and Stylo G), after they both worked together on Teeah’s previous singles, ‘Zengeh’, ‘Save Me’ and ‘So Good’.

The single features BET Award winning and MOBO Award nominated Nigerian rap star Ice Prince, who comes along for the slow-burning R&B ride, with Teeah taking a completely different musical direction from the Afrobeats and Afrofusion vibe on ‘Zengeh’, while still showcasing her sultry soulful underpinnings.

Speaking about the inspiration for ‘Complete’, Teeah says, “We’ve all had that love for someone that makes you feel whole, and you’ll do almost anything to have that feeling around the clock, no matter where you are or what else is going on. They know that you complete them and you know that they complete you. ‘Complete’ reflects the classic conflict in my mind, between finding real love and ‘industry’ love, and the fight to hold on to what’s real. The song is also about how you complete each other in far more ways than just sexually, how the intimacy isn’t just sex, it’s more ‘complete’ than that”.

Taken from her highly anticipated forthcoming debut EP, which is due for release later this year, ‘Complete’ follows Teeah’s well-received single ‘Zengeh’ featuring BET Hip Hop Award winner and Ghanaian superstar Sarkodie. The Afrofusion joint was championed by Complex, GRM Daily, Capital Xtra, Amor Magazine, Colourful Radio, and Fame Magazine.

Check out ‘Complete’ below…

Song of the Day: Ain’t No One – Cilla Raie

Following her last single, ‘Masterpiece’, which racked up over 30,000 plays on SoundCloud, gaining support from MOBO Awards, BBC 1xtra and Link Up TV, CILLA RAIE makes her way to today’s hot spot with her latest single, ‘Ain’t No One’, produced by Joey Dyer (Iggy Azalea – Fancy, Katy B).

Combining her love for R&B and soul music, ‘Ain’t No One’ delivers soft and sultry vocals with heartfelt lyrics, drawing inspirations from the likes of Aaliyah, Mya, Brandy and Toni Braxton.

The North London singer/songwriter began recording music at just 14-years-old, with grime producer DaVinche (Stormzy, Skepta, Wiley) being one of her key mentors during the early stages of her musical journey. Having secured successful sessions and connections with key UK and US producers and writers, this birthed her first self-titled debut EP ‘Cilla Raie’ produced by the likes of Sillky (Mabel, Mahalia, Craig David) and The Arcade (Doja Cat, Khalid, Migos). She later embarked on a national school tour with UK Music and delivering music workshops to students across the UK.

This year will see Cilla releasing a series of singles as well as a body of work due to be released in 2021, which pays homage to R&B and embodying the growing pains of love and life as a young black British woman.

Check out the self-produced video for ‘Ain’t No One’ below…

Song of the Day: Trapstar II – Kwazi Cort

KWAZI CORT, a rising star in the UK Grime scene, serves a notice to all the non-believers who’ve been too quick to dub the genre as a thing of the past.

Using his single, ‘Trapstar II’ as a means of showcasing his multi-faceted artistry, he quite literally navigates the space between Rap and Grime to craft his own original sound, knotting together the kerrangs of Rock with the soulful harmonies of RnB.

Written as a diary of experiences, ‘Trapstar II’ serves as an ode and love letter to the South London streets which made him. Diving deeper into the complex feelings of negatively affecting your neighbourhood to make a living and fund studio-time, his aspirations are set way beyond any street cred. Kwazi Cort refreshingly vocalizes the challenges he faced as a recovered conscious gangster – sentiments which are not expressed enough in today’s music! Supplying listeners with the highs and lows of being a Trapstar, along with the burdens placed on his relationships, as a consequence of prioritizing the roads; finally giving real meaning to the phrase “married to the streets”.

“It’s kinda mad, I thought everybody went through similar things like me… I was wrong. My South London story morphed friends to foes, cats to catwalks, macs to models” Kwazi continues,“Trapstar II is an autobiography, recording my journey from hustling in the streets to barring in the booth. Grinding in order to better my position due to the lack of opportunities, meanwhile at war with my conscience, aware of the damage it’s causing my loved ones as a result.”

Check out the video for ‘Trapstar II’ below…