YXL AYO [YXL-eye-o] lines up his captivating summer smash ‘My Lover’.
Produced by Tosxn Beats and engineered by Kingsley Boyden, ‘My Lover’ delivers an Afro-fusion groove fused with hip-hop and R&B elements— nods to YXL Ayo’s influences including the likes of Mario, WizKid and Maleek Berry. The trendy yet luscious production work caters perfectly to YXL Ayo’s vocal performance, a marriage of multi-genre stylings which culminates in a soulful bounce. This produces an undeniably infectious record which sounds primed to take over the season.
YXL Ayo is preparing to release a brand new EP later this year…keep an eye out for that…but for now, check out his sensual joint below…
The highly-rated, fast-rising British artist BAELY shares latest single ‘Summer’ in a signal of strong intent for what is his first release since ‘Teleport’.
Having already garnered co-signs from the likes of Anderson Paak, Jorja Smith and Stormzy he is building a strong reputation for his incredible vocal skill, infectious songs and stellar live performances. In what is a vibrant, lo-fi R&B curation, he seamlessly fuses old and new sounds as he evolves with each release. Co-produced by Lophiile (H.E.R, Ari Lennox), the track is accompanied by the official LA shot music video and directed by Charlie Rees of Untold Studios. Written during a writing trip in LA back in November 2019, BAELY was inspired by his escape from the cold winter months of the UK to the sunshine-soaked climes of America. “I was out there wishing I could have that ‘Summer feeling’ all year round – so I put it in a song”. With a passion for Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo-Soul and Jazz, BAELY is creating his own sonic soundscapes with his distinctive vocals garnering the attention of press and tastemakers alike.
Collaborating with ‘Charlie Rees (JayO, Rita Ora) on the video, BAELY assembled a stellar team of creatives to bring together the retro-tinged visual for his latest offering, ‘Summer’. Shot in the middle of the Mojave Desert in California, BAELY performs against a breathtaking backdrop of mountains, natural rock-formations and vast landscapes, all under the glow of the California sun.
Despite being a relative newcomer in his solo career, BAELY has experienced incredible studio and live success, working with a plethora of artists – including Stormzy, Cleo Sol, Little Simz, Goldlink, Burna Boy, DAVE, Cat Burns, Mahalia, AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith, to name a few – as well as receiving support across the spectrum of the music media and radio. Guesting with Anderson Paak’s Grammy Nominated band ‘Free Nationals’ during their recent London shows, saw BAELY catapult further as he became a Soho House ‘Future First’ artist, headlining his own show at 180 House, sold out shows at Jazz Cafe including a live show held by UK R&B tastemakers ‘The Blues Project’, amongst many other notable performances. With more music on the way, he looks set to step out of the shadows in what is set to be a huge year ahead.
UK artist JOKER STARR is very much inspired by London’s vast sub genres of music cultures, particularly hip-hop and dancehall.
He teams up with producer Dirty Feet and goes beyond the confines of rap and hi- hop in order to explore the vibrations of the deepest dub, and serve up the sweetest infusion in true reggae dancehall fashion. His latest single ‘Balance’ featuring AnyWay Tha God, is a reflection of carefree times growing up in the 90s. Check out the Honey JD – produced video for the slamming track below…
JUNO Award-nominated artist SOLITAIR‘s single ‘Right Here’, featuring world renowned DJ Grouch, is the perfect tribute to the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop – it boasts his unique production style combined with gritty urban soundscapes. The high energy track also features a music video directed by London Rich.
“When was the last time you felt REFRESHED and INSPIRED by some new Hip Hop energy? That’s the FEELING I intend to inject back into the music culture of the city, country, and worldwide, beginning with the release of Right Here,” says the prolific producer and songwriter whose first taste of commercial notoriety came as a result of producing four tracks on JUNO-winning rapper Choclair’s gold-selling Ice Cold debut album, while being featured on a few other tracks. “Just as Batman reacts to the bat signal, my new single is a nod to all my hardcore fans to remind them that not only do I have a lot left in the creative tank, but I am ready to showcase new music to an even broader audience with this new project.” He adds: “I also wanted to highlight more of my producer and songwriter side, along with my obvious hip hop lyrical prowess!”
In the early aughts, Solitair toured the world with Choclair and Kardinal Offishall and spent five years moving between New York and Toronto while working with notable American and international artists including Nina Sky, Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, Busta Rhymes, Estelle, Rick Ross, Elephant Man, and Jim Jones. Back home in Toronto, Solitair had also established an impressive track record of producing and co-producing songs for a laundry list of iconic award-winning Canadian rap and R&B icons including Jully Black, Melanie Fiona, Glenn Lewis, k-os, and The Rascalz. Likewise, in 2010, Solitair had already carved out his musical unicorn status by crafting the pop-influenced, alternative smash ‘Come True’ featuring Kardinal Offishall, that was nominated for a Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul recording of the year, an accomplishment that placed him in the rare company of artists who’ve been nominated for Juno Awards in more than one music genre.
‘Right Here’ is taken from his highly anticipated forthcoming album Dangerous Art. Check out the video for the single below…
After releasing a slew of singles from 2020 – 2021, it became clear to Amsterdam based singer-songwriter ELIF DAME that her lifelong battle against depression in combination with the pressure to consistently put out new work had taken away the joy she previously felt in releasing and thus decided to go on a long overdue self-care hiatus. In the year that followed, the artist committed herself to prioritizing her own mental health – all while documenting the process.
The result of that hiatus is her upcoming album, Securely Detached. The release showcases the her journey of learning to take back her own life, differentiate her own feelings from the feelings of her surroundings and also about learning to focus on herself instead of pre-occupying her mind with making other people happy and comfortable. Dame confides, “It’s about reframing my co-dependent relationships and about my time on the waitlist to get mental health care. It’s about the important process of learning what it means to put yourself first.”
The album kicked off with the release of ‘Celexa (Buy Me Time)’ where Dame opened up about hitting rock bottom and weighing up the options of going on medication. Now, Elif Dame continues with part two of her story, with her single ‘Killing It’ which focuses on letting go and starting to feel the benefits of medication, all whilst having doubts about being on the precipice of another manic episode. Sonically, ‘Killing It’ features warm, honey-soaked vocals, vibey beats from fellow Amsterdam artist GANZ, and hypnotic melodies which create an all-encompassing atmosphere. Check out the gorgeous single below…
