A year into the pandemic, soul singer/songwriter JANÏSA was really clinging onto the faith that life was going to get better and the loneliness and isolation she felt would be replaced by healthy interactions.
Her latest single, ‘Dive In,’ is about the need to trust now more than ever. This song has given that much needed strength to the Canadian native as she unfortunately lost her home of 13 years to a devastating fire. Although she felt displaced as a result, she still had the courage to carry on.
The music video for ‘Dive In’ was shot along the beach at the Scarborough Bluffs, featuring friends and family in the water witnessing janïsa undergoing a ceremony of baptism and rebirth.
Nashville-based singer/songwriter APRIL KRY‘s new full-length concept album, Krysalis, is the reason why she’s often dubbed as the “tiny girl with a big voice”. Her powerful emotive vocal delivery glides over, at large, the featherlight soulful pop melodies leaves the prospective listener with a tear in the eye.
Speaking of her ten-track project, April says“This body of work was written over a period of 2+ years. It was a transformative chapter of my life where I was forced to look at myself in the mirror and reflect on why I chose to create in the first place. Recording this album while pregnant, and in a global pandemic was challenging, but worth it. In these songs, you will hear moments of self-reflection, extreme highs and lows, and everything in between. Creating life, celebrating love, and examining my time in the music industry. I’ve learned that using my voice to inspire is more important than approval. No one ever talks about the season of growth the caterpillar needs to go through in order to become the butterfly. You don’t know who you are or where you are going. This is the Chrysalis growing stage. and this is the story of my Krysalis.”
The album is a follow-up to her 2018 EP, Sink Or Swim which received national acclaim with songs from the EP landing a spot on the Music Row Country Breakout charts, with plays on numerous radio stations across the country, over 4 million streams across platforms, including a coveted rotation on Radio Disney Country. Her newest album explores the growing stages of life with themes of empowerment and self-reflection.
April Kry has been fortunate enough to write and work with Grammy award-winning songwriters and collaborate with some amazing talent including Nick Jonas and industry veteran, Phil Ramone. Kry pulls in heavy hitters on her new album, like Joshua Gleave (Chris Young, The Swon Brothers) and 9AM Music (Leon Bridges, Celine Dion). Talent and fans alike are drawn to Kry’s meaningful lyrics and soulful, strong, effortless tone.
Krysalis was released last Friday (30th September).Have a listen to April new album below…
Must Listens: Take The Edge Off, Scratch The Surface, B-Side, Seven or Seventeen
Nigerian singer-songwriter PREYÉ delivers her much anticipated seven-track debut EP, ‘Don’t Look Down!’ – centred around love and self-discovery. The budding songstress is unburdened and carefree as she floats on every beat, teasing unique flows and using her honeyed vocals to sing us through the many stages of finding and loving herself and the people around her.
‘Don’t Look Down!’ achieves everything a solid R&B/Soul record should – head-nodding production, evocative storytelling and an attitude that reminds you that indeed, this artist is one to pay attention to.
To anchor the release of Don’t Look Down! Preyé enlists Nigerian rapper LADIPOE for the project’s lead single ‘Love, Today’ – a perfect end-of summer track. As the two artists exchange flows over pulsing 808 drums and a lingering guitar loop, we experience a genuine chemistry and connection.
On Preyé’s ‘Love, Today’, LADIPOE delivers one of his most personal verses to date, opening up about balancing the realities of his recent success with his continuous quest to find peace and never lose sight of who he is. Preyé’s enchanting refrain, “Don’t let them waste it, we got love, today .. we got love, today!” soulfully reassures her listeners that: although life can be unpleasant, there is always something to be grateful for. Preyé wrote this song after a period of feeling stagnant and her delivery is charged with the same sense of reassurance she herself needed at the time.
Preyé continues to show a level of mastery with her writing and vocals that is truly exceptional and highlights a star in the making. In June, Billboard listed her single single ‘Malibu’ as one of their Top R&B finds. She was also recently selected as one of six artists for Spotify’s Africa Month global campaign, Spotify Sounds of Africa, alongside LADIPOE, Zoë Modiga, Nomfundo Moh, Chris Khaiga and Nikita Kering. Have a listen to Preyé’s latest EP below…
With sultry vocals and a distinctive tone, London based Singer Songwriter AMY STEELE presents her latest single, ‘Smoke Castles’, a mix Kate Bush and Sade with alternative tapestries of soul.
‘Smoke Castles’ is about the distance created between two people when the foundations they built, were not strong enough to sustain the weight of the relationship. It’s about a lack of clarity in communication, and the discomfort of uncertainty that brings. As Amy sings out: ‘Speaking smoke, you’re so unclear, white ribbons have tied up the air.’
With Amy recently signing a deal with EMPIRE, this is set to be an exciting new chapter for the young starlet. Have a listen to her below…
Following the release of their pop/ rambunctious bass debut, ‘Can’t Have It’, UK (Brighton) Pop/R&B duo 5 WEEKS released the video for their second single, ‘Believe It’.
The new single is a reflection when a woman gets all googled-eyed when she finally found the one, over feathery layers of 90s – inspired soulful jazz, reminiscent of the likes of acid jazz heavyweights, D-influence and incognito.
A serendipitous musical relationship that was formed out of mutual respect for Reggae, Hip-Hop and rare groove, 5 Weeks consists of singer Alexandria and Darren Outbreak who cites array of artists such as Barrington Levy, Anita Baker, Soul 2 Soul, Mos Def, Anderson Paak, Gwen Guthrie, DJ Premier as their musical influences.
Being brought up in a musical family, many influences came from her mum being in a reggae sound system in the seventies and eighties, Alexandria has been singing and songwriting from a young age who was later picked by Sony for a publishing deal.
Darren began DJing at a very early age, getting his first club residency at 15. Starting out in electronic music, he broadened his horizons over the years with many genres in the musical landscape.
Since releasing their debut, ‘Can’t Have It’, which was well-received across the UK airwaves, the pair have collaborated with Choice FM’s legendary DJ Mix Master with the remix of their single, ‘Woman2Woman’.
‘Believe It’ will form part of 5 Weeks’ debut EP, ‘5 Weeks 4EHVA’ coming out in August. The pair are gearing up for an album launch party in their hometown Brighton on 5th September.
Check out the video below. You can also stream ‘Believe It Here.
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