Song of the Day: Summer – BAELY

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.

Check out the video for ‘Summer’ below…

Anisa Shares R&B Nostalgic Single ‘Deserve Me’ + Video

Nearly two years on from her debut single ‘Yalla’, which amassed over half a million plays online, and was championed by BBC 1Xtra, Reprezent Radio and FootAsylum, among others, and with superstar co-signs for her creative talents from the likes of Stormzy, Cardi B, and City Girls, British Somali singer, songwriter, and content creator ANISA is back with her brand new single titled ‘Deserve Me’. Written by Anisa, and produced by Edashman, pays homage to the ‘90s and early noughties era of R&B music that was pivotal to Anisa’s upbringing, and influenced her artistic journey.

‘Deserve Me’ also comes with a fun and creative music video, directed by Anisa herself, and shot on location across the city of London. Inspired by ‘90s era music videos that came with storytelling plots and creative acting, Anisa has put together a story-led music video for ‘Deserve Me’, which sees Anisa being grounded from going out with her friends, but as you’d expect, she pulls up to the party, where she sees her ex-lover, and is reminded of all the ways that he didn’t deserve her in the first place.

Check out the official video for the brand single ‘Deserve Me’ below…

OUT TODAY: Listen To Cilla Raie’s Single, ‘Longtime’

UK R&B singer and songwriter CILLA RAIE leads 2022 with her brand new infectious sultry R&B single ‘Longtime’ produced by XVR Blck. Piercing together R&B sounds with a hint of drill, the single gives off a vintage aura with smooth and silky sonic vibes.

Speaking of her newest release, Cilla says: “Longtime was written with such ease and deep into the night, it represents a new era of growth for me. Which is a longtime coming, giving grown woman vibes and stepping into my divine feminine energy, going after what I want with no fear”.

In 2021, Cilla Raie released her ‘Reconnected’ EP which caught the attention of MTV, Wonderland Magazine, BBC 1Xtra, Capital Xtra as well as achieving This is R&B ‘10 R&B artists you should have on your Radar’. The EP peaked at number 2 on the UK Itunes R&B/Soul Album Charts garnering further support from Reprezent, Earmilk and Apple News.

Cilla Raie began recording music at just 14-years-old and takes inspiration from her early influences such as Aaliyah, Toni Braxton and Tamia. During the early stages of her musical journey, Cilla was mentored by super producer DaV-inche (Stormzy, Skepta, Wiley) and manager Jackie Davison MBE (Wayne Hector).

In 2014, Cilla Raie released her first self-titled debut project produced by Sillky (Mabel, Teedra Moses, Craig David) and The Arcade (Doja Cat, Khalid, Migos). She successfully embarked on a national school tour across the UK performing with legislation group UK Music. She also has a unique entrance to the music industry having graduated with a BA honours in Public Relations and a Masters degree scholarship in Music Business Management.

Cilla says: “These experiences I had juggling various part time jobs, being a student and doing music shaped and moulded me into the artist and independent entrepreneur that I am today being an independent artist”.

Her music reveals a deeper message for all: the importance of self-love, reassurance and confidence. 2022 will see the release of yet another exciting Cilla Raie EP supported by Help Musicians/MOBO Awards and Arts.

Get a taste of what’s to come from this young songbird below…

J Appiah Finds Sanity After Chaos With Single, ‘Breathe’

With tastemaker sites such as Complex, Clash and Line of Best Fit all shouting about previous releases and picking up support across BBC 1Xtra and BBC Introducing, Hackney born singer songwriter J APPIAH returns with ‘Breathe’, out today (October 15th) via his own label 19fifty7.

Already staking out his corner of the industry as a highly sought-after vocalist working with the likes of Jess Glynne, Madonna, Michael Kiwanuka, Footsie and Stormzy, J Appiah continues on his genre-defying path, proving himself as a musician in his own right. Genre hopping, and constantly remaking himself artistically, all his work is the sense of an artist true to himself and his feelings. Melancholic and stoic in tone and inspired by an eclectic range of artists, from Bill Withers to Blur, Grime to Soul, Appiah’s music conveys to us what it is to feel alive and human in the world.

Eerie beautiful strings foreshadow the dark bass hook, ‘Breathe’ is minimalist – claustrophobic even – but driven along by its fierce tunnelling groove. J’s stacked vocals give the song much of its atmosphere, recalling the playful vocal production style of Kanye West’s work in its demonstration that the best instrument is the human voice. Lyrically, ‘Breathe’ outlines the struggle not to not fragment under the multitude of stresses that life brings. Through its slick writing and the raw emotiveness of J’s performance, ‘Breathe’ is Appiah pushing his singer/songwriter skillset.

Ever more timely at this stage in the pandemic, a track we can all find a connection too – a reminder to take a minute and Breathe. Check it out below…

Genre-Defying Artist Rufus has Dropped His New Track, ‘Taking Flight’

Coming on the back of his glorious debut single ‘One Eye Open’, which introduced listeners to his outlier fusion sound of R&B, alt pop and trap music, and caught the attention of tastemakers such as Capital Xtra, Earmilk, GUAP Magazine, 9Bills, Wordplay Magazine and Noctis Magazine, new genre-defying UK artist and producer RUFUS circles back to unveil his brand new single, ‘Taking Flight’ as he continues to build momentum towards his upcoming debut EP,

Written and produced by Rufus, ‘Taking Flight’ sees the young Wiltshire native pouring his heart out about the realities of following your dreams, persevering through and keeping to your chosen path, no matter how hard the terrain gets. According to Rufus, we should “always have the ultimate belief that you will reach your favoured destination in the end – maybe not today but one day for sure”. Sonically, the track is an exquisite R&B-trap offering with nuanced indie alt-pop sensibilities, and honest relatable songwriting.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Taking Flight’, Rufus says, “the track came about when time was dragging on negotiating my deal (as always is the case when lawyers get involved). I woke up after another night shift of flipping burgers and washing dishes and felt real frustration. I decided to put it all into a song – I wrote, recorded and produced it in my bedroom on my small rig. The lyrics in ‘Taking Flight’ about not wanting to work in restaurants, cleaning dishes is not a diss on people that do, but rather a cry for something different for me as I’ve done it my whole life so far”.

Hailing from Wiltshire in the southwest of England, the gifted singer, songwriter, musician and producer fell in love with music from an early age and showed instant promise. From writing and performing at local venues as a teenager to producing for his peers while at college, Rufus has been honing his craft as an artist and is ready for the world to take him in. The exciting British talent has been hard at work with fellow producers such as TheElements (Stormzy, Headlie One, Zara Larsson), Remedee (AJ Tracey, Unknown T, Not3s), Kxlla K (Lethal Bizzle, Sneakbo) and Chris Rich (DigDat, Abra Cadabra) to bring the vision for his outlier fusion sound to life.

Here’s your chance to witness a newcomer on a rise; listen to Rufus’ new single below…