Benny Bizzie Reflects on 2020 Events With Catchy New Joint, ‘Blood In The Water’

Known for dishing out smooth afterhours R&B numbers, BENNY BIZZIE switches up for the New Year with single, ‘Blood In The Water’.

Produced by Cee Figz (Pocaan, Fredo, Tion Wayne), ‘Blood In The Water’ is an edgy, Afro-beat inspired track, which expresses the feelings of uncertainty around the world at this current time. Benny sings ‘Even salt looks just like sugar round here’ inferring that nothing is what it seems, reflecting on 2020 events.

Bizzie’s recent E-Motion EP has gained over 500k views on YouTube and over 100k streams on Spotify with support from Link up TV and Sentric Music. To date, Benny has released 5 EP’s  which earned him 2 nominations at the Urban Music Awards for Best Male and Best R&B, Radio support by Charlie Sloth (BBC 1xtra), and features with Ghetts, Frisco, and Wretch 32. His music video for previous track, ‘Pressure’ is currently the blog’s Music Video of the Week.

Be sure to look out more music throughout the year from this guy as he aims to experiment with various genres with his seamless R&B signature. So get the first taste of Benny’s new musical venture below…

Song of the Day: Calendar Girl – Tilly Valentine

Hailing from a small town in Oxfordshire, TILLY VALENTINE starts the New Year with new single ‘Calendar Girl’.

Opening doors with her very own advent calendar counting down the days until release, the narrative of ‘Calendar Girl’ is about dreaming of a perfect future.

Valentine says of her latest release: “It’s easy to feel like other people are in love with perfect “calendar girls”, but by the next month they’re on to the next. ‘Calendar Girl’ is about commitment, longing for something long term.”

Earning its spot on New Music Friday, ‘Calendar Girl’ effortlessly reveals her trademark jazzy influences; an elegant vocal blended with retro alternative pop. The vintage inspired artwork hints at the underlying characteristics; wholesome, delicate and empowering.

So turn a new page for 2021 and watch the lyric video for ‘Calendar Girl’, available on your preferred music platform from 1st January.

Nicki Knightz Unveils Video For Single, ‘1964 Howlett Drive’

Lifted from her most recent EP ‘For The Uninformed’, rapper NICKI KNIGHTZ‘s visuals for 1964 (Howlett Drive) tells the tale of Nicki’s mother, a woman from Norwich who, after falling pregnant, found herself living in deepest Hackney.

The Saul Ali-directed video juxtaposes scenes of Nicki recording the track, and having to recall them visiting Norwich, with its canals and parks, a simpler life where survival is not so hard to maintain. She then smacks back to the grim reality of how her mother lost her financial independence and became despondent on the block.

Check it out below…

Song of the Day: Man Of The Moment – Ransom FA

At the forefront of the Scottish Rap scene, RANSOM FA has built a catalogue of outstanding music which thrust him into the centre of UK Rap, conversations with tastemakers and on to line ups with the UK’s most respected stars including Skepta, Mist and M Huncho. His remarkable lyricism and audible accent makes his music stand out from a competitive crowd, as demonstrated in his starring role in season 1 of the BBC’s ‘The Rap Game’ hosted by DJ Target, Krept & Konan and on recent single ‘Table’ which hit the BBC Radio 1Xtra playlist as BBC Introducing ‘Track of the Week’ and was also handpicked as Jack Saunders ‘Next Wave’ on BBC Radio 1.

Celebrating his wins and affirming his position as ‘Man of the Moment’, Ransom FA’s latest single, comes with production from PenHouse and breathes an air of bold, confident lyricism from the Scotsman.

Ransom FA’s sign out of 2020 is a well-deserved one. A passionate activist in using his platform to pass on opportunities for young Scottish artists, his achievements are a result of his motivation to become a notable black figure in the Scottish music industry and not only inspire but also help to pass on his knowledge. Having built his own studio ‘Ransom HQ’ in Aberdeen to give access to upcoming local musicians, Ransom FA has also completed his own TV show alongside Scunthorpe based rapper F.O.S. on BBC 3 – ‘The Rap Trip’ where the duo travelled the UK to discover and explore the burgeoning Rap communities emerging across Great Britain.

2020 has also seen a slew of releases across YouTube and digital platforms, collaborations, premieres with tastemaker sites Link Up and GRM Daily, support across national radio and celebrated entertainment sites, collaborations with Amazon to grace the pages of Notion magazine and has continued to build his upward spiralling fanbase of over 55,000 followers to go alongside the hundreds of thousands of YouTube views and streams that sit across his online repertoire.

Set to have a momentous 2021 that will continue to break through boundaries and elevate his work in music, TV and philanthropy,  like Ransom FA is going to be the ‘Man of the Moment’ for the foreseeable future.

Be sure to check out his EP ‘Momentum’ dropping soon…for now, hit play

New Lease Music’s Top Ten Songs Of 2020

So here it is…NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Songs of 2020!

Here you will find an electric mix of genres – from rock/rap, adult contemporary to fun filled UKG and EDM/pop. Some of the tracks featured reflects the events of 2020, while others serves as great escapism songs.

So knock yourself out and check out the top ten list below…

10. Y -THBENJ

9. M TO THE B – MILLIE B

8. DANK’O’HOLIC – MARINA MASSANOVA

7. FEELS LIKE THE WORLD’S STOPPED TURNING –  DARREN PARRY

6. NEVER THE SAME – KANDA

5. SALT – VOXXEN

4. PHOTOGENIC – ASANDA JEZILE

3. STAGED HAPPINESS -THEO NOBLE

2. HEY – TOM ONE (FT. LAUREN MAY)

1. PAPI CHULO – rich nana