Song of the Day: Celestial Body – Maidin

MAIDIN presents her debut single, ‘Celestial Body’, which showcases her impassioned vocals soaring over melancholic acoustic guitars, echoing harmonies, and velvety-laced soundscapes that gently seduce and envelop the listener for an immersive and heart-wrenching experience.

‘Celestial Body’ details a love that’s just out of reach and a longing to be with someone that you ultimately can’t have. Maidin confides, “the first idea for ‘Celestial Body’ came to me on a beach in July, when the moon was out in the middle of the day. It’s a really unsettling thing to see, as I’m sure most people know. I started thinking of the image of a “celestial body” to represent somebody who I would’ve liked to be close with, but this person was keeping me at a distance. A celestial body is something beautiful, that you can admire and love from far away, but you can’t ever reach. Melodically and musically, the song seemed to come out of thin air.”

Drawing influences from the likes of songwriting powerhouses Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton, along with experimental pop musicians St. Vincent and Sylvan Esso, Maidin aims to create music that captures the vivid storytelling of folk music with a fresh and modern alternative pop sound. Her upcoming releases detail coming-of-age relationships and all the relatable emotions that go hand-in-hand with experiencing love, loss, yearning, and grief. 

Have a listen to the stunning single below…

Song of the Day: Someone New – Ida Elisabeth

IDA ELISABETH is a multi talented singer-songwriter hailing from Norway with the world at her feet. The young troubadour is entirely self taught, and has taken inspiration from fellow generation Z pop stars such as Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande to paint her picture as an artist. She made her debut in late 2020 and since then has gone on to produce more and more of her own tracks, involving interesting synth lines and vulnerable yet strong lyricism.

She returns with another heavy dosage of catchy, melancholic pop, in single ‘Someone new’. Lending herself to her pop sensibilities once more, Elisabeth has crafted together a hugely catchy track that shows off her true vocal ability. Reminiscent of Grande in this track in particular ‘Someone new’ is a synth driven and ever resonating release that will surely pull at the heartstrings of many a music lover. Using transcendent synths and some cool, ambient electronic sounds to fill the air, it’s a song that will draw you with ease.

In what is a track fully produced, written and recorded by Ida, makes her all the more easier to invest and believe in. At still such a young age, she has a limitless potential and ‘Someone New’ is the perfect example of her offering.

Speaking more about the meaning behind ‘Someone New’, Ida explains: “Someone new is about falling in love with a person you originally didn’t plan on getting serious with. Even though you can feel the other person not reciprocating your feelings, you’re desperately holding on to them because you can’t imagine your life without them. You’re willing to be in a one-sided relationship just so you won’t have to see them moving on with someone new.”

Have a listen to ‘Someone New’ below…

Watch Praiz’s Seductive Video For Single, ‘Love You Better’

Multi award winning R&B singer, songwriter, and producer PRAIZ maintains his stature as a beloved curator of high-quality music with the release of his third studio album ‘Reckless’ and lead single ‘Love You Better’.

Encapsulating the best of what Praiz has to offer the Gospelondebeatz production on ‘Love You Better’ is filled to the brim with sensual melodies and silky vocals that are underpinned with a buoyant percussion that uplifts the base of the track. Seamlessly coupled with Praiz’s theme of love and devotion, ‘Love You Better’ pays homage to the nostalgic-yet-familiar afrobeat sound whilst topping it with a modern R&B flair.

Praiz spent his early days in Kaduna and Abuja, after releasing some tracks that were emphatically supported by the local radio stations. He continued chasing his dreams when he moved to Kaduna, making waves within the underground scene but it wasn’t until he took part in reality show ‘MTN Project Fame’ that he caught his big break. After this, his feature on prominent rapper MI’s track propelled him into stardom, this then followed with his collaboration with Bez which became the first African song to premiere on BET 106 & Park.

Since then, Praiz’s career has continued to go from strength to strength, boasting a powerful discography which has seen him collaborate with countless superstars including names such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Sardokie, and Stonebwoy, allowing his unique talents to reach global audiences. Continuing to beat expectations and demonstrate why tastemaker platforms like CLASH have named him as one of the “new icons in Nigerian R&B” – Praiz is well on his way to becoming a household name!

Check out the video for ‘Love You Better’ below…

Song of the Day: You Can’t – FRYA

After racking up over 350,000 streams on her debut album ‘Balance’ in the first two weeks, as well as support from the likes of BBC Radio London, CLASH and Mixtape Madness, sensational Zimbabwean singer, FRYA (pronounced Fre-ya) shares R&B smash ‘You Can’t’, released on Johannesburg based record label Exodus Entertainment.

Tipped for major success by iconic international platforms including GQ, who recently interviewed Frya and identified her as a ‘vocal powerhouse’, the Zimbabwean born singer and songwriter is quickly establishing herself as an international star. Prior to the release of ‘Balance’, her debut body of work, 4 of Frya’s tracks were hand-picked for the soundtrack of Netflix hit series ‘Blood & Water’, all of which feature on the album. As an emerging artist, this is a monumental feat and one which can be attributed to both her music and character. Whilst her colourful life experience, emotion and feelings lend to the empowering, versatile and powerful soundscape that her music delivers, it is also her eloquence and fierce determination that open a world of intrigue in to discovering Frya’s world. Describing her sound as “The modern African woman: Versatile, powerful, bold”, it is clear why the world of music, style and culture are gravitating towards her with features across Notion Magazine, Earmilk and many more already scratching the surface of what is to be found from an artist like Frya.

As FRYA continues to build upon the momentum that she garnered last year, she shares her powerful album ‘Balance’. This project includes a variety of differing sonic styles that all merge to create an unforgettable debut. With songs such as Changes, Back It Up, Chandelier and Calculate already creating a cult-following, after featuring heavily on the soundtrack for ‘Blood and Water’, her captivating allure knows no bounds. Showcasing her versatility, FRYA delivers soul-stirring ballads in tracks like ‘For You’ and ‘Changes’, whilst in tracks like ‘Fire Fire’ and ‘BDE’ she demonstrates a party centric, reggaeton sound. Her debut project sums up the passionate singers’ approach to music, as she strives to create the perfect synergy. Have a listen to ‘You Can’t’ below…

Watch Dax’s Video For Track, ‘Dear Alcohol’

Canadian artist DAX is back with the video for his new personal song ‘Dear Alcohol.’

“‘Dear Alcohol’ is a personal song I wrote,” Dax adds. “Share this with everyone and anyone and let’s make an impact. Somebody out there needs this.” Why not check out the emotive video below…