Following his indefinite break from music and social media over the summer, UK cloud rap artist, producer NTHN returns with single, ‘REINTRODUCTION’, an announcement of his continuation with music and a recount of his journey so far as an artist.
Delivered as spoken word over a haunting, hazy instrumental, he describes his experiences through a stream-of-consciousness approach, directly addressing the listener. In this intimate monologue, NTHN references his previous releases and describes why he continues to create after nearly giving up on music, detailing his struggles with mental health and as an independent artist in a highly competitive industry. The accompanying video shows the artist in silhouette in his home studio where he wrote and recorded his previous project, Skylight EP.
NTHN – also a member of independent collective eighteenSAINT, founded with close friends Fletcher, James & Teorstan – followed up ‘REINTRODUCTION’ with ‘Apologies’, a Dark R&B/Cloud Rap crossover, exploring feelings of unnecessary self-blame and the journey to overcome them.
After watching The Grammys in 2020, TARAH WHO? noticed the presence of rock acts, particularly female-fronted rock bands, were non-existent, and this weighed heavy on her mind for some time.
Tarah Who? was gobsmacked when she listened to some of the rock band’s views of the changes in the current music industry. This is when Tarah Who? reached boiling point and couldn’t sit on the issue anymore – so she took action.
The result is her upcoming single, ‘Push Me’, which she wrote with YUR MUM, who is also featured in the production. Using her unorthodox and non-conformist style and in-your-face, raw lyrics, Tarah Who? uses this single to call out the music industry by speaking up for the mispresented – rock acts, female-fronted rock bands, and independent musicians who work around the clock to get their music some attention.
A plea to the music industry, Tarah Who? hopes their upcoming single will shake up the misrepresentation within the scene, so rock bands, female-fronted rock bands, and struggling independent and unsigned artists can get fair attention from prospective fans- and also make it to the Grammys!
‘Push Me’ is slated for release next Friday (17th December) on various digital music platforms – so please look out for that. But for now, get a taste of Tarah Who?’s previous releases below…
Following the release of his last single, the soulful and aspirational ‘Up & Up (Heavens Above)’, which was supported by the likes of Capital Xtra, KISS FM, Amazing Radio, No Signal, Wordplay Magazine and GUAP Magazine, among others, British rap artist and producer AKS aka the “three letter man” is back with an introspective and deeply personal new single titled ‘PARITY’, as he continues to tease towards his long-awaited third EP As Plane As Day: Departures & Arrivals, which will conclude the South London wordsmith’s long-running ‘Modes of Transport’ EP series.
Produced by AKS himself, under the veiled moniker #3Letters, with live instrumentation from guitarist Adrian Remedy (Ed Sheeran), bass player Benjamin Muralt (Ledisi, Ill Camille, Pixie Lott) and keyboardist Charlie Stacey (Yussef Dayes), ‘Parity’ is a rich and textured rap track, layered with lush synth keys, glorious melodies and vibrant guitar licks, over which AKS wears his heart on his sleeves in truly captivating fashion. Switching up his rap flow into a bouncy melodic quickfire rhyme iteration that captures your attention, AKS speaks honestly to the pressures and aspirations of a black father.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Parity’, AKS says, “The song is about purpose really. The notion that we do the best we can for our kids so that their starting point in life is beyond where ours was. I’m sure that was also our parent’s aim, and in that from generation to generation, there’s a sense of commonality in that. Parity. I wanted to explore generational differences – both the things that separate us from the generations that came before us, and those points of commonality that unite us. Like, wanting the best for your kids is universal right?”
Unpacking the record further, AKS adds that ‘Parity’ was “born out of conversations I was having with other parents about the hopes and dreams that they had for their kids and the struggles they had with their own parents. More and more, I realised that many of the choices that we’re making as parents are the same choices that our own parents were faced with, and try as we might to step with our best foot forward and usher in a world that we’d be happy for our children to inherit, some of those aspirations don’t come to fruition. We’re all learning on the job. Still, we pour out our best for them”.
Heralded as one of the finest lyricists in the UK by the likes of Hypebeast and Okayplayer, with co-signs from Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Jay-Z collaborator Young Guru, AKS has always had a real sense of palpable excitement around his music from fans and critics alike. While his last EP Train Of Thought earned him two nominations at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards, and his last single ‘Up & Up’ was championed by DJ Semtex at Capital Xtra and KISS FM’s Ellie Prohan, the South London native is excited for what’s to come as he gears up to close out his ‘Mode Of Transport’ series in 2022.
Canadian art-pop artist SELCI released her latest single ‘Ghost,’ accompanied by a stunning visual directed by the artist herself. ‘Ghost’ offers a first taste into what will be a fruitful 2022, as Selci puts the finishing touches on a two-part album project, details of which will be announced next month.
Discussing her latest offering, Selci noted that, “it’s about being ghosted – literally and figuratively. The first verse is about the elusiveness of truth. This feels augmented in our current reality with the lack of trustworthy sources and the influx of political conspiracies. The second is about being ghosted by a love interest and washing it away with liquor. The third is an outcry – it gives me the feeling of falling to my knees in surrender to the things that I cannot control in this life. This song is very much a response to the political climate of the past two years. It takes the laments of modern life and compares them to ghosts.”
For Selci, the pairing of music to the visual, is a natural extension of expression. “The video for ‘Ghost’ recreates famous 19th century paintings of mythological women,” she noted. “In contemporary styling we recreated Charles Mengin’s ‘Sappho’, Waterhouse’s ‘Echo and Narcissus’, and Mallais’ ‘Ophelia’. Contemporary dancers dance like ghosts in front of giant human-like statues in Calgary, known as ‘The Brotherhood of Mankind’. In its time, it was created as a celebration of colonization, framing it as a gift to the rest of the world – a dated and simply incorrect view of colonization, and continued harm it has brought to Indigenous peoples.
Continuing with that theme, the scenes of women dancing in red dresses is an intended nod of awareness to the inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada. The final scene – featuring a woman, apple in hand, being clutched by another hand from below, is a commentary on the Garden of Eden, and forced assimilation into the Catholic Church.”
‘Ghost’ follows Selci’s September single ‘Type and Send.’ The two tracks show the versatility and dynamic range of Selci’s sonic palette. And with a two-part album set for 2022, the Selci is ready to take on the world.
Why not check out the epic video for the single below…
GABRIELLE METZ shows her vulnerable side in her cover of Ingrid Andress’ ‘More Hearts Than Mine’, where the young songstress grabs the listener’s attention from the very first note, right to the end with her sometimes gritty vocal combined with her emotional delivery. The deliberately honest lyrics are perfectly conveyed with the silvery vocals from Metz matched with a beautifully simplistic piano line.
“The first time I listened to Ingrid’s song I was immediately transported into her world and felt a deep connection to the lyrics. I typically do not record covers but I have been itching to record this song since 2019.” – Gabrielle Metz
Gabrielle has been nominated for Alabama Music Awards Best Female Country in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. She has also been nominated for Alabama Music Awards Best New Artist in 2018 and 2019. Gabrielle is also on Country Sways 2021 Artist to Watch.
Have a listen to Gabrielle’s stunning cover below…
New Lease Music 