OUT TODAY: Listen to McMillin’s Single, ‘What It Was’

A dynamic Nashville based guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, McMILLIN is a jack of all trades and an artist in every sense of the word. Gaining inspiration from pop, rock, and funk genres, McMillin cannot be put into a box, but rather mends genres seamlessly, becoming what he calls a “fusion artist.”

His new single ‘What It Was’ off starts strong, with four ear-piercing distorted guitar notes quickly followed by a much more mellow beat under a groovy bass riff. McMillins’ smooth voice comes in with “Maybe it’s just better off this way / Some say you begin to die when you refuse to change.” The guitar music stays mellow throughout the chorus with lots of variation in the drum set, a steady beat along with the occasional closed hi-hat and loud crash of a ride cymbal. The song builds throughout each verse adding more and more riffs from the lead guitar and bass guitar giving it that rock-pop sound. McMillin sings “And then it hits you all at once / It never will be what it was.” McMillin accepts that with time comes change but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss what used to be.

Hailing from the music capital of the world, Nashville TN, McMillin has been playing in clubs and bars in the heart of music city and beyond. Combining the elements of poetic dark pop with funk and rock components, McMillin creates a truly immersive, revolutionary musical adventure.

Currently, McMillin is representing Rolling Stone as the frontman for the Rolling Stone Rock Room featured on Holland America Cruise Lines. McMillin describes the guitar as “his one true love” and this is clear as his talents of lead guitar playing, as well as his impressive rock vocals, are on full display in this electrifying show. Their itineraries include the Mediterranean and Scandinavia, as well as most of the Caribbean.

‘What It Was’ is out today (1st September). Have a listen below…

Song of the Day: I Kissed A Girl – April Jai

London’s singer-songwriter APRIL JAI returns, this time to the blog’s Song of the Day hot spot, with a nostalgic summer feel cover of ‘I Kissed A Girl’ – the latest in a string of singles from the independent artist. Delicate acoustic guitars blend with an indie pop feel, April Jai has brought a brand new vibe to the 2008 Katy Perry hit, bringing it forward to suit the current musical landscape.

April Jai says of her cover: “I’ve been a huge fan of Katy Perry since I was a kid and I absolutely love making covers and changing them to suit my own style. I had a blast making this cover and love that it has that coming of age, end of summer nostalgic feel to it”

Making a name for herself on the London pop scene with her chilled production style and emotionally heavy lyrics, April’s TikTok viral hit ‘It Ends with Us’ saw her rack up over 500K streams for the
release on Spotify; meanwhile her previous more sultry alt pop release ‘Stop Fighting It’ emerged as her first release since her sold-out headline show in December at London’s Troubadour –
proving her potential to translate online viral attention into a real-life fanbase.

With a growing catalogue of heartfelt releases under her name, like the latest single ‘You Didn’t Notice’ and November’s pop- rock flavoured ‘Not Like the Movies’, April Jai’s personal pop numbers matched with her natural storytelling abilities sees her continuing to attract listeners from around the world, tapping into the ups and downs of navigating life and relationships. Now ready to continue her natural progression into the upper sphere of the pop world, ‘I Kissed A Girl’ is something new and exciting from the Scottish native – April Jai is undeniably one to watch. Have a listen below…

Song of the Day: Anticipate – Xenia Manasseh

Introducing the Kenyan-born, Los Angeles-based XENA MANASSEH and her new single ‘Anticipate’ featuring fellow Kenyan artist Karun. The ethereal new single is imbued with 90s R&B sensibilities as the two artists unite, their hypnotic voices sizzling over a glittering, cinematic production. The single marks the latest taste from Xenia’s forthcoming much-anticipated 11-track debut LP Love/Hate Pt.1 slated for release on 1st September.

‘Anticipate’ appears alongside recent release ‘Temporary Love’ on Love/Hate Pt.1, the two singles marking an exciting taste of what’s to come from this ineffable debut. The beautifully curated album sees Xenia blend complex, intricate productions with appearances from the likes of Tay Iwar and Shalom Dubas.

Xenia Manasseh is a breathtaking global rising talent. Blending an eclectic offering of R&B shot-through with flavours of afro-soul, the emerging artist has already worked with the likes of Teyana Taylor, Burna Boy, GoldLink and more. With two EPs under her belt, 2019’s Falling Apart and 2022’s Maybe which includes the single ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ (1M+ Spotify streams) and support from Spotify (Xenia has been an ‘EQUAL’ and ‘RADAR’ ambassador), Xenia is making waves as an artist who blends stunning lyrical relatability with lush vocals and intricate songwriting. Have a listen to ‘Anticipate’ below…

Out Today: Olaedo Ibe Releases Empowering Single, ‘Golden Skin’ ft. Rae Rae

London’s Gospel songbird OLAEDO IBE releases her brand new single, ‘Golden Skin’, out today (24th August) across various music platforms. Wrapped in a smooth Afrobeat vibe and R&B undertones, the single is taken from Olaedo Ibe’s third album also called Golden Skin, coming out very soon.

Featuring fellow UK gospel singer RAE RAE, ‘Golden Skin’ touches on sensitive topics such as colourism and skin bleaching but ends with a message of love, hope and self-acceptance. The single also makes a comparison between skin and gold, encouraging the listener to be happy the way they are. Olaedo Ibe’s favourite line of the song is bridge which says: “Whatever you were born in God has made a way for you to win.”

Initially, ‘Golden Skin’ was a source of self-encouragement for Olaedo and she sang to herself whilst working as a nurse. However, when she started working on Dermatology units, Burns and Plastic surgery, the focus of the single changed as she witnessed men and women use harmful products on their skin to lighten their skin tone. Her passion grew on this topic when she read a report by the World Health Organisation indicated that over 70% of Nigerian women use skin bleaching products, increasing the risk of skin cancer, liver damage, kidney damage and thinning skin.

‘Golden Skin’ is also used to create awareness about the British skin foundation to raise funds for skin research.

Born in London to Nigerian parents, Olaedo Ibe started out singing in church and local events from a young age and quickly found her forte in combining music with words of empowerment that’s relatable and touching to people, regardless of race, background and religious beliefs. Her crossover appeal gave her the opportunity to share the stage with Motown legend Peobo Bryson.

Olaedo Ibe released her debut EP, ‘Shine Like Gold’ in 2015, which gained a nomination for the MOBO Premier Gospel Music and Urban music award later that year. She followed up with her second EP, ‘Grow to Glow’ in 2018 which features ‘Lead Me’, ‘Good Life’, featuring Leke and Becca Folkes, and ‘Fill Us’ (a Children’s song). All three tracks from the EP claimed the top ten spot on the UK Christian Chart.

To date, Olaedo has accumulated over 100,000 combined views on her Youtube channel, over 80,000 combined streams on Spotify and over 53,000 combined streams on Soundcloud.

Out today (24th August) across various music platforms, ‘Golden Skin’ forms part of Olaedo Ibe’s third album also called Golden Skin, coming out soon. Check out the revitalising single below…

Follow Olaedo Ibe via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/OlaedoIbe
T: https://twitter.com/Olaedomusic
IG: https://www.instagram.com/olaedomusic/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@olaedomusic

Song of the Day: My Lover – YXL Ayo

YXL AYO [YXL-eye-o] lines up his captivating summer smash ‘My Lover’.

Produced by Tosxn Beats and engineered by Kingsley Boyden, ‘My Lover’ delivers an Afro-fusion groove fused with hip-hop and R&B elements— nods to YXL Ayo’s influences including the likes of Mario, WizKid and Maleek Berry. The trendy yet luscious production work caters perfectly to YXL Ayo’s vocal performance, a marriage of multi-genre stylings which culminates in a soulful bounce. This produces an undeniably infectious record which sounds primed to take over the season.

YXL Ayo is preparing to release a brand new EP later this year…keep an eye out for that…but for now, check out his sensual joint below…