After grabbing the Song of the Day hotspot with latest single ‘Livin’ back in June, British songstress CILLA RAIE makes a sultry return with a brand new video for the single, produced by grime producer Treble Clef.
Blending in her delicate soulful vocals with the smoothest grime influences, ‘Livin’ is about embracing who you are and living your life to the fullest despite what people may say. The three-and-a-half production features Cilla in various photo sessions, living her life without a worry in the world.
‘Livin’ is out now across various music platforms…why not check out the video below…
South African hip hop artist FLVME returns with second single, ‘Prayers Up’, following the major success of his first release ‘Let Me Down’.
From landing the top position on a coveted South African hip hop chart on 5FM’s 5 Nights, to a national press tour that included interviews on top local stations, features in all leading South African music publications as well as TV appearances, the release of ‘Let Me Down’ catapulted the South African rapper into a household name as he paves the way to the 9 September release of his full-length project Germander II.
‘Prayers Up’, a song that just exposes my faith, belief and relationship with God. Living in the world and how it is today, I just feel like it’s only right to stay prayed up. It’s also about embracing myself as a flawed human being and understanding that the future is never promised. So it’s just me trying to find balance between all the high and lows, staying ready for any outcome and more importantly, living in the moment,” he says.
Los Angeles-based vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist CASSIE MARIN‘s single, ‘Lil 5i5’ is the final release from her much-anticipated album, also titled ‘Lil 5i5’, out from last Friday (12th August.)
‘Lil 5i5,’ was the first song Cassie wrote for the project and the one that would inspire the trajectory of the rest of the album. The song is a perfect encapsulation of the album, showcasing Cassie’s trademark saccharine vocals and infectious, glittery synth-pop production.
Cassie elaborates on the title track: “While writing ‘Lil 5i5’ I got to this place where I was more forgiving of my inherited and learned limiting beliefs. I was no longer beating myself up about them and I decided to have fun shedding all of this stuff that did not belong with my identity and values. I allowed myself to just let go and be honest, but also not take myself too seriously and have fun. I hope the listeners are able to feel that for themselves when they hear it.”
Constantly exploring new musical and visual dimensions, Cassie Marin has emerged as an avant-garde luminary in the left-of-center pop space. Her upcoming album, Lil 5i5, which will be out on August 12th, is a dynamic 19-track album that shows off Cassie ever-evolving musicality. Pairing the rhythms of dance music with emotive melodies and meaningful lyricism, Lil 5i5 sees Cassie at her strongest and most vulnerable yet. “I started pursuing music as a career because of what music did and still does for me; it saves me every day,” she says. “I want my music to be there for anyone and everyone who needs it the way that music was there for me.”
BEKREATIVE continues his run of releases with summer ready joint ‘Pan Mi (On Me)’.
The American artist/producer promises to dish out a string of singles throughout the year, covering an assortment of genres – anything from rock, pop fusions and country music.
He certainly didn’t disappoint with his latest release as he produces a tropical fusion of reggae and Afrobeats, which evoke the feeling of disappearing on a holiday to one of the caribbean islands.
Keep your eyes peeled on this guy as he has a lot more coming your way…but for now, have a listen to ‘Pan Mi (On Me)’
Toronto based, accomplished R&B songstress JAYD INK makes a welcome return with her smooth, meditative and self-reflective new single ‘Queen St’. Marking her first release since 2021’s ‘Way to Long’ with Snowk and following on from the huge success of ‘LowKey’ with fellow artist Full Crate, Jayd links up now with none other than SZA’s ‘Good Days’ producer Los Hendrix, to deliver a sentimental track enveloped in class, oozing with flair and dripping in complete and utter finesse.
Demonstrating yet again that she is an exciting contender in the realms of R&B royalty, ‘Queen St’ is quietly confident, intuitive and gorgeously understated. Reminiscent of the unmistakable sounds from the classic 90’s R&B era, Jayd manages to capture the essence of the greats all whilst weaving her own unique threads into the rich, vibrant tapestry of her music.
With more to it than initially meets the eye ‘Queen St’ was penned during the pandemic and became an outlet for Jayd to contemplate her internal, introspective narrative. The single found its name later on in the writing process and if you’re familiar with Toronto you may be well attuned to the place in which it pertains to, as Jayd explains:
“To clear my head, I like to go for a ride, play some music or just drive in silence. This record is about sitting with yourself and going for that late drive to unwind from the day. Queen Street is a popular street in Toronto, it’s where the majority of people do most of their shopping and hang out. During lockdown, it was deserted, so it was a perfect drive and I’d never seen it so empty. Whilst I was going for these rides I found myself exploring my city with fresh eyes, connecting with it in new ways and just learning to appreciate the memories that I’d had here and this particular street struck a chord and really stood out to me, like never before.”
With this newest offering it’s crystal clear that Jayd Ink has nothing to prove, carrying herself with the well earned knowledge that she has carved out her own exclusive path in the industry, in which she continues to bloom, flourish and grow at a pace defined by her. Prepare for a Summer of splendour as Jayd gets set to reveal her upcoming EP ‘Catching Red Lights’.
Check out the official video for Jayd Ink’s video below…
