Song of the Day: Queen St – Jayd Ink

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…

Watch DEVN’s New Video For Smooth Track, ‘Wild’

Almost a year since his guest feature on Dreamville rapper Lute’s record “Myself”, North Carolina’s R&B newcomer DEVN shares the official Cinecerly-directed music video for his new single, ‘Wild’. Produced by Arnold Obonyo, the song is about being wildly in love, and romantically obsessed with someone. The video plays out over the track’s subdued instrumentals, complimented by tinted lighting, and capped by an unexpected twist.

Speaking of the seductive production, DEVN says: “I wanted to capture that feeling on this record. I was inspired by patterns that I observed in relationships, whether that be my own or someone else’s. We all experience that moment of obsession and I wanted to play with that idea. We must acknowledge the fact that relationships have highs and lows, and realize that the romantically obsessive parts are passing moments, and grow with our partners past that. The video depicts what happens when we don’t get past those unhealthy feelings.”

‘Wild’ will serve as one of three new songs on the deluxe version of DEVN’s St. Luke St. EP, set to release 9th September via Soulspazm. For now, check out the video for the single below…

Crystal Starr Is ‘Head Over Heels’ In Brand New Single.

Two-time award-winning recording artist CRYSTAL STARR‘s new single, ‘Head Over Heels’, is an undeniable love song not to be overlooked that projects you right in the middle of two current HIT TV shows, “Stranger Things” and “Physical.” Sporting dreamy soundscapes that transports you on a sunny beach, ‘Head Over Heels’ enters a time machine into the fleeting feeling of the 80’s, the soundtrack of endless love and ruthless hope.

Speaking about the catchy, Crystal says, “I wrote the song based on the love I saw my grandparents have for each other growing up. The type of love that doesn’t fade, or envy, or leave when someone gets upset at one another. The type of love that is not selfish and self-seeking.”

Known for her hit songs like ‘All Mine’, ‘I Still Love You’, ‘Again’ and her album #She, Crystal Starr is a timeless artist with an unmistakable voice. Her second album, #She was an inspiration for women to come together and celebrate the power of unity.

‘Head Over Heels’ is taking from Cystral’s forthcoming album, Popstarr. The album track is produced by Grammy Award-winning American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Keith Harris, best known for his work on the Black Eyed Peas’; “Imma Be” and Estelle’s “American Boy”, and record producer and engineer Renard Hughes.

Have a listen to the single below…

Song of the Day: Airout – BeKeative x Anthemusiq

After recently scooping the blog’s Song of the Week title with latest track Fenin, BEKREATIVE is not slowing down anytime soon. Instead, he digs deep into his archive and drops his 2019 cut ‘Airout’. For this joint, he taps New Orleans’ rapper Anthemusiq who drops some peppery-slick bars over a deeply menacing b-line.

Expect more music from BeKreative throughout the year…but for now, hit play on one of his throwbacks below…

Song of the Day: No Reason – DUUO

Chase and Nov, otherwise known as hip-hop act DUUO, have worked with Grammy winning and nominated producers like T-Minus, Boi 1da and Wondagurl.

Now the guys have hooked up with multi-platinum artist Rich Homie Quan (releasing music under Rich Homiez) for their third single of the year, ‘No Reason.’ Delivered through a bed of seriously infectious ‘trap-hop’ beats, ‘No Reason’ is about living in the moment and going through the motions.

DUUO explains their inspiration for the single: “One day we were in the studio recording ’til 9am with our mentor… Next, we were spending $100,000 in cash at the jewelry store. So lately, our motto has been “one life to live.” Do what makes you happy for “No Reason.”

Well, here’s your chance to check out ‘No Reason’ below…