After featuring on the NEW LEASE MUSIC charts over on instagram, claiming the Music Video of the Month title for visuals for track ‘Reach 4 The Stars’, Inspirational rapper MIKE BODY returns with another set of visuals for track, ‘Afterglow’. The single is taken from his latest album, ‘Man Myth Legend’ which claimed the Album of the Month top spot back in May.
Fresh off the back of his most recent trilogy of covers, Uncovered (Volume 2), THEO TAMS shares his latest single, ‘Parallel Universe’ . On a recent trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, the artist teamed up with up and coming producer, Mahrow, to create a global anthem exploring the concept of soulmates and all the myriad directions our connections can go in.
“I get super inspired by travel and I was in the beginning stages of planning my wedding at the time,” explains Tams. “I just started thinking all of those thoughts like ‘What if we never met?’ What if I lived here instead? What would my life look like?’”
The song’s sultry production and vocals capture what Tams describes as that flirtatious energy that comes with travelling and being somewhere new, the feeling that you can be whoever you want to be when you’re out of your comfort zone. Listen to ‘Parallel Universe’ below…
Montreal-raised, Toronto-based certified Afrobop queen, AZIA is claiming her own sovereignty on her debut album, out today (29th September)
Featuring 11 tracks which showcase her unique blend of soulful afropop and R&B, ‘Sovereignty’ is in the words of Aiza herself, “an ode to the many lessons I’ve learned to become the empowered and unapologetic woman I am today.”
“The album dives into my experiences dealing with heartbreak, healing my inner child, honoring my lineage and boldly owning the fact that I’m a star.”
Working with her longtime partner and producer, C The Reason, as well as an established team of collaborators including Divinity Roxx, Beyoncé’s former bassist and music director, Aiza has crafted a collection of songs that own her power.
Sovereignty features previously released singles, including the playful Afropop of ‘Majimbo,’ Aiza’s French language “eff around and find out” anthem, ‘Kité,’ the delectable and self-assured ‘Alright,’ as well as the album’s debaucherous and seductive lead single, ‘Cocoa Butter.’
During the three years it took to complete ‘Sovereignty’, Aiza explains that she “chose to bet on [herself] over and over again, even when [she] had no idea how it would come together.”
Have a listen to ‘Sovereignty’ below…
Must Listens: Cocoa Butter, Black Tea, Majimbo, Kité
Hot on the heels of his last single, ‘Unconditional’, multi-award winning Welsh, singer/songwriter DARREN PARRY has a brand new single waiting to be heartedly embraced by the listeners again entitled ‘Outside Looking In’, out now across various music platforms.
This contemporary piece of earworm Pop was co-written with Rachel Walker Mason. Rachel Walker Mason is a multi-award winning musician, currently writing songs with Grammy Nominees, Billboard Hot 100 Artists, Alumni from The Voice UK and American Idol, Emmy Winners and Independent Country Music Association Award Winners. A highly regarded songwriting and vocal judge, Rachel was a judge for NTA nominated Sing: Ultimate A Cappella on Sky One and is a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, Strive and the Intercontinental Music Awards.
‘Outside Looking In’ was written via Zoom in 2022 as Rachel had heard some of Darren’s songs and got in touch to write. Darren says.“It was great that I was on Rachel’s radar, we had a lot of fun writing this and wrote 90% of it in about a 2 hr Zoom call. I think we had a second short Zoom call to tidy up some loose ends and voila… it was done! I had the chorus idea going around my head for over a year or so before so I played it for Rachel and it struck a chord with her, so that’s the idea we ran with”
Darren recorded and produced the track with young, hip, Swansea producer Dai Griffiths (Dai Griff Productions). Dai has had a lot of success recently with various artists such as BBC Radio Wales Welsh playlist ‘A listers’ Ify Iwobi, Luna Lot and Mal Pope.
Darren’s achievements in music include… 2004 ‘UK Songwriting Champion’ (beating 6000 entries from around the globe), 2014 and 2016 USA ‘Song Of The Year’ contest runner up (judges included Gwen Stefani, Don Henley and Phil Collins), 2019 ISSA Awards ‘International Male Vocalist Of The Year’ Silver Crystal Award winner and multiple other awards from Billboard and Unisong, to name but a few! Darren has co-written songs with hit songwriters like James Warren (The Korgis, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”), Dazzle Music (Charlotte Church), Steve Balsamo (Cliff Richard, Slash, Meatloaf) and many others.
Darren has had a busy year or two with winning the 2021 ISSA (International Singer Songwriters Association) ‘Int. Male Songwriter Of The Year’ Silver Crystal Award in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, writing a song for the new The Korgis album (‘Broken’), having four new songs on Lee Gilbert’s brand new album (‘Take Me As I Am’), including the title track, releasing his own singles, writing for other artists as well as various film and media projects.
‘Outside Looking In’ is a great collaboration between two noteworthy songwriters who manifest a positive, upbeat, slick, contemporary Pop track that sees Darren really showcase his three and a half octave vocal range!
Darren says of his latest offering…”I wanted this song to have a universal message. The song is for anyone and everyone who feels they have ever been ‘outside looking in’, i.e. feeling that the world has brought them down, that the challenges of life are difficult to overcome. There is a scene in the film ‘Trading Places’ (I love that film) where Dan Aykroyd, looking cold, hungry and wet is in the rain, looking through a restaurant window at those inside laughing and enjoying themselves. It’s a real metaphor for what many of us have experienced, that of feeling not part of something, not achieving your true potential. It’s a song about realising that you always had wings (even though you didn’t know it) and now it’s time to open them and fly! Now is the time to have that confidence… it’s your time to shine!”
‘Outside Looking In’ is out on various music platforms from Friday 29th September and forms part of his forthcoming new EP, ‘Learning The Hard Way.’
Hailing from Ipswich, Suffolk, MORGAN SWANN emerges as a captivating musical force, skillfully intertwining his passions for Rap and R&B to create a distinctive sonic tapestry. His journey into the spotlight has garnered recognition from respected platforms such as BBC Introducing, BBC Look East, Complex, Mixtape Madness, and Grime Originals.
Despite stepping onto the music scene via Soundcloud in November 2017, Swann has shown unwavering dedication and an impressive consistency in his output. Demonstrating an impressive range, he takes pride in his ability to seamlessly transition between infectious melodies and his charismatic rap stylings.
Some of Swann’s most resonant tracks include gems like ‘When You Told Me’, ‘Wannabe’, ‘Accusations’, and ‘Stand The Rain’. These offerings have effortlessly captivated listeners, becoming hallmarks of his artistic prowess.
In his latest release, ‘Part Ways’, Swann delves into the world of past love. This standout track, in contrast to his previous “love song” releases, exudes a distinct vibe that sets it apart. With ‘Part Ways’, Swann aims to make his mark in the UK music industry, hoping that this single will be the catalyst to solidify his presence as a notable artist. Through his innovative blend of sounds and unwavering dedication, Morgan Swann paves his own path in the realm of music. Have a listen to ‘Part Ways’ below…