Song of the Day: 90s Baby – Ria Marie

Full of soulful pop melodies and mellow R&B beats, RIA MARIE‘s single, ’90s Baby’ is steeped in nostalgia – bringing up a wealth of unmistakable 90s references. Certain to spark childhood memories, Ria puts a nostalgic spin on a classic love song with her intimate vocals.

To say that singing is in her blood would be an understatement. A distant relative of the trailblazing Carter Family and the daughter of a singing prodigy associated with musical legends such as Whitney Houston and Bob Marley, Ria has always had an undeniable passion for creating music. Hear for yourself…listen to Ria’s epic single below…

Song of the Day: Stay Focused – BLKGLD

Hailing from Croydon and of Jamaican descent, identical twins Shereen and Sophia aka BLKGLD enchant us with their beautiful and buttery vocals through their debut single, ‘Stay Focused’ out now on all major download/streaming platforms.

The single innately evokes a nostalgic feeling that transports back to the 90s with their effortless fusion of R&B and Dancehall. This irresistible number has slow wine written all over it, and the meandering baseline is mixed in with a tropical xylophone vibe.

With a musical encyclopedia that is rich with the heart and soul of R&B, the girls site Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Destiny’s Child, TLC,  Boyz 2 Men and Usher  amongst some of their biggest inspirations and influences and their sound marries this together with a contemporary twist. Crediting their seasoned soulful voices to their dad who also sang and often was likened to Nat King Cole himself, it’s no coincidence to why BLKGLD are slaying it.

Cementing their rightful place within the UK music scene and beyond, they have already received co-signs from notable names in dancehall, including Beanie Man and The Fanatix. Their soulful renditions of many classic and future hits have already gained some exciting traction, amassing millions of views across all social media platforms, leading to the duo performing alongside Migos and the late Juice Wrld last summer.

Keeping 100% focused, BLKGLD are ones to watch for 2020…check out the video for their debut below…

Song of the Day: The Way You Love – Rèe Cliene

South London born singer-songwriter RÉE CELINE graces the blog with her debut single, ‘The Way You Love’ (#TWYL)

‘The Way You Love’ may be her first offering as a solo artist, but Rée has been enchanting audiences with her silky, soprano vocals for years. Often compared to Ariana Grande, H.E.R, Jhené Aiko and Brandy, the young songstress has worked on the UK Music scene providing backing vocals for Buddy, Jermain Jackman, Yxng Bane and Charlotte.

Showing lyrical and vocal maturity at just 19 years old ‘The Way You Love’, (#TWYL) explores themes of her first love and the idea of being lost in love. Through this silky smooth joint, Rée was inspired by diverse influences such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Brandy.

Out now on all download and streaming sites, ‘The Way You Love’ is taken from her forthcoming  EP ‘Deserve’. Check it out below:

Song of the Day: Paris! – AYLØ

NEW LEASE MUSIC is very proud to introduce the exciting genre fluid artist and producer AYLØ onto today’s hotspot. The fast-rising rapper, singer, songwriter and beatsmith is one of the seminal Nigerian creatives, alongside the likes of Odunsi The Engine and Santi, who are pioneering the seminal and innovative fusion sound coming out of Africa, popularly known as alté, which is currently making waves, disrupting the sound and culture on the continent, and quickly gaining traction and attention internationally.

Firmly steeped in alternative R&B, neo soul, hip hop and afropop music sensibilities, while drawing inspiration from a widely varied pool including Fela Kuti, DMX, Whitney Houston, Sade, Herbie Hancock, Soulection, J. Cole, and Andre 3000, AYLØ’s soulful, warm and hazy sounds, as highlighted on his fan-favourite cult classics like ‘Island Girl’, ‘Gardens’ and ‘LITT’, have amassed over a million streams on Soundcloud and Spotify, alone.

His latest single ‘PARIS!’ is co-produced with fellow alté frontrunners Le Mav and Odunsi The Engine, and is the first offering from his forthcoming mixtape DNT DLT, which is due for release on July 30. ‘DNT DLT’ is the long awaited follow up to his critically acclaimed 2017 album Insert Project Name and his 2016 Honest Conversations EP.

Check it out below:

 

 

Song of the Day: Closer – IIDimensionz

 

II DIMENSIONZ stolen today’s hotspot with debut single ‘Closer’ taken from their upcoming debut EP ‘Love From Above’ out this month.

Featuring special guest vocals from Mark Asari and rapper Nick Brewer (Island Records) ‘Closer’ is a smooth slice of soulful R&B with plenty of old school vibes including a big nod to Rosie Gaines classic ‘Closer than Close’.

Whilst inviting special guests in for vocals all song writing, instrumentation and production is done by the boys themselves, and they’re keen to keep control of all aspects of creativity, something they’ve learned from their dads – who were both in the music business.

II DIMENSIONZ are cousins Nathan and Jermaine Williams, born and raised in East London. Their dads played with the likes of Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan and LL Cool, so the boys were brought up with music in their blood. “We were taken to watch band rehearsals and gigs and sharing the excitement of watching our fathers perform live was a huge inspiration. It laid the foundations to our own musical journey.”

Debut 4-track EP ‘Love From Above’ is described by the duo as a modern-day take on classic 80’s soul with 90’s R&B. Alongside the single, ‘Closer’ the EP also includes the tracks ‘Waiting Room,’ ‘Coming Together’ and a deep house edit of ‘Closer.’

Check out the live performance of the single.