Each week, we feature some fresh new releases from emerging and established talent from around the world, these are highlighted on our New Music Spotlight playlist on Spotify, but we also share a handful of artists in our round-up who are making waves.
You can read more features in our Music + Culture section.
Bimini – Tommy’s Dream
Rising super star, Bimini, who rose to fame from Season 2 of Drag Race UK has released an incredible and immersive new single, Tommy’s Dream.
Speaking on the releases, Bimini says, “Tommy’s Dream is about reflection and looking back on your goals and achievements. It’s optimistic but also comes from a place of vulnerability and aspiration. It’s about going back to childhood innocence, and the hope you have at that time.”
Hard at work in the studio over the last year, lots of new music is set to come from Bimini, and we love Tommy’s Dream as an introduction to their growing sonic universe. With inspirations from the likes of Olive’s You’re Not Alone, Tommy’s Dream features luscious strings, a textured house-hybrid energy, along with meaningful and conscious lyricism and a dimensional vibe with a mix of finely tuned vocals and Bimini’s signature UK rap style delivery reminiscent of The Streets and their first vocal appearance in Cats: The Rusical on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. We are here to stan.
Kali Uchis – NO HAY LEY
Grammy-winning artist Kali Uchis has unveiled a brand new video for her latest single, NO HAY LEY. Directed by Torso Solutions, styled by Georgia Pendlebury and shot in Paris amidst bustling crowds and restless city streets, Uchis is every inch the icon in this breathtaking new visual.
NO HAY LEY continues a wildly successful few years for Uchis, whose Grammy-nominated 2020 album Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞ spawned the runaway hit telepatía. The track has been streamed more than two billion times to date and topped Billboard’s Latin Airplay and Latin Pop Airplay charts, plus the Latin Digital Song Sales chart for ten weeks straight. With a 23-week streak, it is the Billboard Hot 100’s longest running Spanish song by a solo act this decade.
COBRAH – BRAND NEW BITCH
Stockholm based artist and multi-hyphenate COBRAH returns with the video for her recent single, BRAND NEW BITCH. Tinged with industrial club-focused production and powerful, liberatory lyrics of self-love and transformation, BRAND NEW BITCH is another incendiary statement of intent from the inimitable artist, a futuristic cyber-pop banger destined to soundtrack dancefloors worldwide. The searing visual accompaniment shows COBRAH being reborn in a dark and otherworldly backdrop, emerging seductive and confident in her own power.
Emerging as one of the most vital new voices of the thriving pop underground with her trailblazing brand of BDSM electropop, BRAND NEW BITCH is COBRAH’s first single since the anthemic GOOD PUSS, which celebrated queer identity and sexuality, and the more recent remix featuring a guest verse from Chicago rapper CupcakKe.
GOOD PUSS featured on her sensational self-titled EP COBRAH last year, which has over 13 million streams and was nominated for a Swedish Grammy, the followup to thrillingly subversive debut EP ICON in 2019. Celebrated amongst fashion circles, her track TEA was featured in a recent Jean Paul Gaultier spot and DEBUT soundtracked Mugler’s FW21 show.
Laura Lizcano – Major Tom
Setting the tone with immersive textures and strummed guitar, Laura Lizcano opens Major Tom with intrigue and dimensionality.
We learn that the song is centred around the main character in David Bowie‘s legendary Space Oddity. The rising artist from Philadelphia explores what might have happened to Major Tom once he lost contact with ground control.
The opus features powerful vocals and an original string arrangement written by contemporary composer Nick Lombardelli for The Daedalus Quartet. The composition communicates the effect Major Tom’s loss might have had on those left behind in the form of a one-sided conversation, as she asks, “Where are you now?” and questions, “Is it lonely out there? Are you hungry? Are you scared?”
Major Tom comes with a dimensional music video created with Supervoid.tv’s Matt Keppler, where Laura Lizcano tells the story of Major Tom’s forlorn widow, as she attempts to grapple with the loss of her partner. We appreciate Laura’s performance and epic delivery, as well as the interpretive dance performed by Almanac Dance Circus Theatre.
TRYHARD – Taxi
Establishing the mood with vibrant synths, clicks and the situational lyrics, “Get in the car just drive, anywhere at all, fall asleep in your backseat…”, TRYHARD opens Taxi with a narrative and charm.
Expanding into an alternative electronica soundscape, Taxi is an ode to young love that explores the themes of hedonism and self-doubt. Speaking on the release, the rising star from Australia says, “Taxi is the song people ask about the most. I sent an early demo of it to a few friends to check out and someone leaked it. Somehow the demo ended up getting shared around and played at parties, so I thought it was about time I released it myself”.
Produced by Matt McGuffie (of Gold Coast indie-pop band Ivey) and inspired by Lorde’s Melodrama era, Taxi is the latest addition to a growing catalogue of singles by the Melbourne-based artist, as he creates a universe of his own. We appreciate the authenticity and depth that TRYHARD shares and have added Taxi to our New Music Spotlight playlist.
jnr. – A Friend
Setting the tone with immersive synth textures and persuasive detailing, jnr. opens A Friend with the assertive lyrics and sage advice, “It’s never gonna work when you’re fucking a friend…”
The opus expands into a dream pop soundscape, as jnr. takes us through the concept of a complicated romantic scenario. The lyrics explore the complexities of mixing business with pleasure in a relationship.
A Friend showcases dimensional production, fused cohesively with jnr.‘s charismatic performance. Fans of The 1975, SG Lewis, LANY, PC Music and Tinashe will be able to connect with jnr.‘s sound, although it is clear that he is creating a vibe of his own. We appreciate the earworm of a hook, which is playing on loop in our minds, and jnr.‘s smooth vocal timbre, which is mesmerising.
Fendahlene – Get Over It (Kevin Shirley Mix)
Kicking off with a vibrant alternative rock soundscape, Fendahlene open the Kevin Shirley Mix of Get Over It with the situational and introspective lyrics, “I know you’re furious, this is serious, how did we let this get so out of hand?”
The composition expands with poetic prowess and dimensional instrumentation to deliver a thought-provoking song about “dealing with the built-up frustrations caused by situations spiralling out of control, when eyes and ears are wilfully shut down to any logical arguments or suggested solutions.”
We appreciate the depth with which Fendahlene creates, and the quality of the new mix by Kevin Shirley (Silverchair, Black Crowes, Joe Bonamassa) who recently produced and mixed the highly acclaimed Iron Maiden album Senjutsu. The opus was mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios, London.