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.
Gorillaz – Silent Running
Fresh off a world tour playing to over 1.5 million delighted fans across 24 countries, Gorillaz are kicking off 2023 with the highly anticipated release of brand new track Silent Running featuring Adeleye Omotayo.
Silent Running is taken from the band’s upcoming new studio album Cracker Island and was the first track worked on by Gorillaz and eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter extraordinaire Greg Kurstin at his studio in Los Angeles last year. Those early sessions revealed an evocative synth-led ‘80’s sound that ultimately set the tone for the album sonically. Silent Running features vocalist and long-time Gorillaz performer Adeleye Omotayo, and has what Albarn describes as “… that sort of mesmerising dreamlike state you get in when you’re just following some train of thought.”
Gorillaz frontman 2D adds, “Sometimes I get well lost and end up in the wrong place but then it turns out that’s where I was meant to be going anyway.”
The new single release comes ahead of an epic music video for Silent Running, directed by artist and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett and the Emmy-nominated Nexus Studios director, Fx Goby.
Rita Ora – You Only Love Me
2023 marks the dawn of a new era for one of the most successful British female artists of the 21st century, Rita Ora, as she releases brand new single You Only Love Me today.
Co-written by Rita and produced by Lewis Thompson, You Only Love Me is inspired by her personal experience of feeling vulnerable at the very start of her romantic journey. Underpinned by love and passion the song opens with a voice memo from Oscar and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi. You Only Love Me is an infectious, upbeat pop anthem guaranteed to soundtrack fans’ very own love stories and be a floor filler for months to come.
Rita confesses, “With ‘You Only Love Me’ and my upcoming album, I wanted to capture the vulnerability I’ve experienced as I opened myself up to love and entered a new phase of life. Learning to let go of the past to make way for new experiences is a deeply personal process, and one I felt compelled to document through my music – the journey was not always easy, but I’ve come out of it stronger and filled with more love than I ever thought possible.”
You Only Love Me is the first track to be lifted from the internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter’s highly anticipated upcoming album – a deeply personal body of work intrinsically linked to a new chapter in Ora’s life and career. It is also Rita’s first release since inking a partnership with BMG, which will see her own all her future master recordings and enjoy artistic control in a way that she hasn’t had previously. Next Wednesday, 1st February, Rita will make her debut performance of the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The accompanying music video for You Only Love Me, directed by acclaimed creative Charlie Sarsfield and shot in the LA suburbs, premiered globally on MTV today and is one of Rita’s favourites made to date. Depicting a fictional wedding through the lens of a Stepford Housewives meetsAlice in Wonderland style narrative, it features hyperreal scenes of a bride’s big day turned tumultuously upside-down, (with overzealous “badmaids”, the venue going up in flames and more), and cameos from well-wishers Kristen Stewart, Lindsay Lohan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Chelsea Handler, Addison Rae, cake delivery boy Alexander Stewart and fairy godmother Sharon Stone.
Wild Horse – Cougar
Drawing us in with exquisite guitar licks, a luscious frequency and intricate drums, Wild Horse open Cougar with charisma and narrative-based lyricism. The opus expands into a indie-pop meets alternative rock energy with smart and quirky add libs, choral harmonies and poetic prowess.
We appreciate the story that Wild Horse share with the song and the vulnerability and openness that the band exude as they recount their lived experience engaging with a “cougar”.
Speaking on the meaning of the song, frontman Jack Baldwin confesses, “Cougar is the tale of a lonely housewife who starts using psychedelics and visiting younger men to escape the pain of real life and her failing marriage. Told from the point of view of one of her conquests who sings “like a deer under the headlights I find myself drawn into your life”, the track expresses secret desires, bitter regrets and sweet oblivion.”
Jack continues, “The song’s ending refrain of “how sweet the sound” features the soulful gospel vocals of Jalissa Livermore and reminds everyone that even if you know it won’t end well, you can’t turn back. It simply feels too good.”
We adore what White Horse share with their artistry through authenticity and depth, and have added Cougar to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream Bitter and Joy Ride!
volsi – Flight Back
Establishing the mood with an immersive soundscape featuring panning synths and nuanced electronica, volsi opens Flight Back with a sense of dimensionality and intrigue as he shares his introspective prose.
We immediately appreciate the vulnerability and authentic energy that volsi shares with his lyricism, taking us on an introspective journey through his mind and spirit.
Speaking on the release of Flight Back, volsi tells us, “This song is a reflection of my current state of mind, trying to make sense of life’s journey at the age of 22. Feeling lost and confused, I wanted to express that emotion in an upbeat way that gives comfort to others in the same situation. By connecting with listeners, I hope to create a sense of understanding and provide solace for those uncertain about their direction in life.”
We’re grateful that volsi chose to convey his emotions through the medium of Flight Back, and we have added the song to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream volsi‘s wider discography!
Adam Naas – Goldie and the Kiss of Andromeda
After moving from Paris to London, rising artist Adam Naas returns with his second album Goldie and the Kiss of Andromeda. We recently featured his single, Forever Mine and are still obsessed with Adam’s vocal timbre and nostalgic sound as he shares his alternate dimension with the record.
Evocative harmonies and an immersive art rock soundscape accompany the star as he takes us on an adventure with his metaphorical lyricism and charismatic performance flare. His vocal stylings are often compared to the elasticity of Jeff Buckley and the low vibrato of ANOHNI, but it is clear that Adam Naas is creating a universe of his own.