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.
PinkPantheress + Ice Spice – Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2
Rising superstar, Ice Spice has hopped on a new remix of PinkPantheress’ Boy’s a Liar. The orange haired icon delivers the prose, “He say that I’m good enough grabbin’ my duhduhduh, thinkin’ bout shit that I shouldn’ta, so I tell him there’s one of me he making fun of me, his girl is a bum to me like that boy is a cap, saying he home but I know where he at like…”
Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2 comes with an engaging visual shot in New York featuring evocative performance from both artists, a lot of pink and dancers/ PinkPantheress didn’t make many tweaks to the original (co-produced with Mura Masa), aside from the awesome feature from Ice Spice.
With reference to how this all came about, PinkPantheress confesses, “Boy’s a Liar remix came about entirely on social media. I saw that [Ice Spice] followed me because I was on Instagram, and I never go on Instagram. I thought it was cool because I didn’t think she even knew who I was. I popped in [the DMs] and said, ‘Whenever you’re in the UK, I’d love to meet.’ I think she’s really cool, above the music and everything. She said she was a fan [of mine], and I was like, ‘OK, amazing.’”
NEO 10Y – GODDEX
Drawing us in with a refined, psychedelic synth, textured riser, and immersive drums, NEO 10Y opens GODDEX with luscious, atmospheric vocals as they seductively deliver the opening prose, “Thembo Goddex you made me feel at one, with you… and you think I’m sexy too...”
The opus expands to evoke a tantric vibe as the artist invites us to connect with our inner deity. The non-binary love song is laced with unique themes and transcendental concepts which are designed to help us remember the GODDEX energy within.
The chorus of GODDEX taps into NEO 10Y’s rockstar constitution as he chants the mantra “Thembo Goddex Energy”, allowing us to remember that we are more than just mere mortals, but the universe itself. Speaking on the theme of the release, NEO 10Y confesses, “When GODDEX came to me as a download, I knew its purpose was to help us tap into the universal source energy that flows through us all…”
The second verse and hybrid bridge features expansive power pop harmonies, creating a cohesive and sensual tapestry of sound which the star has been consistent in delivering with his artistry since his debut in 2016. Psychedelic synth work, exquisite string accompaniment and cerebral nuances all contribute to the track’s out of this world energy, taking us on a journey through time, space and the quantum psyche of the visionary artist. Read more here.
flowerovlove – Love You
Today, legend in the making flowerovlove shares her new single Love You, which marks her radiant first offering of music in 2023. Widescreen and swooningly romantic, flowerovlove’s spellbinding vocals are spotlighted in the song’s lush and textured soundscape, as she sings about the importance of celebrating universal love and camaraderie to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
flowerovlove says of the track, “Love You is an incredibly magical song I wrote with my brother!! The song is about universal love, all inclusive love. This is a love song that can be sung about anyone – your mum, your dog, your best friend or even your grandmother!! Within the theme of love Valentine’s Day came to my mind as the song celebrates love, so releasing it close to Valentine’s day is perfect! I want everyone to feel nostalgia from love you and to be able to connect it to a loved one.”
At just 17, flowerovlove is poised for superstardom, already hotly-tipped in the music & fashion world, being picked as one of i-D, CLASH, Notion and Nylon’s ones to watch for 2022 and NME, DIY, The Forty Five and PORTER’s ones to watch for 2023.
Scary Luke – Freaky Forever / All My Friends Are Peng
Rising artist, Scary Luke opens Freaky Forever with a playful and cerebral energy fusing elements of hyperpop and drill, as we are immersed into a synthetic hybrid universe, full of nuance and intricate sonic design.
We love the out of this world vibe, as a cute video game inspired voice invites us to “level up”, before we experience Scary Luke‘s empowering vocals in the All My Friends Are Peng, which is naturally an ode to the beautiful people that the London creative surrounds himself with. We deeply appreciate how cohesive the songs are together, creating a unique and dimensional tapestry of sound.
Speaking on the releases, Scary Luke confesses, “Freaky Forever and All My Friends Are Peng are psycho gamer anthems in the key of grime. Icy synths glide through glitched kicks and twisted vocals.”
He invites us to “turn this all the way up and jump around really fast. It doesn’t matter where you are. You have my permission, tell them Scary Luke sent you.” Read more here.
Yumeaki + Imperial Blxndie – Out of Control
Versatile producer and artist Yumeaki has teamed up with rising Barcelona-based singer-songwriter Imperial Blxndie on expansive new single, Out of Control.
Both artists have been featured on a number of editorial playlists, and their joint expertise on Out of Control is tangible. The bilingual hyperpop number is naturally full of sonic intricacies and has us wholly hypnotized with its message about “cutting ties with a toxic ex with an oversized ego.”
Fans of artists like Danny L Harle, Rakky Ripper, and early PC Music will be able to connect with the track, but there is no doubt that Yumeaki is cementing a narrative of their own with progressive sound design and an anthemic nature.
vnxa – Red
We recently featured experimental artist vnxa for her single r.i.p., so when we heard that she had also released the brand new, red, we couldn’t wait to experience it.
Opening with a more melodic energy from her debut, vxna kicks off red with intrigue, atmospheric vocals, and rippling bells before launching into a fierce and assertive flow. This is a very different style form r.i.p., and we are enamoured by the refined dark pop meets dream pop energy that vxna exudes with the opus.
Speaking on the release of red, vxna confesses, “This song is about the obsession that follows heartbreak, and finally crossing the threshold from passionate to indifferent once it’s time to let go.” We appreciate the depth that vxna shares, the evolution of her sound, and the range of her delivery. There is no doubt that vxna is on track to stardom.
FEAR OF MARKO + MILXNAKE – Tik Tok Trash
We have featured both FEAR OF MARKO and MILXNAKE for their individual releases, so when we heard that the underground emo champions of the United Kingdom had collaborated on Tik Tok Trash, we couldn’t wait to listen!
The immersive, pop-punk number showcases nostalgic elements with a vibrant and contemporary sound design. Speaking on the release, MILXNAKE confesses, “We can’t tell you how hyped we are to finally release our collab!!!”
FEAR OF MARKO tells us, “It’s such a banger! It’s kind of ironic that this track was meant to be a critique of people making songs for an app but it turned into just another break up anthem for said app lol! But for the record, ours is better than any of those other cash grabs <3 lol.”
The Official 4PM – What Can I Say
Last year, we had the honour of reviewing The Official 4PM‘s debut, Some Of The Time, so when we heard that they had just released the brand new, What Can I Say, we couldn’t wait to experience it!
Drawing us in with descending bell tones and a the sound of a shooting star, What Can I Say opens with spoken word and luscious harmonies, as the collective showcase their sensual prowess and intimate nature.
We adore how The Official 4PM‘s voices work together, totally cohesive and with awe inspiring harmonies. We appreciate the depth that the band share with their lyricism, timeless and seductive.
Naturally, the single comes with a music video starring actress Yasmina Obono, where the boys deliver epic acting performances themselves to bring to life a hyper-reality narrative. We love the high definition content that they share, and can only imagine how incredible it would be to see them harmonize together live. We have added What Can I Say to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream The Official 4PM‘s wider discography!
DJ H Chimist – Run Away
We were obsessed with DJ H Chimist for his optimistic and transcendental single, Life Bond, so when we heard that he had just released Run Away, we simply had to listen and feed back.
Coming in at a mathematical 3 minutes 14 seconds, the opus opens with a dimensional synth with celestial nuances and vocal detailing before expanding with an atmospheric pop vocal. Immediately we are drawn in by the nostalgic elements as DJ H Chimist shares his evocative prose and emotive lyricism, inviting us to run away with him and leave our fears behind.
We love the expansive nature of the composition, and the anthemic yet ethereal build before a mediative outro which has us reaching for the repeat button to enjoy this slice of refined pop once again. We want to escape reality with DJ H Chimist and have added the hypnotizing new single, Run Away to our New Music Spotlight, whilst we continue to stream the talented star’s wider discography!