LA-based pop artist Ella Vos’s new single “Burning Bridges” is here to heat up your dreary self-quarantine experience. This most recent release from Vos is the third in a series of consecutive releases, with each piece just as striking as the last and each one offering a unique shine.
Despite being a newcomer to the indie pop scene, Vos has already racked up over 100 million streams on Spotify. A cancer survivor and a mother, the young woman is an inspiration to many and has a stellar skillset to match.
“Burning Bridges” is an emotional narrative about a toxic relationship going up in flames. The catchy indie-pop tune features Vos’s angelic voice floating over the springy track with grace and ease. Vos is a blooming new starlet on the indie-pop scene, and we can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeve.
Drawing influence in an array of places, Bay area native Chelsea Collins exists in a world somewhere dizzyingly electrifying. With her new track “Used to Be (L.O.V.E.)”, she offers a bold standout. Her appearance and style can be found in the place where anime, gothic aesthetics, and troll dolls meet. This eclectic mix makes Collins alluring in her many visual appearances and voice.
“Used to Be (L.O.V.E.)” is a brash pop song that looks back on past love and where it went wrong. Collins samples Frank Sinatra’s track “Love”, but changes each letter’s meaning to showcase her negative feelings towards this person she once loved.
The track release is accompanied by a music video, which provides another way to showcase Collins captivating aura.
Her independent releases have garnered millions of streams on Spotify, and “Used to Be (L.O.V.E.)” is just one of the few anticipated tracks Collins is set to release this year.
Rising indie singer-songwriter ZacharyKnowles (I’m not hip to any knowledge of relations to Beyonce but I encourage you to form your own conspiracies) has recently released his newest offering to the world, a single entitled “Cherry Wine”, which serves as the centerpiece on his forthcoming EP, Magnolia (Out May 2020). The Texas-bred artist has released a hypnotic new music video to accompany the single as well.
“Cherry Wine” sees Knowles gently glide across a brightly picked acoustic guitar track with his angelic and carefully placed falsetto. In similar fashion, the music video shows him floating through landscapes, first pedaling a bike and then sprinting through forests and fields, softened by the sweet and constant presence of slow motion. Knowles only stops when he reaches a tumultuous seascape.
Of the track he explains, “The meaning behind “Cherry Wine” is super personal. I wrote about what life looked like before I was dating the girl I love. Before we started dating I was crazy about her (at the age of 14 haha that’s crazy to say) but didn’t know if she felt the same. I wanted to capture what that time of my life felt like.” Tranquil and sweet like simple syrup, the delicately crafted single showcases Knowles’ ability to build a sonic haven around himself that transcends the harsh borders of the outside world.
“Cherry Wine” is out now and Magnolia will be available for your consumption in May of 2020.
Continuing to cement himself as an artist to watch in 2020, self-taught singer, songwriter, producer, and composer ROSA reveals his newest single, “Phone”. This track follows his debut single “Drunk Girl” released back in 2017.
“Phone” is a hip-hop infused left-pop track that tackles our ongoing fascination and dependency sought after on our cellphones. Nowadays, these hand-held devices connect us to a world far beyond our reach. “Phone” dives into what that means and its impact on our lives.
With musical influences ranging from Phil Collins and Snoop Dogg, ROSA is able to channel an array of sounds and ideas into his music.
In the coming year ROSA is set to showcase his music ability with his debut EP FEMALE. The EP centers around female empowerment and the need for men emotional maturity. FEMALE resembles an auditory diary for ROSA to bare his vulnerability on his personal battles
With “Phone”, ROSA kicks off the theme of expressing vulnerability by welcoming listeners to break masculine barriers and own their your own quirkiness. ROSA is able to powerfully combine undeniable melodies with infectious beats and create music that provokes danceability and deep thought.
Massachusetts duo Handsome Ghost have just released “Vampires”, a nostalgic ode to youth and the wild moments found in the infancy of love. The track precedes the release of their forthcoming album, Some Still Morning, due to release this May. The record is centered around the feeling of a new dawn when you’re finally able to look at everything with fresh perspective and fresh eyes, a theme that feels all too appropriate during these crazy times.
The ethereal duo, comprised of Tim Notes and Eddie Byun, tie the aching track together with delicate production and acoustic guitars over whispered lyrics. Airy background vocals exist as distant siren calls while muted piano continues to quietly drive the song forward. Every nuance feels purposeful and perfectly placed, the track sprinkled with numerous moments of magic that manage to exist both subtly and powerfully. The duo reflects on grasping spontaneity and passion for life over the passage of time, with a touch of bitterness over the unreachability of the past and what will never be lending that hard-to-capture feeling of finding beauty through pain.
“Vampires” is out now for your quarantine streaming consumption and Some Still Morning is scheduled for release in May of 2020 on Photo Finish Records, followed by a series of European tour dates. Keep up with Handsome Ghost here.
Meryem Aboulouafa offers an introduction to herself in the music video for her track “Ya Qalbi” alongside the release of her debut album. “Ya Qalbi” is a magical and stunning Algerian song from the Arab-Andalusian repertoire. With the help of producer Franceso Sanalucia, the addition of modern effect brings the track into the 21st century.
The video is moving art, simply put. The color schemes are lush, highlighting simple visuals layered behind footage of the artist singing in black and white. It packs maximum impact in a quick 2 minutes.
Her debut album excels in the ‘game of reference.’ Being able to track all influences of this album is almost impossible, as she has many. Parallels can be made of her limitless imagination to Kate Bush, her creation of intimacy and emotion to James Blake, and her ability to hypnotize the universal language of music without denying the musical traditions of her origins from Oum Kalsoum.
