Author: Marcus Adetola

The intoxicating sting of lost love hangs heavy in the air on Jhyve’s That Girl, an R&B anthem with a vintage soul. This is no tale of a weeping lover bemoaning their fate. Instead, Jhyve spins a cautionary narrative against a backdrop of shimmering sonics. The lush instrumentation, conjured by Yogic Beats, is a perfect foil for Jhyve’s vocal delivery. On That Girl, Jhyve’s soulful vocals dance over the melody and hit your ears; it’s a smooth mid-tempo R&B bop. His voice is a soulful sigh, a weary echo resonating with the bitter truth of a heartbreak that still cuts…

In an ironic twist, Lyhz crafts a gem of a song with Temporary—a track born from the frustration of fleeting opportunities and short-lived connections. It’s a sonic mirror image of those “talking stage” love interests that fizzle before catching flame. There’s a bittersweet ache here—a longing for permanence in a landscape where everything seems designed to expire. Lyhz, an emerging R&B artist, understands this feeling well. Before finding her stride in music, she navigated the instability of temporary work, an experience that fuels the song’s relatable heartache. Yet, her sound hints at resilience born from her musical roots. Influenced by gospel,…

Sometimes indie artists hit that familiar formula—a little too polished, a little too predictable. But that’s not the case with Gavn!’s latest release, Open Arms (Hallelujah). This song feels less like it was written than bled out. It’s raw, and it packs an emotional punch. The folk-rock rumble, the live drums—all those add a sense of breathless energy, like someone fighting their way through a storm. He lays it all out there: loss, confusion, and that feeling of your whole world shattering. It’s in those lyrics that the ache hits you. Gavn!’s not trying to package faith in a neat little…

Chloe Copoloff spills her heart onto a bed of soft piano keys with Slow, a tender interrogation of the fast-paced, swipe-left world of modern romance. But this isn’t some crooning ballad drenched in nostalgia. It’s more of a whisper in a crowded room, a vulnerable shift of tone that’s both disarming and strangely refreshing. There’s something subtly rebellious about Chloe Copoloff’s confession of being “used to doing it on first dates,” her voice tinged with a touch of world-weariness. It’s real life bleeding into melody. However, this isn’t a cautionary tale; the core of Slow is that strange, thrilling feeling of breaking your…

The world of R&B break-up bops just got a sultry new addition. South London’s Amar Thirty isn’t here to play nice; NOT MADE 4 LUV, Pt. 2 dives headfirst into the delicious messiness of a purely physical fling. His voice coats the track like warm caramel, both enticing and dangerous. You half want to sink your teeth in, half want to run far away. Thirty’s lyrics crackle with mischievous charm. “Baby ain’t no love ting, I know,” he croons, a wink in every word. His boasts about playing the field sting in the very best way—they’re the kind that make you want…

Nathan Evans is back with Highland Girl, a track that injects a dose of Celtic cheer into your day. It’s a full-on ceilidh in song form, complete with fiddles that jig like leprechauns on espresso and an accordion that wheezes with a happy abandon. Nathan Evans’ vocals are strong and clear, guiding the listener through a whirlwind romance that unfolds over a single, magical night. The lyrics paint a picture postcard of Scottish charm: fiery hair, eyes like the sea, and a damsel who “dances with the wind.” It’s all a bit of a “meet-cute at the Highland Games” cliche,…

Alexa Kate’s Crash isn’t a sugar-coated bop. It’s a full-on emotional sucker punch disguised as a hauntingly beautiful ballad. The song weaves a melancholic tapestry with its atmospheric backdrop, soulful guitar strums, and Alexa Kate’s vocals, which shimmer with vulnerability. They mirror the protagonist’s journey through hope’s wreckage, adding another layer of raw emotion to the song’s message. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of heartbreak’s vicious cycle. Alexa Kate doesn’t shy away from self-awareness. The line “When I just do this to myself” cuts deep, acknowledging a pattern of getting burned. The chorus explodes with raw frustration: “Why do you build…

Ditch the confetti and forget the champagne toasts. Chandler Leighton’s Got What I Wanted throws a wrench into the stereotypical celebration of success. Leighton’s soulful voice weaves through a haunting electronic soundscape, painting a picture of a young artist grappling with the bittersweet realities of achieving her dreams. The verses are raw and relatable. The vulnerability in her vocals as she sings about breakdowns, empty bank accounts, and the crushing weight of expectation is palpable. It’s the exhaustion that lurks beneath the carefully constructed social media persona, the self-doubt that festers despite external validation. The chorus explodes with a desperate honesty. Success…

Forget your sappy breakup ballads. Eden Rain’s Great Nothing unearths a different kind of heartbreak. It’s a deep dive into the wreckage of a “frienduationship,” that awkward Bermuda Triangle where friendship takes a detour into feelings and things get messy fast. Eden Rain’s smoky vocals act as a pickaxe, unearthing a tangle of frustrations over missed connections and loves that landed at the worst possible time. This isn’t your typical woe-is-me ballad. Great Nothing tackles the quiet mourning of potential, the emotional fallout when a friendship implodes after a potential romance fizzles. Eden Rain’s lyrics are a poignant exploration of these messy,…

Icelandic songstress Laufey isn’t new to captivating audiences. In 2023, her debut album, Bewitched, became the biggest jazz album debut on Spotify ever, leaving a trail of accolades in its wake. It charted at #2 on both Spotify’s Global and U.S. charts, broke into the Billboard 200 at #23, and reigned supreme at #1 on both Billboard’s Independent Albums and Current Traditional Jazz Albums charts. The album’s hit single, From The Start, is now certified platinum by the RIAA. To top it all off, Laufey took home the 2024 Grammy Award for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” in February. Need…