“Wildflowers” by the indie artist Haiva Ru is daisy-fresh with clean acoustic guitar, bright synth and polished production. Allie Merrill’s beautiful and distinctive vocals curate the artist’s sound that breaks the ground on this single. It’s one of a few 2020 releases for the artist, and in each one the artist captures lightning in a bottle: she puts complex and hard-felt emotions into words & music. “Wildflowers” in particular is the perfect song for looking out the window and thinking about life. Once you press play, you’ll be “falling apart quite beautifully” to this sad, sublime song about lost love.
Now, when you listen to “Wildflowers” and find yourself hungry for more Haiva Ru, you’ll be stoked to know that she has just released a new single called “Oh, But Lover”, her first release of 2021. This genre-bending artist takes it to a whole new level with pulsing beats, expert melodies, subtle EDM vibes, and super-cool saxophone! This song exemplifies Merrill’s hallmark of stepping outside of the box. The track is about a complicated relationship that the speaker can’t get over, even if she knows she should. In my opinion, this is a good song to listen to after “Wildflowers” because you get to see an interesting progression of emotions. This thematic progression and experimentation with sound reflects how much Haiva Ru’s music has developed, and we can’t wait to see what else is in store for this artist.
This song is dreamy and iridescent, much like the style of Fleetwood Mac. It smells of summer but is warm like maple syrup at breakfast. MIYNT’s vocals are astounding – airy and infinite. This is a special track, you can dance to it, you can cry to it, you can make love to it. “Nobody love me like you do,” sings MIYNT as some bongos take center stage under chimes and a smooth bass. The song changes in my ways and in many instances, this precise messiness is much of its allure. MIYNT has previous releases in this genre reminiscent of the earliest rock n roll hits, but it is clear that with “A bite of papaya”, MIYNT is on their way to a new era. And I for one, and am beyond excited to rediscover the feeling those timeless rock love songs give.
This song leaves a definite impact on your soul at first listen. It’s the color of a hazy golden halo. Ivy Sole’s lyrics are revelatory, purging, desiring, and dreaming. “I wanna shake beneath the covers, shape-shift into a bevy of light, I wanna sink into a heavy delight.” The music is simple, featuring whistles and soft piano keys – moving like ocean waves beneath the storytelling of the artist. It is one of those songs you find few times in a lifetime. Iojii’s feature exemplifies the religious undertones of the song, they highlight the feeling of chasing infinity, through the hardship “What’s concrete to a rose? Still on my feet I rose.” The meaning of “kismet” is fate, and the song is a hopeful ode to honoring your destiny by recognizing it. The final line burns into the head of the listener as it flows through the ears into the veins “you can call it the same difference, but au contraire we don’t travel the same distance, follow the same stars, or swallow the same tempest.”
“Sunshine” by Vivant, feat. Kid Sora & Nova Garden is just that: sunshine. It’s bright and lively. The melody is fun and catchy, and its lyrics have a meaningful and uplifting message. “I may be under the weather, but I know that things get better”, sings Nova Garden on the track’s chorus. Maybe it’s just my SAD, but I feel that this song made me legitimately miss the days before the sun started to set at four o’clock. On the flipside, it also reminded me that daylight savings time will start one day and we’ll get to enjoy the sun in the hours where we’re not at school or at work.
The song begins with a wavy reverb chord, and ends in a similar way, giving the song a very solid and cohesive feel while keeping it airy at the same time. The song has a hyperpop energy, exemplified through its 100 gecs-like vocals and vibrant melody. The first lyrics on the song after its intro are a candid expression of feelings that all too many of us have felt during the pandemic: “Honestly I’ve been feeling really fucking down, all my melodies are fixated on sounding like a frown”. The song makes sure in the next line (and effortlessly so) to tell the listener that even if they’re feeling this way, things get better, “it’s 2 P.M. the sun is out and I can feel its warmth, even if I’d rather close the curtains and ignore it”.
Kid Sora comes in after the first chorus, smoothly adding his contribution to this delightfully collaborative song. The three artists work very well with each other, each of them adding their own unique touches to the song, creating a bright and hopeful track through their cohesion. This is a good song to listen to when you need a sunshine mood boost in your day — this world is way too crazy and the sun sets waaay too early.
Yeah, you’re gonna want to play this song a few times.
“Soft Spot” by Claud is a track perfect for a 2000s coming of age film. Between the detailed storytelling and strumming guitar, it’s the quintessential indie pop song. “You made it clear that it’s over now, but you’re all that I think about, so now I don’t know what the hell to do…” Hopefully this year we get a different year, with summers close to friends and strangers. So we can play this song while we lay in the bed of a truck driving to nowhere. The chorus is catchy and heartfelt. The track a warm fuzzy feeling of having someone you can’t stop thinking about. “I wished I left all my things at your place so I could come get them. We do things we might regret and say that we could make exceptions..”. A meeting of the lovesick, yearning, and playful mind.
Minty fresh and seabreeze clean. This song is like popping bubblegum, swiping your hair behind your ear and lying in the grass in a park – watching the clouds do circles and the sun adventure across the horizon. Carrie’s project BADEXPRESSION is astounding, the song “mint” is my favorite off the release. It is sweet and new. The lyrics hide sad sentiments behind words of “I can’t do this anymore”. The beat transforms the track from a mellow sound into a pop-edm realm. “Mint” is a precious jewel awaiting discovery in the depths of the music world.
Lava La Rue and Deb Never’s single “Angel” instantly transports one back in time and to the future with its modern-80’s mixture. Its intensely irresistible chord progressions, dreamy guitar intro, and blend of punchy rap & smooth vocals take the listener on an auditory adventure into the mind of the lyricist. When the beat drops, one can feel themselves stepping into a musical experience full of nostalgia, as La Rue longs for the “angel” that she’s been missing, the nostalgia amplified by lines like “Angel, I’ll come back, don’t you wait too long”. The prevailing theme of longing for a love that once was, transmitted by the disco-esque bassline and addictive synthesizer add to the song’s profound and indescribable effect. This song sparkles with its vivid imagery, vibey synth, and 80s glamour. A great listen with great lyrics.
This week we spoke with artist 2MORROWNIGHT about his latest project Summer With You. We learned about his musical journey, dove into his latest projects, and what we can anticipate from him in the future. Check out the interview below!
Tell us about you; who you are, how you began making music
“Well to start off I go by the name ‘2MORROWNIGHT’ and I am an artist/producer out of Buena Park, California a city minutes away from Los Angeles. I am 22 years old, Mexican-American and I was born in Long Beach California. I began making music early 2019 only producing beats for artists, but late 2019/early 2020 I started recording vocals and dropping music myself and now I’m here.”
How would you describe your music?
“I create all kinds of music, but mainly I target a lot of the Rnb/Dancehall wave. So, I would describe my music as; Sexy, Ambient, Tropical, Dark, and also nostalgic/angelic. Sexy as in my word play in my songs. Ambient, Tropical and Dark with the production and the drums being bouncy to dance or to vibe at the beach like on my recent project ‘Summer With You’. Lastly, Nostalgic and Angelic with my vocals. Most of my songs will forsure have one of these in them.”
Tell us about your latest project, Summer With You. What was the inspiration? How did it unfold?
“Summer With You was a really fun project to work on. I believe I made this project in about a month straight. Not including ‘Patient’ because I released ‘Patient’ before I even knew I wanted to release a project. Before I created my project I was releasing mostly Rnb tracks and all kinds of other genres as well, but I would’ve never thought I would create a whole project focusing only on Dancehall Rnb-ish tropical joints is what I would describe it. I remember being inspired to make Summer With You after listening to alot of dancehall/reggaeton music like; Swae Lee, Bad Bunny and many more artists etc. I enjoyed the drums in that type of genre the most – very bouncy and easy for ppl to dance and have fun to. To top it off, right before I even wanted to make this project, a producer out of Canada (RO$EGOLD) messaged me on instagram saying he wanted to work. So, he sent me a beat pack and one of the first beats on that pack was the one which is a song now called Drink Smoke who features DazeOnEast and Sean Bay. RO$EGOLD and I have a plethora of joints in the vault now after that encounter. I also worked with other producers on this project, Samuel Ivy and Anakin (myself who I go by when I produce).”
Run us through the making of your favorite track on the EP
“I’d say every joint on this project was my favorite to work on, but if I had to choose one I’d say Drink Smoke. Drink Smoke is a summer vibe to get lit to at a beach party or at a pool with some friends. That track was so energetic and just exciting to create in my little studio. I remember being a little drunk with some friends this one night and I had that beat sent to me thru gmail from RO$EGOLD. So, I dragged the audio onto my DAW/Music software and freestyled a lot of it and from there was history. Also, the features from DazeOnEast and Sean Bay just made that joint a thousand times better. Went from being a good ass song to an amazing song. I really hope that track blows up soon in the near future. I believe 2MORROWNIGHT will be known very soon.”
What are you currently working on?
“Currently I am just working on a lot of features that will all be coming out in 2021 and singles of my own as well. Basically getting ready for the year 2021. I will forsure have more projects out in 2021 as well so be ready and look out for more vibes. “
Who is your favorite up and coming artist right now?
“My favorite up and coming artists would have to be Marr Grey and Cee Foe !!! Go check them out as well ! “
Who are your favorite people to work with? Who is your dream collaboration?
“My favorite people to work with producing wise is RO$EGOLD. We’re basically peanut butter and jelly or Batman and Robin, but we’re both Batman in the music world. We always create hits and vibes when we collaborate everytime. Artists wise I’d say everybody I worked with already. A lot of the artists I worked with on my project we’re artists I enjoyed listening to before I even dropped music myself.”
I describe “tour” by cyberspace as a gritty, upbeat track that feels like the gravel on Sunset boulevard. With a sound similar to what Blackbear delivered on Deadroses in 2015, cyberspace emerges into the underground soundcloud scene with a hint of familiar pop but an undeniable newness. “Will you miss me when I’m gone on tour?” is the song’s main premise, the shiny new elements of a popstar lifestyle and the subtle dangers in it all. Produced by shoelace, the beat features surf-rock elements with crystal clear drums that keep the vibe of the song upbeat. This song is best served under a setting sun on the beach of California. It’s one of those songs you just can’t stop listening to.
With a mellow guitar and drowned out 808s, Samuel Ivy descends into pop euphoria with new track “Me & You”. The song is themed around a love for somebody that you want to grow with, somebody that you admire “goddamn you’re so worth it, bring me back to Earth, yeah.” The chorus is easily the song’s greatest highlight, making the song play in your head long after – a pop hit is incomplete without it. “Baby if you go down, Imma bring you up, watch you buy your own house, I know you are a boss”. Catchy, love-songs are rare this year, as most artists have polarized themselves in new genre-bending, lyric-twisting spaces. We have been consuming music most reflective of the year 2020, music describing the dark uncertainty most have felt in this time. Ivy reflects on this in his song saying “2020, the whole world is acting fucked up, but you know how to ease my mind”. Produced, engineered, and written by Samuel Ivy, the song reinforces Ivy as an emerging force in the underground scene, not only producing for artists like Katana – but creating individual projects that highlight his own talents. This new track is a clear step by Ivy towards this new era of personal growth. “Me & You” draws us back to the pop music that marked legacy in the 2010’s – reminding us that not all is lost in changing times and that not all is lost in love.
Velvet Noise 