Category: NEW MUSIC

A raw, emotional cry into the echoing void of longing, “loosing game” by Aestrea is a plea for love.

The 16-year-old Atlanta-based singer-songwriter-producer triple threat channels her disheartening quest for love into sharp songwriting that resonates with everyone’s feelings of emptiness. “It’s really hard for me to find love,” she wrote. “I’ve never actually fallen in love but I’ve gotten close so many times – but they always leave.” Her lofty vocals throughout the 2:18-minute track conjure up the hopelessness she feels from being let down time and time again. On the other hand, she still believes in love, and she hasn’t given up on her search for it. “Maybe it’s impossible, but I’ve just gotten used to it,” she sings. Hardening her heart after each let-down, Aestrea is tired of feeling used and ready to meet someone to awaken the love she’s ready to give. The soft rock shoe-gaze instrumentation is the perfect pairing with Aestrea’s lyricism. The chords strike hard into the emotions of listeners – whether you’re currently going through it or not, it’s easy to appreciate the dreamy contemplations of “loosing game.” This single is definitely the track to play after your next break-up, or whenever your feeling romantically aimless. “Loosing game” will speak to your bleeding heart, but hold you up and give you new hope.

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Written by JD (@j.daguilar)

“FOOD”, part of Mia Gladstone’s innovative r&b EP CYCLE/S is a reflection of her experiences with being sexualized and the effects they have on body image. The writing is beyond clever— Gladstone phrases her lyrics from two perspectives: that of her harassers, and that of herself. “Talk with your tits, let it all in/Talk to the kids, let them begin/To understand the weight that the ladies bring in”, she says in a sing-songy tone that mocks the good-for-nothings who contribute to society’s poor treatment of women. “Don’t you know I read your mind?” she questions, “Look me in my fuckin’ eye!” she confronts. It’s like she’s writing all the things that she wishes she had said to people who made her feel uncomfortable. 

The song has important social commentary in every line, and it’s frightening how most women and girls can probably relate to at least one line in the song. There is an especially painful line, in which the tone sounds grievously dejected: “Not your honey, let me be/I don’t wanna eat, I don’t wanna eat”. The tone of the piece’s lyrics is very striking for this reason: sometimes feeling indignant, and sometimes feeling tired and disheartened. The tone of its production, however, is a different story.

Its heavy message is transmitted in a way that would surprise someone who only interpreted the theme from the lyrics. “FOOD” is chalk-full of bright melodies, lively beats, and jazz influences. Those flute solos are fleeky. And don’t even get me started on those vocals. What a voice! Mia Gladstone’s mini album CYCLE/S showcases her voice and vibrant style creatively and cohesively. “FOOD” is a great taste of the album’s aesthetic, as well as its penchant for powerful meanings.

Written by Lola Works

Music artist xBValentine’s single ‘What You Need,’ produced by Bri Hendy, is a sexy R&B love song. The warm, soft, and slow tempo beat creates a sensual effect. Unlike your traditional love songs, this one is about a girl on girl relationship. Although I use the term “relationship,” xBValentine makes it clear with lyrics like, “say we can only be friends aye…say we can’t be only friends aye, and she knows that she needs this aye, this song is more about a friends with benefits situation. 

Her lyrics “tell me if you in, if you out…it’s here if you want it” and “I wanna keep this on the low, got me waiting, to hit my phone…I’m hoping that this time you stay,” relay just how confusing, conflicting, and yet almost how exciting a “situationship” can be. This song gives off the same vibe as ‘Girls Need Love’ by Summer Walker, with similar beats and flow of lyrics, both leaving you feeling confident and alluring. ‘What You Need’ has similarities to Jhené Aiko, SZA, and Niykee Heaton’s music. If you’re in need of a classic R&B joint, ‘What You Need’ is just what you need.

https://soundcloud.com/xbvalentine/what-you-need-prod-by-bri-hendy

Written by Auri (@its.aurii)

“Can you trust your real friends?” 

In a fever-explosion that appeases all the senses, Belis’ new song with camm and kassgocrazy is stunning. “They heard you got some money now. I told you that I’d never let the money get me down, but it’s the reason they around and I can’t do that shit.” Unlike Belis’ usual trap pop concoctions, she heads into a reminiscent phase of songs like ‘Tomato Soup’ and ‘Sunset’, whilst singing about the tension her present success has created in her circle. This restructuring of a past, present, future, is done with a devastatingly gorgeous backing track. The song feels like driving through a long tunnel at night, the kind of never-ending melancholy and pleasure felt from the stillness of the same walls for far too long.

Belis makes it clear that when chasing after your dream, those who are not one hundred percent for you, are not worth it. “If they’re praying on your downfall, fuck em! If they’re praying on my downfall fuck em! If they’re hoping you gon slip up or that your cash gets mixed up, we gon tell them fuck em now.” Though those caught up on Soundcloud’s exploding underground scene are familiar with Belis, “Downfall” stands out in the unity created by its lyrical conclusions and instrumental fluidity.

Kassgocrazy’s Maison Gaige EP features a multitude of talented artists under the hand of kassgocrazy’s production, and Belis is a seamless fit in the world kassgocrazy creates on this project. Kassgocrazy kicks off 2021 inviting us to a fairytale trap world with 808 kicks and mesmerizing chimes. It’s a new age for music and a new age for these standout artists.

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Upcoming music artist from the Bay Area, California, H3RM,  has an astronomical feel in his latest 7 track album ‘PERPETUAL’. The 4th track is called ‘PERPETUAL’,like the album name.  Produced by Tape$, ‘PERPETUAL’ gives off a psychedelic feeling like you’re on a spaceship or cruising in an exotic car, within a electronic hip hop atmosphere. You can get a sense of the vibe of the song from the album cover. The cover shows a person looking into a blue sky at a iridescent purple planet that is intercepted by a glowing triangle. The song gives you a feel of the typical hip hop / rapper lavish lifestyle. This track definitely fits the new age auto tune trend. The tempo of this song is very lively and mellow; this song can be listened to in the car or with your friends on a late night. With the lyrics being a bit hard to decipher and not as meaningful, you can tell this is truly a song to vibe to and feel with lyrics like “no I can’t focus I’m in the back smokin”, “young rich boy with them ice cold wrists, young broke boy with them ice cold hits”. With the astronomical feel and auto tune this track is comparable to the music made by Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and 03 Greedo. When chilling with your friends be sure to check out ‘PERPETUAL’ by H3RM and explore outerspace in his new album.

Written by Auri (@its.aurii)

    The Los Angeles-based band Cherry Glazerr released “Rabbit Hole” in December 2020 as a taste of “more to come in 2021”, according to the band’s Instagram. This is a continuation of the diverse Cherry Glazerr discography: it offers exciting new sounds and turns the page to a new chapter of Cherry Glazerr’s musical development. With wild synthwave beats and a bit of a disco twist, “Rabbit Hole” sounds unlike any other song by the indie trio (aside from their classic drippy guitar and Clem Creevy’s signature vocals that give the song its Cherry Glazerr feel, of course).

     In the eight years of Cherry Glazerr, their collection of songs & albums have become a reflection of their intrepid approach to music creation— experimenting with new sounds and writing what they feel like. This free flowing technique has worked quite well for the group, too, with their most popular songs being from each album and era. In the top five most popular Cherry Glazerr songs sits “Rabbit Hole”, having been released only a little over a month ago! This is impressive, considering how many classic CG songs and underground music favorites lie in the trio’s discography.

     Clementine Creevy says that “Rabbit Hole” is all about expressing one’s true self and never acting a certain way to get the approval of others. This message is transmitted well in the song’s bold and expressive instrumentals and lyrics. “Tried too hard not to be distasteful/ But you led me down a rabbit hole”, sings Creevy in a soft falsetto, which has a nice contrast with the song’s grungy and intense sound. This exact intensity helps to personify the song’s theme. It’ll be exciting to see where else this message of being unapologetically true to one’s self will appear in future releases, and what other themes Cherry Glazerr will explore on the way.

Written by Lola Works

I haven’t heard a track like this in forever. Whewwwww. It is silky and groovy. Brings you to your feet and into your feelings. Youth the Culture is self-described on Soundcloud as a music collective based in Denver, CO. The two track mixtape that includes “24 girls” was written by Yeaok and Ray Ruelo. “24 girls” has the undeniable sound that is taking over indie radio hearts – to the likes of Dominic Fike. The smooth instrumental becomes the pattern followed by the artists to welcome a catchy chorus and sophisticated rap breakdowns. 

My favorite lyric of this track is “fruity go apples just cus I’m an asshole.” “24 girls” is the type of song you play packed into a backseat with a bunch of your friends as you all move in different directions, choosing silly dances to do to the tune of the song. Brilliantly layered and executed, you would think “24 girls” is already a billboard chart topper. Instead, this hit is nestled in the heart of Soundcloud’s hot rising artists, ready for eager ears to discover. 

After the second chorus, the singer slows the rhythm of the song into a more RnB style singing “ I like your company but the energy’s wrong, I can’t remember your name, its at the tip of my tongue.” To be able to flow so seamlessly into styles whilst maintaining the song’s integrity is a difficult task that Youth the Culture excels at. The song ends with the words “they ask me how I’m doing, I’m just simply lying, they tell me Ray you need to change, well I’m simply trying… wrote 24 songs and that’s just thanks to you…”. The artists display that their sonic talents are equivalent to their talent with words.

 “24 girls” is the song you need to get your hands on and share with all your friends, you’ll be happy you did when Youth the Culture blows up.

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https://soundcloud.com/youththeculture/24-girls

New and upcoming music artist from Arizona, Kaity, has a gentle acoustic touch. Kaity’s first single, ‘Start Over,’ is an evocative song about love and heartbreak with a warm and soft guitar tempo weaved throughout. After hearing this first single, one can perceive Kaity’s raw and natural talent; her stylistic decision to play her own guitar as the beat with no significant auto tune creates a pleasing effect. Though the song is under three minutes, Kaity’s melodic words resonate. Listeners will undoubtedly relate to her lyrics—“but every time I see your face I cry, I miss your voice and our phone calls late at night”, “I just miss my best friend and I’m tired of playing games…but maybe if we tried we could start over – can we start over?” The ending lines, “but maybe if we tried we could start over – can we start over?” leave listeners longing for more. Kaity’s music and this single in particular are reminiscent  of Noah Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Adele. Kaity ends her single with a nice decrescendo outro. If you love euphonious, pure music check out ‘Start Over’ by Kaity.

Written by Auri (@its.aurii)

“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.

Written by Lola Works

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. 

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