Author: befree

By Trey Fox

Morgan Gold, a Chicago-based singer-songwriter-musician, has taken the world by storm. Gold had a consistent and successful album rollout, and she’s been a constant fixture in the indie music scene through commanding performances, quality singles, and a genuine approach to fan and peer engagement. Gold impressed with lead album single “BACK UP,” which was later accompanied by a dazzling music video. The second and final single, “COMEOUT,” was unlike anything fans had heard from Gold in the past– and it was met with well-earned praise. Joined by Gold on the record is her partner, 730Skylar, who executively produced and engineered the album. “MIDAS” is a worthwhile journey that unpacks Gold’s relationship with her partner and her budding career.

The album begins with “I’M WITH YOU,” a passionate record that sees Gold stepping up as a support system for her partner in trying times. “Don’t you worry, my dear/We all need time to disappear,” she sings affirmatively. As is normal in any healthy relationship, Gold looks for reciprocation on “NO INTRODUCTIONS.” The production is immersive, which is customary for Gold and her Ethereal R&B sound. She’s been putting everything she has into her craft, but she’s still “facing days where it feels out of reach.” Gold is offering parts of herself to her partner that may otherwise be hidden from the rest of the world. That sort of vulnerability is present throughout the record. 

The guest appearances on the album come in consecutive tracks. “TRU 2 ME” is a strong record featuring great performances from No Montana and M.E.L. “Versatile” is a bouncy instrumental led by 730Skylar who has a smooth, confident flow. The transition between “Versatile” and “COMEOUT” is seamless. In many ways, “COMEOUT” is a powerful battle cry. Gold takes aim at homophobic rhetoric she encountered growing up. She remembers times where she felt weighed down by stigma which resulted in internal conflict. “Maybe I’ll wear a pretty dress and play it safe,” she recalls. Gold also expresses joy in finding a new home and community following her move to Chicago, IL. “BABYGIRL” is an upbeat love song that works as an excellent followup to “COMEOUT.”

The album progresses nicely, and the songwriting and production remain consistently sharp. “BIG BANG!” is one of the most interesting and exciting songs on the record. Gold’s delivery is confident and stone cold, saying, “Bitch, I’m like the Big Bang/I started everything you see.” As the song proceeds, she returns to her patented vocals, opening up about trust issues she’s dealing with in her relationship. “Maybe I need a new drug/You’re just looking for fixes,” she sings, clearly frustrated and saddened. On “FORGIVENESS,” Gold seeks to make amends. She promises to be a better partner, and she acknowledges that “to lose you would break me beyond repair.” The closing track, “HOME,” is a gentle ballad that conveys what Gold’s partner means to her. “No matter where I go, you’re my home,” Gold sings with sincerity. It’s a moving ending to a phenomenal debut album.

Listen to “MIDAS” now:

By Todd Anderson

Stockholm-based artist Daniel Javan has connected with endly and Seon for a new single called “the way i look at you.” Here, the artists deliver an infectious offering that provides catchy, engaging vocals that include influences from pop and hip-hop. Containing an atmospheric, spacey instrumental centred around airy backing vocals, rich bass, and head-nodding percussion, “the way i look at you” provides much replay value. Moreover, the vocalists showcase a natural chemistry as they trade off versatile vocal performances atop the immersive instrumentation. The latest from Javan, endly, and Seon, “the way i look at you”‘s grand, layered sonics and catchy songwriting make it a release that is easy to keep re-visiting.

Listen now:

By Todd Anderson

Vancouver artist Remi Xia has shared the debut music video for her song “La Vida Loca.” An engaging, moody alternative R&B cut that features smoky production and smooth vocals, “La Vida Loca” makes for a stylish offering that is easy to keep re-visiting. The instrumentation contains refreshing, watery keys drifting atop addictive, head-nodding percussion, setting a solid foundation for Xia’s relaxed, buttery vocal melodies. Her verses contain sharply-crafted and infectious melodies, leading up to a memorable hook.

The new video, shot by Chris Ajtony, contains vivid shots that utilize subdued lighting to capture the song’s hazy, warm sound. The video draws the listener into the song’s atmospheric feel, using fire and roses to enhance the song’s themes. A cinematic, balmy accompaniment to the track, the video makes one want to come back and continuously re-visit this offering.

The latest from Vancouver’s Remi Xia, “La Vida Loca” is a vibrant, catchy release that has us excited for what may be coming next from her.

Watch the video for “La Vida Loca” now:

Stream “La Vida Loca” here:

Connecticut-born artist Thorne Malik has shared a fresh new single called “back n for(t)h”. Serving as a fitting soundtrack for evenings in the summer, “back n for(t)h”‘s warm, atmospheric sound combines influences from a variety of genres, making for a refreshing listen. Here, brisk, colorful synths swirl in layers atop rich, driving synth bass and crisp, fast-paced percussion that flirts with juke music. Atop the energizing soundscape, Malik. delivers flexible, infectious melodies that suit the balmy instrumentation, making for a cohesive whole package of vivid production and sharply-crafted songwriting.

The latest from Thorne Malik., “back n for(t)h” provides a character-rich, progressive take on R&B and electronic and has us excited for what may be coming next from him.

Listen to “back n for(t)h” now:

Chicago’s Kayo has shared a new single called “Talk”. Vibrant and infectious, the track contains layered, airy production centred around watery, immersive keys and crisp percussion. As rich bass weaves together an addictive rhythm, Kayo delivers effortlessly charismatic melodies that blend smoothly with the glowing instrumentation. Building through dynamic verses into a memorable and cathartic hook, “Talk” is a track that is easy to keep re-visiting.

Regarding the single, Kayo says, “talk is my second single from the project. It’s a record that I made to encapsulate the rollercoaster of a ride a relationship really is. The different thoughts and feelings that constantly come and go, thinking ‘maybe LESS communication is key,’ hence the chorus “I don’t wanna talk.”

Kayo is a 23 year-old musician, artist and entrepreneur from Chicago, IL. With a musical focus on rap and R&B, Kayo draws inspiration from artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, and Brent Faiyaz. Just like his biggest musical influencers, Kayo is a true lyricist; he articulates his experiences and feelings with meaningful and therapeutic lyrics blended with elegant production. His latest song “Talk” is no different, with focused songwriting and a refreshing, graceful sound.

Listen to “Talk” now:

Vocalist Justend and producer Joe Aste have shared a fresh single called “greyhound”. Two New York natives, the artists have collaborated frequently in the past on evocative genre-blending tracks like “blue lung”, “last summer”, and more. Their latest offering “greyhound” provides a smooth, hazy sound that conjures wistful feelings of longing.

Containing dream-like, subtle keys drifting atop crunchy, infectious percussion and starry guitars, “greyhound” makes for a layered listen that beckons many re-visits. Justend delivers hypnotic melodies that submerge themselves within the immersive warmth of the production, showcasing his chemistry with Aste. A glowing, surreal track that refuses to be boxed into a singular genre, “greyhound” continues their run of engaging, expressive singles.

Listen to “greyhound” now:

By Todd Anderson

Surrey, Canada artist MONEYONYOURMIND has returned with a new single called “All Night”, featuring infectious production from 40k. A rising artist North of the border, his euphoric, immersive sound is demonstrated on this new offering.

Featuring warm, swelling keys underscored by catchy drums and rich bass, the instrumentation on “All Night” is vivid and addictive. Atop the smooth production, MONEYONYOURMIND delivers slick, stylish verses that build dynamically throughout the song, before culminating in a catchy hook that can best be described as “ear candy.” Containing buttery sonics and a memorable vocal performance from MONEYONYOURMIND, “All Night” makes for another genre-blending, colorful offering from the rising Surrey artist that hooks the listener in from the get-go.

Listen to “All Night” now:

Seattle artist Braden Ross has returned with a new single called “sun”. Featuring an emotive, warm alt-pop sound, “sun” is an expansive track that touches on his struggle with self-hatred, while also highlighting the importance of self-love in our society. Effortlessly shifting from emo-inspired acoustics into brighter hyper-pop elements, “sun” blends genres in an engaging manner. Featuring drifting, dream-like guitars that build into raw, driving synths and heavy drums, the single is highly dynamic, inviting the listener into its world of vibrant and evocative sounds.

The latest from Seattle’s Braden Ross, “sun” provides a refreshing, forward-thinking listen and has us excited for what may be coming next from him.

Listen to “sun” now:

By Trey Fox

King $ly continues to make waves in the independent music scene. Following his stellar debut EP in Moon Landing last year, he penned an excellent verse on South Carolina rapper Savvy Mcfly’s “2010 freestyle” back in March. Fans were also moved by his contributions on Jackson, MS rapper-producer Gios4ma’s re-released EP, “Heatwave Vol,” which dropped last month. The talented Chicago rapper returns with an ambitious new single.

$ly floats effortlessly on the bouncy, synth-heavy instrumental courtesy of Minneapolis producer Andre Mariette. With his motivational approach, he sheds light on his career aspirations. “I’ma aim for the top/ for the bread, for the loaf,” he raps with conviction. He’s on the hunt for more, refusing to remain stagnant regardless of his current success. $ly also discusses self-growth, reflecting on becoming a better communicator.

$ly is joined by New Jersey rapper Curt Summers. Summers’ skills are on display, weaving between different pockets on the beat. His verse oozes with confidence, declaring that he’s “literally different than the niggas y’all adopted.” However, Summers is on this path for more than just material wealth. He also strives to provide a meaningful message to listeners. As is the case with $ly, he’s committed to reaching new heights. These are certainly great ideas to mull over.

Stream “Ideas” below:

Texas artist Fatboyshaun and New York’s Ricky Mapes have linked for a new collaborative EP called Evil Twin. Following up a prolific release schedule from both artists that included a series of hard-hitting and sharply-crafted singles and EPs, Evil Twin showcases their natural chemistry as they trade charismatic verses atop graceful, lush production from Cuffedgod, GRIMM Doza, and more.

The self-titled opener introduces the EP’s laid-back, elegant sound with glowing keys drifting atop dusty percussion and organic-sounding bass. Here, the two rappers go back and forth with fluid verses detailing vivid tales of hedonism, as the listener gets a tangible sense of the natural chemistry they possess on the mic. Next, smoky horns and subtle, spacey keys introduce the enigmatic “$5 Advil”. The intro transitions smoothly into a rich, infectious groove as the keys are brought to the forefront to provide an intriguing contrast with the gritty, pounding rhythm section. Here, Fatboyshaun and Mapes deliver engaging verses full of cleverly written lines that have the listener re-winding to catch everything.

“Doc Martine”, produced by Micro, is a personal favourite from the project, featuring a dreamlike instrumental bolstered by sweeping, nostalgic strings underscored by moody horns. Definitive of the dark and enigmatic sound present throughout the EP, the beat provides the perfect concoction for the rappers’ charming braggadocio, as they weave verses together effortlessly that complement each other’s styles. “Grimm Carey” changes up the sound with a glitchier instrumental from GRIMM Doza and Sogonesoflexy, bringing in grimy, off-kilter samples and a driving, powerful bass-line. Fatboyshaun and Mapes come through with vivid, imagery-rich verses that find them at a lyrical high point. Finally, the project closes with “Zoo York”, which utilizes airy, ethereal instrumentation to create a dreamlike backdrop for them to finish the EP on an introspective note.

The latest from Fatboyshaun and Ricky Mapes, Evil Twin finds them delivering a stellar lyrical performance with smooth, commanding flows atop laid-back, rich production from GRIMM Doza, Cuffedgod, and more. From the verses to the beat selection, this project is a testament to the true embodiment of the newly founded brotherhood, and showcases the two artists’ immense lyrical abilities and infectious sound.

Listen to Evil Twin now: