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Tullis shares preview of upcoming album with single “3 heartbreaks”

Phoenix artist Tullis has dropped off a new single, titled “3 heartbreaks”. A precursor to his upcoming album releasing later in June, “3 heartbreaks” questions the audience in a direct way- asking whether they care about the artist beyond that which serves vanity, or if that feeling only goes one way. The pop tune uses unconventional production and hypnotic vocals to present an offering that is both dense and aloof. It’s a versatile, genre-bending single that draws from a variety of genres within pop and electronic as well as beyond, keeping the listener on their toes throughout.

“3 heartbreaks” contains bittersweet production centred around atmospheric, reverb-soaked vocal samples drifting atop a club-influenced, punchy drum line. As rich bass drops in to ground the beat, Tullis delivers vibrant, dynamic vocals that build throughout enticing verses into an ear-worm hook. The addictive “3 heartbreaks” makes for a hypnotic listen, blending airy aesthetics and smooth vocals with cathartic drum grooves for an intriguing contrast.

Listen to “3 heartbreaks” here ahead of the release of Tullis’ upcoming album, and further familiarize yourself with the diverse Phoenix artist.

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Morgan Gold shares vibrant single “r o u t i n e”

By Jacob Ezra

Chicago’s Morgan Gold has shared a new single called “r o u t i n e”. Gold is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer whose signature falsetto, storytelling, and infectious melodies have paved a lane in which she stands alone. Gold creates a cinematic atmosphere that welcomes you into her world. At twenty four years old, she has released five EP’s, one album- the well-received MIDAS– and eighteen singles since 2018. The ever-prolific Illinois artist has returned with a new single called “r o u t i n e”, on which she sounds comfortably in her lane with a cloudy banger infused with memorable, cathartic melodies.

Laced with atmospheric production centred around warm synth pads that build in layers and underscored by crisp, clasping percussion, Gold’s vocals sound silky as the soar above. Her performance is both powerful and butter smooth, a potent combination that is often hard to achieve- showing restraint and focus in her songwriting. Demonstrating an impressive range and creating a seductive, colorful atmosphere, “r o u t i n e” is a strong track from Gold that further proves that she is a standout from Chicago’s fertile scene.

Give “r o u t i n e” a listen below.

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G.Hall shares versatile single “Move Around”

Indianapolis artist G.Hall has shared a fresh single called “Move Around”. Continuing his run of refreshing, hard-hitting joints that are often versatile in style, “Move Around” blends hip-hop and R&B influences into a dark concoction of atmospheric production and menacing yet catchy vocals. It contains potent production from Say Cheezz that creates an aptly ominous backdrop for G.Hall with its smoky, reverb-soaked synths and raw rhythm section. As a vocalist, he finds a solid medium between hip-hop flows and catchy R&B vocals with his melodic flourishes. Capped off by a hook that can best be described as an “ear-worm”, “Move Around” makes for a potent track from the Indianapolis artist that contains much replay value.

Take a listen to “Move Around” here and further familiarize yourself with G.Hall, a prolific artist coming out of the underrated Indianapolis scene.

Connect with G.Hall: Spotify | YouTube | Instagram

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Rob V shares vivid new video for “Can’t Keep Loving You”

DMV artist Rob V has dropped off a new video for his song “Can’t Keep Loving You”. The refreshing, crisp visual captures the song’s graceful feel, enhancing its vivid production and sharp, thoughtful lyricism. Featuring warm, saturated shots depicting natural landscapes that reflect its organic sonics, as well as a laid-back yet confident performance from Rob V, “Can’t Keep Loving You” is a cohesive and poignant release from the rising DMV artist.

“Can’t Keep Loving You” features elegant production centred around breezy guitars and rich vocal samples that drift alongside potent strings, giving the track a refined feel. Punchy, airy drums and rich bass moor the track and provide a solid foundation for Rob’s dynamic flows, as he keeps the listener on their toes throughout with gymnastic rhyme patterns laced with vibrant lyricism.

Give the new video for “Can’t Keep Loving You” a watch below.

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NADUH share infectious single “LEGACY”

Vancouver’s NADUH have come through with a new single called “LEGACY”. Filling in the industry thigh-gap, 5 piece femme powered hip-hop and R&B group, NADUH, write, engineer, and produce all of their music- meaning they have crafted a sound that’s truly representative of their collective energy. Spreading unity consciousness through R&B-infused beats that hit every chakra, laced with buttery-smooth vocals and HERstorical lyrics. Their latest release, “LEGACY” makes this truly evident with its powerful energy and sharply-crafted songwriting that sleekly blends hip-hop and R&B elements into a cohesive, sleek offering.

“LEGACY” contains raw yet vivid synths that build in layers to make for a soundscape that is simultaneously graceful and hard-hitting. As crisp percussion and rich bass lock in an infectious groove beneath, the group’s versatile vocals provide a highlight with their refreshing, catchy combination of hip-hop and R&B elements. Dynamic and exciting, the track immerses the listener in its sweltering, energizing feel while hitting them with line after line of memorable, sharply-crafted melodies and bars.

NADUH introduces the “New Era” of girl-groups: true friends who are the sole visionaries and manifestors of their music, narrative, and image. Their music holds strong messages of reclamation, empowerment, queerness, sexuality, and spirituality, mixed in with “that bitch” energy, aiming to help their audience access higher realms of consciousness while entertaining their urge to twerk. Their latest, “LEGACY” finds them continuing their hot-streak of hip-hop and R&B-infused joints with one that makes a lasting impression with its eclectic blend of genres, sleek production, and strong songwriting. Give it a listen below and connect with Vancouver’s NADUH for more.

Connect with NADUH: Website | Spotify | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook

Photo: Beau Bonez & Jocasta Clarke

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Hatter shares potent new release, “Careful” (prod. Saffa Ghorishi) [Video]

Brighton artist Hatter has shared a a new visual for his single, “Careful”, produced by Saffa Ghorishi. A trailblazer in Brighton’s hip-hop scene, and always testing the limits as to what he can create within the rap domain- Hatter is a potent lyricist and experimental producer whose charismatic energy lights up when taking to the stage. London-born and Brighton-based, Hatter’s play on words, memorable hooks, and versatile production make him an artist paving his own lane. His latest release, “Careful”, continues his run with sharp flows, clever lyricism, and an infectious soundscape provided by long-time collaborator Saffa Ghorishi, accompanied by a strong new visual that is cinematic in tone and engaging in style.

“Careful”’s rhythmic, rich production creates a solid groove for Hatter’s confident yet laid-back rhymes, as he shines on the mic with a strong presence and carefully crafted verses. Backed by Ghorishi’s shimmering production, he sounds natural and in his lane, as he effortlessly handles the beat with an unassuming dominance. The new visual, directed by Mr. Cheal, takes it a step further with cinematic shots, focused editing, and engaging classic movie references to boot. “Careful” is an all-out affair of witty rhymes, memorable production, and poignant visuals that make it another strong outing from this Brighton mainstay.


Give the visual for “Careful” a watch here and be sure to connect with Hatter while you’re at it.

Connect with HatterSpotify | Instagram | Twitter

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Galaxy Francis drops two-pack, announces upcoming EP

Chicago rapper-singer Galaxy Francis, formerly known as L.A. VanGogh, has carved out his own lane within the local music scene due to his uncanny ability to straddle the line between hip-hop and R&B with ease. When he’s not churning out thought-provoking, Saba-esque rap verses, he’s laying down warm, lively vocal performances, usually over jazz-tinged production topped off with grandiose horn sections and dense vocal layering.

On past projects such as his Everything Is Subjective series, Francis explores the depths of his inner-psyche, his relationships with vice, existentialism and his past.

But after undergoing a name change, announcing the May 24 release of his upcoming EP iNNERGALACTIC: Side A and dropping two brand new singles from the project, Francis is entering a new era as an artist, one where he invites us to blast off with him into outer space.

On this brand new two-pack, Francis trades the jazzy, neo-soul sounds that usually pop up in his music for a more accessible, laidback trap sound without compromising quality.

The first track, “Skip To My Lou,” is a hazy, smoked out tribute to the city of St. Louis. Assembled with minimalism in mind, the instrumental is sparse, consisting of little more than a scampering set of 808s and some broad, watery synths, setting up the perfect backdrop for Francis to deliver his breathy, intimate vocal lines.

“Smoking this, Reefer Alston hit the skip 2 my Lou,” Francis spits in the track’s first line, a poignant triple-entendre referencing his home city while comparing his love of smoking weed to NBA player Rafer Alston’s ball skills that earned him the nickname that also happens to be the track’s namesake. 

The second track, “SOURFACES,” is way busier despite its brief runtime of one minute and 20 seconds. Over a more piercing, urgent set of synths, Francis brings a much faster flow and a lot more clever lines: 

“I can see the future like Eminem in 8 Mile,” he raps in the second half of the song.

While some fans might be taken aback at first by the sudden change in sonic aesthetics, Francis sounds right at home going over these synth-driven trap instrumentals.

Stream “Skip 2 My Lou/SOURFACES” here.

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Dzh shares versatile 2-pack ‘RANTS’

New Jersey’s Dzh has returned with a fresh 2-song release called ‘RANTS’. The appropriately titled set finds him expressing himself in a cathartic manner, detailing his trials and tribulations- while keeping its sound and style engaging and infectious. The release showcases two sides of Dzh, and captures his dynamic persona concisely. It’s also sharply written, and it is evident throughout that Dzh put much thought and planning into each bar and each note. These immaculately crafted songs contain elements of hip-hop, trap, and rage, and refuse to be boxed in to categorization.

“You & Tha Raps” takes on the introspective tone that we’ve been hearing frequently from the East Coast wordsmith. It features a watery, laid-back beat that contains an immersive feel, moored by feathery but bouncy percussion. He then switches it up engagingly with the hard-hitting “Tha Most”, which brings in vibrant rage elements with winding synths and a booming rhythm section.

Give ‘RANTS’ a listen below and further familiarize yourself with Dzh.

Follow Dzh for more: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter

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Valid and Stretch Money drop off sleek video for “The Girls”

Detroit artists Valid and Stretch Money are continuing their run with their new visual for “The Girls”. A poignant track from their recent album Bill & Isiah, “The Girls”, produced by Pig Pen & DJ Jmac, stood out for its bassy sonics, raw, stylish vocals, and retro-futuristic style. It’s a highlight from the record that feels truly Detroit in sound and tone, and it makes its mark in the tracklist for presenting a refreshing, authentic take on the Detroit hip-hop sound.

They continue their run fresh off the album’s release with the new visual directed by Jerry Reid & Slander King, which does well to distill the track’s sleek, retro mood with muted, smoky shots, charismatic performances from the emcees, and nocturnal, atmospheric settings. Accompanying the bass-heavy, raw track, the video also captures its uniquely Detroit sound and style, and in doing so represents the spirit of their strong recent Bill & Isiah record.

Give it a watch below and connect with Valid and Stretch Money.

Listen to Bill & Isiah:

Connect with Valid: Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Stretch Money: Instagram | Facebook

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blackbyrd shares eclectic new album ‘Shoegaze for Black Kids’

blackbyrd has shared a new album, titled Shoegaze for Black Kids. blackbyrd (formally known as mikeyblackkk) is an artist from the burgeoning Western Mass music scene. Combining the melodies of shoegaze and dream pop, with the raw lyricism of 90’s boom bap rappers, blackbyrd offers an idiosyncratic sound with his new album as he takes a step forward into new territory from his previous output.

Shoegaze for Black Kids shines by combining various genres into a poignant mix, while blackbyrd himself stands out as a skilled and focused lyricist who does not waste a word as far as delivering a message. It’s a record that is simply refreshing, as it is difficult to categorize and refuses to conform throughout. Songs like the aptly titled “Rebel” are evident as this, and especially the expansive scorcher “White Noise” that is perhaps the most seamless blend of hip-hop and shoegaze on the album. Take a listen to Shoegaze for Black Kids if you want to hear something that defies boundaries in a world where too much output leans towards cookie cutter formulas.

Listen here:

Connect with blackbyrd: Spotify | Instagram | LinkTree