“ないものねだり / Lucky Me” is the digital single by the singer Leola.
Release Date: 29.09.2020
Tracklist:
1. Naimononedari (ないものねだり)
2. Lucky Me
OVERALL RATING
4 stars
Leola – ないものねだり / Lucky Me (Digital Single)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Monthly Archives: September 2020
SUPER JUNIOR-D&E – Bad Liar (Mini Album)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Bad Liar is the special version of SUPER JUNIOR-D&E’s fourth mini album Bad Blood. It was released on September 28, 2020 with “No Love” serving as the album’s title track.
Tracklist:
1.”No Love”
2.”B.A.D”
3.”Contact”
4.”To You, Tomorrow (오늘이 지나고 나면)”
5.”Change (變花)”
6.”Off Line”
7.”What Is Your Name?” (feat. Shindong) (Bonus track)
OVERALL RATING
4½ stars
Julanie J – Mooi (Album)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Posted in Musica
The super-talented singer -songwriter Julanie J releases her debut 10-track Afrikaans album, titled Mooi. The album follows on the success of the three previously released hit-singles Dalk is Ek, Sandkastele and Gegrond.
Beautifully written and composed, Julanie explains that each song on the album is a love story. She says: “This is an album of self-discovery. All the songs are about things that happened in my life that I would like to share with others.”
The single “Liefde wat ons heelmaak” is a duet that with the talented singer Ivan Roux. Julanie says: “I am excited about this song. I always aim for international standard in the production and recording of my songs and I feel proud of what we have achieved with this track. “Liefde wat ons heelmaak” is about going through a break-up. Most of us go through this kind of heartbreak in our lives. It was a privilege to be able to record this with Ivan Roux. His deep, warm voice was the perfect match to help deliver the intended emotion of this song.”
“Arm” is a personal favoutite for Julanie off the album. She wrote the song for her husband, JP, a few months before their wedding. Julanie says: “The song reveals a bit about how I feel about our relationship. ““Jy’s die stil van stilheid wat praat” – JP is a man of few words, but when he does speak, his opinions are usually relevant and wise. I also love that he makes me laugh. I can sometimes be too serious. “Jy`s die suiker in my koffie sodat ek nie bitter smaak” translated means “you’re like the sweetener to my coffee and remove the bitterness.”
Mooi is a love story consisting of 10 original tracks. Julanie says that she is super-proud of this album. “I am grateful to Warner Music South Africa and all the artists and recording -specialists that have worked with me over the past two years. Without them I could not have done this. I am on cloud 9!”
Julanie J, who recently turned 22, has been writing and making music for as long as she can remember. She wrote her first song at the age of four and her debut album Spirit Breakout (2015) reached the iTunes Top 30 on release. She was subsequently nominated for a Mzansi Christian Award in 2016. Julanie is already an accomplished songwriter and has written singles for various artists including Lokua Kanza, Helmut Meijer AKA Calev, Nadia Vorster and Namibia`s Sanet Lambrechts. Her Afrikaans single releases in 2019 and 2020 reached various no 1 positions. Huisgenoot published a review in which they referred to Julanie J as a talented artist to keep an eye on.
Tracklist:
01. Dalk Is Ek
02. Genadig
03. Liefde Wat Ons Heelmaak (feat. Ivan Roux)
04. Moite Werd
05. Sandkastele
06. Gemaak vir Mekaar
07. Mooi Wees
08. Vreemde Mooi
09. Arm
10. Gegrond
OVERALL RATING
4 stars
Caitlyn Smith – Supernova (Deluxe Edition) (Album)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Posted in Musica
Tags
Caitlyn Smith, Caitlyn Smith - Supernova (Album), Caitlyn Smith - Supernova (Deluxe Edition) (Album), music, Musica
Welcome to Emerging Artists Spotlight, the Billboard series where we highlight a musician or band who has recently made their debut on the Emerging Artists chart. Whether they are new to the industry, or have been around for a while but are just starting to have a chart impact, the intention is to showcase where they are here and now. This week’s pick is Caitlyn Smith, who debuted at No. 45 on the chart dated March 28 thanks to the success of her second studio album Supernova.
Hailing from Cannon Falls Minnesota, singer-songwriter Caitlyn Smith has been drawn to music since she was a child.
At the age of 12, she formed her first band and went on to release three albums independently by the time she turned 19. A fan of songwriters like Carole King, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and Patti Griffin, Smith eventually moved to Nashville where she’d amass cuts by Meghan Trainor and John Legend (“Like I’m Gonna Lose You”), Cassadee Pope (“Wasting All These Tears”), and Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (“You Can’t Make Old Friends”), among others.
Now signed to Monument Records as an artist, Smith’s second studio album Supernova, released March 13, debuts on the Top Album Sales chart at No. 92 with 1,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
Her powerful single and album opener “Long Time Coming” concurrently stands at No. 37 on the Adult Alternative Songs airplay chart in its third charting week (down from its No. 35 peak last week). The song is her first career entry on one of Billboard’s song charts.
“A lot of life happened between my last record and Supernova,” says the mother of two, who tours the country with her family of four. “This new album holds a vast range of emotion. Each song is a different expression of humanity: loss, change, loneliness, love, fear and hope.
“When my life feels really loud and crazy, I love to sit down at the piano, or pick up my guitar, zoom in really, really small and write about the tiny details that make life so beautiful,” she continues. “My goal is to get to the guts of it. My hope is that this record could be a bright light for some people in this crazy world right now.”
Prior to Supernova, Smith’s major label debut album Starfire reached No. 24 on Americana/Folk Albums and No. 6 on Heatseekers Albums in 2018. Before that, her Starfire (EP) reached No. 18 on Americana/Folk Albums and No. 16 on Heatseekers Albums in 2016.
Tracklist:
01.I Can’t (feat. Old Dominion)
02.Long Time Coming
03.Damn You for Breaking My Heart
04.Put Me Back Together
05.All Over Again
06.I Don’t Want to Love You Anymore
07.Supernova
08.I Can’t
09.Rare Bird
10.Midnight in New York City
11.Fly Away
12.Feel That Way
13.Lonely Together
14.Fix You
OVERALL RATING
4 stars
Reina Ueda – sleepland (Single)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Features “Maerchen Maedchen” TV anime series ending theme. Cover features Reina Ueda picture.
Release Date: February 07, 2018
Tracklist:
Artist Edition / 【アーティスト盤】
01. sleepland
02. 誰もわたしを知らない世界へ
03. fairy taleの明けに
Anime Edition / 【アニメ盤】
01. sleepland
02. 誰もわたしを知らない世界へ
03. sleepland (Instrumental)
04. 誰もわたしを知らない世界へ (Instrumental)
OVERALL RATING
3½ stars
Sara Marie Barron – Existential Glam (Album)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Posted in Musica
Detroit-based singer-songwriter Sara Marie Barron promoting her song Silence. Silence is one of 10 songs on Barron’s newest album Existential Glam. Image courtesy of Chloe Sells.
Finding the right sound is not always easy. There can be a lot of playing around with genres and combinations until the perfect match is stumbled upon. However, it seems to come easy to Barron as her angelic tone is contrasted perfectly with sharp drum beats and energetic brass tones. Her set is varied bringing together fast and slow tempos to convey feelings of heartbreak and soul-wrenching sadness. She creates a juxtaposition to these negative emotions with feelings of contentment and explores how she learned how to prioritize herself.
Existential Glam is Barron’s second studio album after previously releasing Sad, But True in 2018. Using her voice as an anchor, Barron brings together elements of soul, pop, and R&B without losing the integrity of the genres. She pulls inspiration from a variety of artists but most noticeably Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and Amy Winehouse. Existential Glam does not follow a single tone but rather balances mellow and electric songs moving between fast and slow tempos. The album as a whole shifts back and forth between slow and fast-paced songs, stressing the journey that Barron took in learning how to truly understand herself and her relationships. As a result of using a variety of background vocals with brass and percussion accompaniment, the album is perfect for a variety of occasions, including cozy afternoons or impromptu dance sessions. Her voice is comforting and relaxing while also engaging the listener to get up and sing along.
Everything about Existential Glam is intimate. Barron shifts between using accompanying instrumental tracks in her music and layering her own voice, letting her meaningful lyrics guide the melody. The album flows through various stages of Barron’s journey searching for “the one.” Barron combines her silky delicate voice and extensive vocal range to give the listener a raw understanding of her feelings.
Reputation and Up All Night open the album with slow beats to match her feelings of frustration and anxiety as they struggle to find the right person for her. At this point in the album, it is clear to the listener that Barron is putting all of herself into her relationships but is not receiving any reciprocated feelings which are harming her self-image. Both songs recognize the misgivings of the people around Barron but also recognize how hard it is to cut off her feelings for them.
As the album progresses, the songs shift to her devoting herself to someone who does not completely reciprocate her feelings demonstrated through songs such as U Got Me and Every Little Thing. The final songs include Fickle, Picture, and Silence, where Barron focuses on her relationship with herself. Barron acknowledges her own shortcomings and how they have potentially impacted her relationships with others, which is exemplified especially through Fickle.
By the end of the Existential Glam, Barron seems to have had a revelation about her self-image. In Picture, Barron is able to identify when she is with the wrong person and tells them to leave in order to avoid the anxiety that started everything. Instead of staying, she continues her journey to truly find “the one” for her.
Barron’s self-love journey is unique but she is able to bring understanding to her listeners with her raw lyrics and harmonious melodies. She may not have found “the one” for her romantically, but I have no doubt that she has found the right sound for her vocal talents, and I am excited about what is coming next for the up and coming star.
Tracklist:
01 – Up All Night
02 – Reputation
03 – Prettyboy
04 – PrettyGirl
05 – U Got Me
06 – Every Little Thing
07 – Law Degree
08 – Fickle (feat. Cousin Mouth)
09 – Picture
10 – Silence
OVERALL RATING
4 stars
YongYong – im your xYz (Mini Album)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
YONGYONG‘s first EP, “im your xYz“, features ASH ISLAND, Kid Wine, Skinny Brown, and Tommy Strate.
Release Date: September 27, 2020
Tracklist:
1.Don’t think abou tit (그런 생각은 하지마) (With ASH ISLAND) TITLE
2.X
3.BALENCIA (Feat. ASH ISLAND)
4.Sleeping with another (다른애옆에누워널생각해) (Feat. Kid Wine)
5.Killin me softly (Feat. Skinny Brown)
6.Slow mo (춤) (Feat. Tommy Strate)
OVERALL RATING
3½ stars
ROZES – Crazy (EP)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Posted in Musica
Tags
In piecing together Crazy, ROZES was exploring the more unstable side of love, the impulsiveness, how it can make one question their own sanity, and how emotional women are often labeled “crazy.”
“I wanted to show every emotion inside of me and say ‘so call me crazy,’” ROZES tells American Songwriter. “Every song on this EP shows the empowered, the nervous, the confident, and the self conscious person I am all at once.”
“Crazy” was actually written just after the anthemic “Halfway There”—one of four tracks on Crazy previously released in 2019—and ultimately set the theme for the remaining songs that would make the EP, says ROZES. “I knew I wanted it to be this mix of emotional madness that I carry,” she says of the title track. “It felt right releasing it last as the bow on top.
For the Philadelphia-bred ROZES, everything has been moving since her 2014 debut single “Everything” and later collaboration with The Chainsmokers on 2015’s “Roses.” Since her debut EP Burn Wild (2016) and 2018 follow up I Don’t Know Where I’m Going, But I’m On My Way? ROZES says every project has led to her developing her identity as an artist.
“I would say that with every moment that passes I am becoming more me,” says ROZES. “I am still committed to vulnerability and showing just how human I am, but I am more confident in my words and in who I am.”
She adds, “I do feel like my sound is ever-changing but I think the future of my music will be a mix of each of my EPs—energy, honesty, big vocals.”
Moving through the remainder of Crazy is the synth-pop spark of “All Up in My Head” and the closing balladry of “Call Me.” On “Walls,” ROZES pulled in singer-songwriter Mat Kearney, a collaboration that was somewhat of full-circle moment since she would often listen to his 2009 release City of Black and White on her high school bus rides. “When we got into the studio together we both seemed to be in a headspace where we felt up against a wall (all puns intended), which gave us the inspiration for the song,” says ROZES. “I felt like we were both in a place artistically that would mesh well together.”
Following the release of Crazy, ROZES is adjusting to Zoom writing sessions, lining up collaborations, and prepping to release more singles. “I don’t have a specific plan yet, but… I’m excited for the journey ahead,” says ROZES.
ROZES hopes “Crazy,” and the remainder of the EP somehow helps people who are lost in their emotions or feeling alone. “I want my listeners to know how normal it is to be emotional,” she says, “and how empowering it can be to allow yourself to feel.”
Tracklist:
01.Crazy
02.Halfway There
03.All Up In My Head
04.Walls (feat. Mat Kearney)
05.Call Me
OVERALL RATING
4 stars
Johanna Amelie – Beginnings (Album)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Posted in Musica
“I wish to create a connection to others through music“ is the motto of Berlin-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Johanna Amelie. After the release of her debut EP “Cloud in a Room” (2014) and after having played 300 shows worldwide, Johanna Amelie’s new album “Beginnings” (brillJant sounds / The Orchard) out on September 25th. “All songs circle around the magic of beginnings that follows a phase in life that’s been full of endings” she says. The songs sound spherical, playful, and uplifting: listeners get to hear synthesizers, electric guitars, pianos, violins and an omnichord.
Johanna Amelie develops her musicianship with every new release. Her album „Distance“ (2018) attracted the attention of the Uk based label “Zero Hours Records“ which is run by producer Andy Chatterley. Her “One Moon” EP (2019) was well received in England, Robert Elms of Radio BBC London played the song “Bridge” for weeks on his show. Johanna Amelie is a solo artist but she plays in various bands of fellow musicians. “I am part of a scene,” she says resolutely. Amelie organizes the monthly V-Breakfast with a group of fours friends, a meeting that enables the exchange of female artists in the Berlin music scene.
Tracklist:
1.Hammock
2.Hands
3.Yes
4.Public pain
5.Horizon
6.Being
7.Norway
8.Mountains
9.Hamburg
10.Hands (Reprise)
OVERALL RATING
4 stars
Alix – Feel Better (Album)
30 Wednesday Sep 2020
Posted in Musica
Love is a fascinating game, and us people, always have a natural tendency to play with it. When you think of it, all of our actions are guided by love. This perfectly pictures the core story in FEEL BETTER, ALIX’ debut album, released this September 25th.
ALIX knows the deal when it comes to love, in every kind of way. If you never heard of yet, the story that follows will amaze you.
Tracklist:
01 – Easy Living
02 – Ice Cold
03 – Satisfied
04 – Good (feat. Nezza)
05 – Young
06 – Dreams
07 – Can’t Get Enough
08 – Let’s Leave (feat. 1323)
09 – Spoiled (feat. Rozee)
10 – Lucky
11 – Golden
OVERALL RATING
4 stars
♥ Bubble Days... 