ScHoolboy Q + Travis Scott – “CHopstix”
After debuting the song live on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon last month, and after much delay, ScHoolboy Q delivers his latest single “CHopstix” featuring Travis Scott. The song was originally set to drop last Friday, but ScHoolboy delayed it out of respect for Nipsey Hussle in light of his recent passing.
The TDE rapper flexes and salutes the “five-star” chicks on the melodic trap heavy track, which features Travis’ Auto-Tuned melodies and “It’s lit” ad libs. While Travis is limited to a feature on the chorus, his presence and unmistakable energy is felt.
“I like her legs up like chopsticks / Luxury in my optics / Your ex man’s on the opp list / I’m validated to pop shit,” raps Q, who previously collaborated with Travis on “Ok Alright” from Travis’ Rodeo, which dropped back in 2015 .
During his Tonight Show appearance, Q also announced that his new album would be “coming very, very, very, very, very, very soon.” The follow-up to 2016’s Blank Face LP has already spawned the lead single “Numb Numb Juice”.
Aimée – “Don’t Bother”
Dublin’s newest burgeoning pop star comes in the form of singer/songwriter Aimée. Having peaked at number one on iTunes the day of her debut release, she finally reveals her debut music video for pop hit “Don’t Bother“.
With producer Richey McCourt by her side, the pair have concocted a confident, catchy and fun track in “Don’t Bother”. Aimée has given us a modern R&B-Pop track that can stand side by side with some her contemporaries – guitar driven yet explodes into a pop melody by the chorus.
She flips the narrative of typical ‘break up’ songs to her own and it comes across in the video too. Confidently moving on from her ex lover and eradicating all the leftover memories in a creative way – plus our popstar shows off some slick choreography.
Aimée shared: “With the video for ‘Don’t Bother’, I really wanted us to create something with the energy that matched the track. As it’s a song that I wrote about a personal experience, I always envisioned having my friends perform with me in the video.”
“Being able to choreograph the dance section of the video, really allowed my personality to come through and for me to have my own creative stamp on it – which I think is important with your first video.”
A trained dancer, and natural vocalist, Aimée has navigated the bumpy pop path to emerge as a confident songwriter, and an artist who is – and sounds – completely in control of her creative vision.
Isaac Waddington – “Let Me Into Your Heart”
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Isaac Waddington has continued his rise to prominence and weekly release schedule with latest offering “Let Me Into Your Heart“.
The gifted artist uses a gentle, piano-led instrumentation to elegantly express his heartfelt sentiments throughout. The sensual ballad showcases Isaac’s versatility as an artist, with the minimalistic production allowing him to demonstrate his vocal skill. We see a softer and emotional side to the artist.
The first of Isaac’s weekly single releases began this month with “Make It Better” – an uptempo track featuring contemporary soul talent Mathilda Homer. Beautifully electric, it draws from his array of vast musical influences. From soul to pop, jazz to hip-hop, his stereo is perpetually switched on, forever absorbing fresh sounds yet putting his own stamp on proceedings. A sign of a true talent.
With the 2018 EP Borselli garnering widespread acclaim, Isaac has seen fast-rising success through his authentic style of soul music. He is hailed for his seamlessly switching moods from contemporary sounds to more classic feels. Unveiling his music throughout April and during the rest of the year, 2019 is already shaping up for Isaac Waddington. The anticipation for the rest of the singles is definitely great.
Luana Kiara – “Trigger”
Following its impressive release and great reception last month, Swedish-Gambian singer Luana Kiara has released a poignant video for her spectacular debut single “Trigger“.
The song in itself was a powerful one. It’s a dark, rumbling, R&B-tinged piece which was characterized by Luana’s energy and attitude. She endeavoured to share the clear message that you can never truly know the daily struggles other people face. And with this video, she intends to double-back on her sentiments.
With the help of director Florian Dezfoulian and Hannes Lemberg‘s choreography, she shines a light on the issue of domestic abuse. Through interpretive dance, she puts herself in the shoes of the victim of an abusive relationship, as her romance begins to escalate into violence.
“Trigger” follows Luana’s collaboration with Scandinavian production and DJ duo Tungevaag & Raaban last year. Her vocal efforts on their smash hit “Bad Boy“, helped clock up over 14 million streams on Spotify alone.
Now stepping to the forefront with her debut single, Luana Kiara is proving herself to already be an important name on the Swedish music scene. She is a strong female figurehead and set to take the world by storm.
Wildes – “Circles”
A passion project of talented singer and songwriter Ella Walker, Wildes is a name you need to know about. She first made waves with “Bare” in 2016 but it was sparse releases to come. Her Illuminate EP in 2017 garnered much attention but now she returns with brand new single “Circle“.
Beautifully haunting and atmospheric best describes the vocal performance on this one. A deep, guitar driven track that grows and evolves with layers with subdued yet powerfully rumbling percussion. It seems like we are being taken on a journey.
Behind the fanfare and sultry vocals, Wildes is speaking to the common man. It’s a song about becoming lost in a failing relationship. Yet, getting caught up in the familiarity, instead of facing the problems in front of you, has never felt so warm & comforting.
In this case she explains: “It’s far easier to go through the motions than to admit to yourself that you are unhappy, so you continue, avoiding confrontation and living on the boundaries of that relationship. Something that was once beautiful becomes ugly, warped and toxic.”
Wildes is planning to release her first full record later in the fall, giving attention to the imperfect beauty in the world around us. A good selection of it is courtesy of award winning producer Catherine Marks. It’s partly worts-and-all, but it’s also a celebration of our innate condition.
RuthAnne – “Love Again”
Award winning songwriter RuthAnne is back with more releases for 2019. Having unveiled “Love Again” earlier this year, she provides us with a wonderfully creative video to match. This year sparks a new chapter, as she gives us a taste of what’s to come from her long-awaited debut album, out later this year.
“Love Again” instantly captivates the listener as RuthAnne’s powerful and soulful vocal takes center stage. The electric guitar swiftly builds, harmoniously interwoven with a full choir. The new track is about RuthAnne convincing another that ‘love’ still exists and if they allow her in, she can help them to love again.
The visual is shot in a one-take flow where you follow RuthAnne in a humbling part of London as she tries to convince her partner that she will be able to help him love again. With the help of an eclectic mix of people on the way, it’s safe to say she succeeds.
On “Love Again”, RuthAnne explains: “I wrote the idea down for this song after I had a few dates with someone who had just gone through a break up. He said to me ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to love again’ and I immediately wrote it down on my phone and underneath I wrote ‘I know that I can make you learn to love again.'”
Words by Jay Tijani
