Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone has had a productive week and a relaxing weekend! The weather is definitely getting colder and gloomier now so it’s the perfect time to bring out the winter vibes playlist. This is the kind of weather I usually listen to even more R&B, slow jams, softer music in general. As always, I’ve created a playlist reflecting this season and will be adding more and more music as the days go on. Here are some of the songs I’ve added to the playlist recently.
Pardison Fontaine – By Myself
This is one of my favourite Pardison Fontaine songs! Before being known as Meg Thee Stallion’s boyfriend, Pardi already established himself as a successful writer and artist. If you haven’t heard his music before, I suggest starting with this song and working your way backwards! He’s very talented.
Yung Bleu Ft. Kehlani – Beautiful Lies
I can never seem to get tired of this song! Such a beautiful combination of voices! Kehlani never misses on features and Yung Bleu just has the perfect voice for songs.
Drake Ft. Lil Durk & Giveon – In the Bible
I feel CLB was one of those albums that you had to sit on. My feelings on the album now to when it first came out have changed dramatically! I really think a lot of the songs on the album have massive replay value, even more so than on his previous album. This particular song is one of my favourites on the album and for me, I liked the range of Drake’s voice on this. You hear rapping Drake, deep sounding Drake and high notes Drake. Durk and Giveon made the perfect pairing on this song however, Durk’s verse was extremely disappointing.
Young Thug Ft. Future & Bslime – Peepin out the Window
Thug and Future always make bangers and this song is no different. Perfect song for the playlist!
Ladipoe Ft. Fireboy DML – Running
Ladipoe is one of my favourite artists at the moment! He has a very unique sound. This song is one of my favourites from the EP.
Kanye West Ft. Jay – Z – Jail
You already know any song featuring Hov will be on one of my playlists. I like the slow-paced feel of this song and how Hov switches his flow to accommodate the laid back theme. It’s also great to hear Kanye and Hov on music again. Hopefully, as Jay Z says, it is the “return of the throne” and we will hear more music from the pair.
Have a listen to the ‘Winter Warmers” playlist below:
Hey Everyone! I’ve compiled a playlist for all the songs I mention on the podcast episodes! There is a playlist for those on Spotify and those on Apple Music!
Episode 3 is available everywhere!
Follow them below! They will be updated regularly!
Hello everyone!!! Firstly I just want to say I have some very exciting news that I will be announcing very soon! Stay tuned!!
Today’s post is long overdue! I have made a list of some of the music I’ve been loving and listening to the past week!! Please have a read below to see some of the songs that have made the list!!
Kojey Radical Ft. Mereba
After watching Kojey Radical live at a festival last year, I became very intrigued with his music style. He’s so energetic and passionate and you can hear it translate so well with his sound! I stumbled upon this song recently and I absolutely adore it! the content of the song is beautiful too. There are some great hidden lessons within the lyrics. On top of all this, Mereba’s voice is absolutely sensational. Her tone is so unique and adds to the sombre feeling of the track. Her verse even switches flow towards the end which was a pleasant surprise. Really beautiful song. Check it out below:
Jeezy Ft. Rick Ross – Almighty Black Dollar
Jeezy, fresh off the success of his Verzuz battle with Gucci Mane releases a new album! (The Recession 2). This was the track on the album that stood out for me! I love the message of the song! Jeezy tells everyone to understand how important it is to support Black businesses. He also touches on the image many prople feel they have to maintain: “Went broke just to wear it, you can even tell it Jesus piece, I ain’t prayed one time today”. I’ve always been a fan of Jeezy and of course Rick Ross is one of my favourite rappers so this combination was always going to be enjoyable. Have a listen below:
Shana – No Rainy Days (Jiffthegeneral Garage Mix)
Shana is back with a remix to her already great single! Personally I wouldn’t say I listen to a lot of Garage music however I really enjoyed this remix! Jiffthegeneral manages to maintain the afrobeats sound on this mix! I found myself having this song on repeat, the fast paced sound and Shana’s vocals mixed so well! It’s the type of song that I could imagine playing on radio and playing in clubs! You definitely feel like shaking a leg listening to this song!! Have a listen below!
Cuuhcraig Ft. Blxst – Keep it 100
Blxst is my new favourite artist as I’m sure you may have picked up with my previous review of his latest EP. He features on this track with a fairly new artist Cuuhcraig. The song is just a feel good track!
DaVido – Jowo
After ‘Holy Ground’, this was my second favourite song from DaVido’s new album. The song has such an authentic Afrobeats sound and feel. For me, this is the kind of sound DaVido does best!
SAINt JHN Ft. 6LACK & Kehlani – Randsom
Looking at the lineup of this song, you just know what kind of beautiful sound we were going to get! the track is very tender and for me 6LACK steals the show! Have a listen below:
Asya Ft. Leemz – Ride For Me/ FWU
Asya is an artist I’ve recently discovered. She is a British singer with an R&B sound who recently released an EP titled ‘Love Me till I’m Me Again’. The UK R&B scene is finally growing and it’s great to hear new artists coming up. From the project these 2 songs were my favourites.
Russ Ft. KXNG Crooked – Stockholm Syndrome
We all know I’m a big fan of Russ but for me the king of the song is KXNG Crooked! His fast, gritty glow blew me away! The song is taken from Russ’ latest EP ‘CHOMP’ which contains 5 songs with features with artists such as Busta Rhymes and Benny the Butcher that I recommend you have a listen to.
Hello Everyone!!! Hope everyone is hanging in there! This year seems to be speeding by which is probably for the best given the state of it!!! Today’s post is dedicated to top songs I’ve been playing recently that have given me such good vibes! These are the kind of songs you could have playing while you’re just chilling. Good vibes only!
Brandy – Borderline
Brandy has always had a sensational voice but this new album ‘B7’ is just reminding me of all of her beauty. This was the second single released from her new album but this is by far my favourite on the whole project. The harmonies and vocal range she displays on this song are heavenly. I would love to hear perform this song live, it’s the kind of song that just touches your soul. Stunning!
Rebecca Garton Ft. Ling Hussle, Alana Maria & Tia Carys – All Me Pt.2
Women globally are doing BIG things. This time it’s the turn of the UK talented queens. Rebecca Garton previously released the first part of the song with WSTRN’s Louis Rei which I loved. I was happy to see Ling Hussle on the lineup as I’ve previously spoken on my love for her voice and wow this song was another perfect way for her to showcase her talent. Rebecca Garton seems to also be the one to watch this year! Women are really shining and I love to see it! I hope this is the first of many more collabs from them as their voices blended so well. I also really enjoyed the video where they all paid homage to the Queen Lil Kim. The visuals, vocals and harmonies on this song are perfect!! Have a watch below:
Da Baby Ft. Young Thug – BLIND
Da Baby recently dropped the deluxe version of his smash hit album ‘Blame it on Baby‘ and this song was definitely one of my favourites from the new version. Young Thug always does great features and is so lucky his voice is so versatile to so many different beats. One of the things I loved most about this song is that we can see and appreciate a slower side to Da Baby. We are all so used to his fast rapping style and while this song still contains his signature rapping style it has been slowed down to match the beat. I actually like this slowed down Da Baby. The ‘Blind” reference is in relation to the fact both artists are now successful and are getting the opportunities they always dreamed of. Really inspiring sentiment. Have a listen below:
Dexta Daps Ft. Beenie Man – Obviously
Dexta Daps is by far one of may favourite artists at the moment! It feels like he is incapable of making a bad song and I’m all here for it! He released an album July 31st called ‘VENT’ which I found out about last week! There’s something so sensual about his voice that makes you want to hear every single word he is singing. His Jamaican accent sounds somehow always sounds more sexier than usual! He is immensely talented! This was one of the songs that caught my attention early on while listening to the album. The fact it features the legend Beenie Man is an added bonus! Have a listen to the beauty below:
Rick Ross Ft. Finn Matthews – Pinned to the Cross
The King and pioneer of luxury rap is back with another thought-provoking single! One of the main lines that stood out to me was “I just want to be free, another black man on the run”. In this song Rozay touches on the racial inequality happening in America at the moment. Have a listen below:
Christina Aguilera Ft. XDNA (aka LEWIS HAMILTON) – Pipe
I had to emphasis the feature on this song because I am still shocked. The song was originally released in 2018 with her album ‘Liberation’. However, Lewis recently revealed to the world that he is indeed the secret feature on the song! Hamilton is currently one of the best drivers in Formula 1 and has six world championship titles to his name. It seems rapper/singer is now something else he will be adding to his already huge list of talents. As a Lewis Hamilton fan myself, it is exciting to finally hear his music as he has always expressed his love for making music. I really hope this is not the last music we hear from him because his verse was great!
THEY Ft. Tinashe – Play Fight
I stumbled on this very randomly, but I’ve enjoyed it ever since! The song is such a vibe. THEY are an R&B duo that I had never heard of before this song. However, after hearing this song, I will be checking out more of their songs! The song has a 90’s nostalgic feel and I love how the verses let us hear from different perspectives. Have a listen below:
SIDE NOTE: The African Giant, Burna Boy releases his highly anticipated 5th studio album tomorrow (Friday 14th August). Stay tuned for an album review for that new project. If you haven’t already, please read my previous Burna Boy album review:
Hello Everyone! I hope you’re all doing well?! Today’s post is on all the new music I’ve been having on repeat for the past week! It’s a strange coincidence that all these releases are from men! That was not the aim haha!
I’m trying to provide you all with more content from now on for you all to enjoy! Please feel free to contact me if there’s some things you want to see more of!
My Top Playlist Picks are:
Pop Smoke:
There was no way I wasn’t going to mention the man of the hour. The late Pop Smoke’s posthumous album ‘Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon’ was released on July the 3rd. The album boosts features from Roddy Ricch, Quavo, Future, King Combs, 50 Cent and many more. If I’m completely honest, I wasn’t a huge Pop Smoke fan while he was alive however I always appreciated how talented he was. He made the drill sound a mainstream success in the US and it was clear he was only just beginning his journey. I recently read a really great review from ‘Shahna Says’ of this album release that summed up most of the songs. Have a read here:
Having listened to this album however, it was clear that Pop Smoke was a lot more versatile that most people including myself expected. A few of the songs on the album stood out for me.
The Woo Ft. 50 Cent & Roddy Ricch – This was the first song on the album that instantly got me. I never really realised the similarities between Pop Smoke & 50 Cent before this album but it’s clear why 50 Cent decided to take control of this project. Roddy of course provides great vocals but for me 50 was the star of this song and it was nice to hear him rapping again.
Got it On Me– This was one of the most anticipated singles to come from this album. Pop Smoke’s version of 50 Cent’s classic “Many Men”. The song definitely did not disappoint! It’s unreal how similar they sound! it could easily be a part 2 version of the original.
Burna Boy – Wonderful
Oluwa Burna does. not. miss!!!! This song is such a vibe honestly. Burna said that the song is about the impact his music has on the world and this song is a perfect example of that. Regardless of whether you can understand some of his Yoruba dialect, you will, using his words “feel it in your soul“. The song has a stripped back feel to it and has a lot of emphasis on the instruments. For me this is reflective of Nigerian music in general. The song makes me happy and feels like I’m back home. Have a listen below:
Just Rome Ft. ShoSho – Cheque In
I recently stumbled onto this song and I’ve had it on repeat ever since. This is my first time hearing from any of these artists but I’m impressed. I like the fusion of the melodic chorus from ShoSho combined with the raw rap on the verses from Just Rome. The last verse is my favourite as I love when artists have back to backs within their songs. For me, this makes me feel like both artists are in touch with one another. Have a listen below:
Ramz – Scratch Cards
I don’t know what spirit has entered Ramz but I’m grateful for it. He has completely taken a new route in music and it suits him. Coming off the release of his previous single ‘Brixton to Oxford Circus‘ he releases this new banger. Drill really suits his rapping style as he is able to keep the pace and keep his clarity which is a rare talent. In the song Ramz reflects on his upbringing but also his success now. I hope this new sound continues with Ramz and I feel there’s much more talent for him to show. Have a listen below:
Jacob Latimore Ft. Trevor Jackson & Rotimi – Real Love, Pt.2
With so many wonderful females taking over R&B at the moment it’s nice to hear men doing their thing too. This remix features 3 talented men in their own rights and the video is just as creative being shot during quarantine. I wasn’t even aware Trevor Jackson could sing as I knew him as an actor but was pleasantly surprised. Trevor and Jacob’s harmonising was my favourite part of the song. Have a listen below:
Rayven Justice Ft. Case, Eric Bellinger – Missing You (DJ Carisma Remix)
More men doing it for R&B in this song. I like the original song from Rayven which was released earlier in the year but this remix is even better. Any song that features an R&B legend like Case is always going to catch my attention I like how even though Case is old school R&B and Rayven & Eric are new school, they all blend well together.
Russ – Give Up
I have not heard one bad single from Russ before. This song continues with that tradition. Russ is so good at releasing stand alone singles that genuinely are good songs and not just throw away singles. This song touches on Russ’ love interest giving up despite Russ’ reluctancy to do the same. Have a listen below:
Franglish Ft. Tory Lanez – My Salsa
French rapper Franglish treats us to a nice anthem from his 2020 mixtape “MOOD” featuring quarantine king Tory. I hadn’t heard of Franglish before but after this song I will be checking out his other songs. Tory Lanez is perfect on this song. The tone of his voice is made for this kind of music. Have a listen below:
Hey Everyone! Day 100000000 of quarantine, I hope you’re all doing well and keeping safe while following your government’s guidelines! Today’s post is dedicated to all the music I’ve been listening to and loving in the past 2 weeks! Some are from established artists and some from upcoming. Please give them all a try, there should be a song here for you!
I’ve got a few ideas for the blog that should be coming into effect within the next couple months so pleas stay tuned! If you enjoy the site, please share and pass on to friends. I’m grateful for all of you!
My top playlists picks:
Promise – Gara (2020) – Produced by Randsombeatz
I stumbled upon this guy and since then I have been addicted to his music! If you are an afrobeat fan, this is the perfect song for you, Even if you’re not, have a listen. The song is from a British Nigerian artist that goes by the name of ‘Promise’ hailing from London. His music is usually a fusion of afrobeats, dancehall and UK rap. Usually when I hear a British artist that does afrobeats, I sometimes get disappointed because on occasion I feel the actual African essence is sometimes missing from their sound. This is definitely not the case for Promise. His music hits the spot in terms of that special authentic African sound. I was more disappointed that he only had 3 songs for me to listen to! Hopefully this is the beginning of a long career for him! I will be first in line waiting to hear more great music from him. (Check out his song ‘Promise‘ too, another one of my favourites)
Chris Brown x Young Thug – Go Crazy (2020) – Produced by KanielTheOne
Chris Brown and Young Thug recently released their joint album called ‘Slime & B’. I was pleasantly surprised with this tape, I feel their voices blended really well throughout and I think they both were able to showcase their individual talents too. This particular song stood out to me as a summer track and has now even been made into a dance challenge! The beat is a perfect pick me up and I can see this being a big song this summer.
Young Thug x Future – Help Me Breathe (2020)
This outro from Chris Brown and Young Thug’s joint album happens to be my second favourite on the tape. This time it features Young Thug collaborating with the toxic king himself, Future. We already know that Thug and Future make good music together based on their joint tape released in 2017. Personally one of my favourite joint songs from them was from Thug’s album ‘Beautiful Thugger Girls’, the song being “Relationship”. With this song “Help Me Breathe”, I feel it is actually quite a sweet one. Both of them talk about the importance of their partners in question indicating that they are giving them life. Check it out below;
Shana – Crush on You (2020) – Produced by Jiffthegeneral
Moving to an RnB theme, this is a new song from a new artist! This debut song is from London RnB singer Shana. With this being her first single I am hoping we hear much more from her in the future. I’m pretty sure this song will have you singing “I’ve got a crush on you” over and over and doing some kind of shuffle. I like the freshness that I get from this song, no gimmicks, just pure good vibes and excellent production. The female (even male) Rnb scene in London isn’t as big as it can be and it’s refreshing to hear more and more newcomers. Have a listen to the song below and enjoy:
Kehlani Ft Jhené Aiko – Change Your Life (2020)
Following on from the RnB theme, I had a listen to Kehlani’s new tape this week and this song for me was one of my stand outs. Jhené and Kehlani on the same song makes complete sense, both queens have the perfect sensual voices to blend with each other. I love Jhené’s verse in the second verse as she sings to the person in question hyping them up while also pointing out that they would be even better together. In verse 3, Kehlani lays it all on the table and when I first heard this verse I replayed it multiple times. “Used-to-be models, IG honeys all shaped like bottles but now you seein’ that it’s more than body, face, and smile. You see me, and you look beyond it, you feel inspired…”. So beautiful. Check it out below;
CE – Who Am I? (2020) – Produced by DCQBEATZ
Another one from CE! I’m a fan of this track for sure, it has a nice vibe to it, the beat is great too. CE raps less on this particular track and lets his singing do all the talking! This will have you singing “Everytime you find me, you try to remind me of who I am” like it’s been doing to me! The artwork is great too! Have a listen below:
Russ Ft Ty Dolla $ign – 3AM (2020)
If you haven’t checked it out already, I have a Russ album review out https://musicandlifeblog.com/2020/02/18/album-review-russ-shake-the-snow-globe/ . Russ has now brought out a deluxe version of the album including this new song featuring Ty Dolla $ign. He teased the song earlier this week and I had a feeling it was going to be a good one. Ty Dolla on any song is always a joy to listen to and you will not be disappointed with this track. Ty’s verse is such a pleasure to hear, the harmonies and rifts as perfect as always. I’m gonna have to dive into the extra tracks Russ has blessed us with but for now, have a listen to this song below;
Some other songs I’ve loved:
Joyner Lucas Ft Will Smith – WillRemix (2020) – Will killed his verse with that old school flow, his verse content was solid and he was speaking facts! Always great when idols jump on the tracks about them.
French Tha Kid – Dream (2020) – Produced by KP Beatz – I recently came across this guy and he’s pretty good. I like the flow switch up on this song. I think he’s got an exciting upcoming career in the works.
DaBaby Ft. Roddy Rich – ROCKSTAR (2020) – I’ve had this song on repeat, definitely my favourite from the album. Da Baby shows himself in a different light here for me, his rapping is solid. Beat is crazy too!
