Through earthy Americana and laidback soul, songwriter Charissa gets real about heartbreak, true love, pain, and ecstasy, with lyrics that testify to well-earned wisdom far beyond her years. That vulnerability, combined with lush, flowing arrangements, makes her emotional debut EP, Love and Be Loved (Mar 25), a deeply affecting introduction to one of the most spellbinding new voices in roots music.
She bares her whole soul on Love and Be Loved, produced by Colin Cripps (Blue Rodeo member, Jim Cuddy Band) and supported by an impressive list of collaborators that includes Jessica Mitchell, Tom Wilson, Jesse O’Brien, and Carrie DeMaeyer.
The weighty, enchanting title track proves to be the record’s most powerful moment, as Charissa’s soulful voice rises alongside resonant piano, celebrating the magic of time spent with your person. “How wonderful it is to love and be loved,” she noted. “When I thought about that more, it led me to think about not only romantic love, but all kinds of love. That’s a beautiful sentiment to put out into the world – to give love and feel it in return.”
Nova Scotian singer-songwriter Daniel James McFadyen began his musical journey by playing at small, bustling pubs in and around the Annapolis Valley. Daniel’s music began to gain popularity after the release of his single “Goin’ Back (The Wolfville Song),” an ode to the small town where Daniel began playing music professionally. Daniel now has 2 EP’s under his belt and his most recent album “August, I’m Yours” is nominated for an East Coast Music Award.
“The song is inspired by a man I met in Guatemala while I was playing there a few years back,” Daniel explains. “I was playing at a bar on Lake Atitlan in a small town called San Marcos La Laguna. While I was playing, a small man with long black hair approached the stage with a bongo drum; he seemed eager to play. I signaled for him to come on-stage and he joined me. We played for hours together only communicating through music and I found it amazing that he was able to adapt to any style he heard while having no context for this western music.”
Daniel tried to communicate with the man in English and Spanish, with no luck. Later, he asked the bartender about the man and found out that the bongo player was from a small village of only a few hundred people who preserve their Ancient Mayan tongue.
“It was hard to imagine being in a situation when I could only properly communicate with a few hundred people for the rest of my life,” said Daniel. “A few years later I returned to the lake and I was not able to find the man and the bar had closed down, and I did not even know his real name. It was then I came up with the name “Mr. Lipless” and decided to write a song about him.”
Dilettante, meaning “amateur of the arts,” is the semi-deadly-serious moniker of a quintet that reflects like a seasoned collective, only to laugh like absolute beginners.
Flirty and cheeky, their latest single “Donna” marries the easy feelings of innocence and goofiness with the exciting, dramatic feeling of “now or never.” Donna brings disco drama, a fictional muse wearing tight leather pants that one might encounter on a glowing dancefloor.
Dilettante’s self-titled debut effort arrives May 2022, a modulated cabaret that tests how wryly powerful pop can be. Bittersweet throwback bops create technicolor characters that shake and glimmer like the last sequin clinging to an attic-bound jumpsuit; then, thumping ballads croon and cry like dancing slowly, alone in the spotlight with all of your closest friends. Expect fantastic double harmonies, pulsing bongos, rolling low-end, and show-thieving synth leads.
Hailing from Canada’s North in the Yukon, Speed Control is the rock band that can make you move—even at minus 40 degrees. Brothers Graeme and Jody Peters are joined by members Eric Holland and Greg McLaughlin to bring new, riff driven rock to the world.
“Mr Romance is about feeling like you’re letting everyone down,” shares the band about their new release, “but hoping to show them that you’re not crazy – you can do this.”
In collaboration with KLKTN andMIYAVI, the music start-up and multi-faceted Japanese rockstar has released an NFT collection accompanied with the official music video for “Hush Hush” today on MIYAVI’s official YouTube channel. Presented by the NFT platform,KLKTN, which focuses on cultivating unique, artistic experiences between fans and their favorite artists, the music video has fans raving about the powerful production and innovative artistic expression.
The iconic pop-rock song was released in 2021 as a track on MIYAVI’s 13th studio album, Imaginary, featuring the K-Pop megastar, Kang Daniel. Artistically, MIYAVI has always looked to expand the intersection between technology and music for his fans, gaining recognition as a visionary and Web3 NFT experimental creator, so his long standing partnership between him and KLKTN was inevitable for this highly anticipated music video.
The new collection is the final piece from a successful line of drops in the last few months being conceptualized and embedded from within the visually stunning special effects in the music video. The NFT collection is augmenting the music video viewing experience by creating hidden elements within it that allow fans to have another touchpoint in the MIYAVI alternate universe. Fans will have the opportunity to buy three ‘Special Edition’ NFT’s – two being 3D animated artwork while the other is a special alternative ending version for the music video, which fans can find via a QR code hidden in the peripheral view of “Hush Hush”. This assemblage of multimedia art includes special perks exclusively found on KLKTN’s platform, such as virtual meet and greets with MIYAVI, a photocard, as well as unseen video commentary on the process and ideation of the music video.
With the NFT dropping today, the rock icon has previously released multiple drops with this emerging digital collectibles platform that utilizes the energy efficient FLOW blockchain. These digital collectibles were first made available in the “Month of MIYAVI,” in January 2021 to celebrate the singer’s 20th anniversary as a solo artist. Previous projects include: MIYAVI KLKTN Pass, Moments, ArtKards, Kodex, and MIYAVI TELECASTER® Guitar NFT.
“I am excited that the Hush Hush music video is finally coming out. I’m always looking for ways to explore new technologies to showcase my artistic expression. Partnering with KLKTN allowed me to continue to evolve as a visual artist by using new mediums to connect with my audience. To celebrate the release of Hush Hush, we created exclusive content and perks dropping only on KLKTN with more to be released in the future.” – MIYAVI
As “Hush Hush” became an instantaneous hit with fans around the globe, a Korean version was released by Kang Daniel featuring MIYAVI. Achieving similar success as the original version, it also became an original soundtrack for the Korean drama, “Rookie Cops”, which recently aired on Disney+ starring Kang Daniel himself.
The production for the music video and NFT assortment took place during the middle of the pandemic while traveling was largely restricted around the globe. MIYAVI and Kang Daniel filmed the music video separately in Los Angeles and Korea with the recording process and ideation of the artwork culminating from Japan. Yet, the two separate filmmaking locations for the music video blended together seamlessly–thanks to the advancement of technology and the global team working tirelessly to sew the scenes together.
The music video sets the scene with an other-worldly landscape as MIYAVI gives fans a glance into the life of being a public figure. Throughout the video, viewers feel as though he is being watched by Kang Daniel, who embodies the shadow of the men and women across the internet haunting, following, and judging his actions. After multiple attempts of MIYAVI trying to escape a world filled with scrutiny, the eyes and judgment embodied by Daniel catches up to him–leaving the vibrant singer voiceless. Despite the trivialities and challenges that have been thrown at him, the public figure choses to pick up another voice, his guitar, as a means to continue to express himself. Throughout this scene,the video subtly flashes the names of his fans, offering another layer of their support during this pivotal conclusion to the story. This powerful production embodies the pressure society can put on a person and the power of self-expression.
“We wanted to celebrate MIYAVI’s 20th anniversary by creating a close-knit community for the fans to connect and explore MIYAVI’s music through new innovations and technology. After some thinking, we realized the perfect way to do so would be through limited edition NFT’s related to the music video. With KLKTN partnering with MIYAVI, we were able to create an amazing assortment of Easter Eggs that fans can find throughout the music video and by focusing on sustainability with the collectible pieces, we are creating one-of-a-kind experiences for the fans.” – Jeff Miyahara, Chief Creative Officer at KLKTN
Recently, KLKTN collaborated with global pop star Kimbra, a two-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist and Kevin Woo, a Korean-American singer-songwriter as well as other top Korean talents such as R&B Artist Junggigo and A-listers Gang DongWon and Kang HyeWon. New artworks will continue to be released in the coming weeks exclusively in the curated platform as they set to be at the forefront of Asian NFT culture.
The global pop star, LAY (Lay Zhang) has delighted his army of fans with his newest single release, “JIU”, available now on all streaming platforms. The occasion today is the 10th anniversary of Lay Zhang’s debut. The artist commemorates these years when he worked with his EXO brothers with this song. He wrote the song to celebrate this milestone as a toast to his brothers, and his fans hoping to see a better future.
Listen in here:
Over the past few years, LAY has dropped a series of hit songs and an album in 2020, shooting the talented musician to worldwide fame as a solo artist. Known for his charismatic personality and hypnotizing voice, “JIU” falls nothing short of the high expectations that have been set by both himself and followers. LAY’s most recent release was a global collaboration with American hip-hop artist 24kGoldn on the single “Dawn to Dusk,” which received over 2 million streams on Spotify alone.
Opening up with short yet heartfelt conversations between him and his former members from EXO, a South-Korean mega-band, “JIU” instantly sets a tone of nostalgia and reminiscence. Each sincere conversation and member’s sincere call of his name is a representation of love and care LAY and his brothers so strongly share with each other. LAY’s pure and mesmerizing voice along with the R&B tune in the background continue the reminiscing theme with simple drum beats and soothing flow. With elegant, symbolic lyrics, LAY cleverly plays with the word “JIU” to draw a connection between wine and eternity. Centered around the concept of time and eternity, this story is a serenade of one’s life journey, eternal love, and perpetuity. The song is produced by LAY and is noticeable with his lyrical R&B melody. The lyrics such as “I have a glass of wine/Toast to our passion forever” is a testament to the profound impact of friendship between the EXO brothers and hits the heart of fans.
LAY has been on a whirlwind the last two years after joining forces with Steve Aoki and will.i.am for the 2020 hit cross-cultural collaboration Love You More, reaching #1 on the QQ Music China chart. He then released a string of hits with an album, an EP and solo singles overseas further propelling his international star power. He has been and continues to be a household name in Asia. He is one of the most beloved stars in the region with a loyal and highly engaged 51 million followers on Weibo and over 13.9 million followers on Instagram. As a solo artist, LAY’s career has skyrocketed from tremendous success becoming the highest-ranked Mandopop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the US with his third solo album NAMANANA. Outside of music, he is a powerhouse in the acting world of TV and film, hosted multiple top-rated reality shows in Asia and is one of the most awarded artists in China.
In 2020, LAY released the hit album LIT and its title track of the same name. The digital album made over 30 million yuan in just 7 minutes 19 seconds after its release on QQ Music in China. In 2021, he released an EP EAST that featured his renowned “M-POP” style telling a story of LAY’s spiritual growth in his career using oriental elements and symbolic identities.
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