Midnight Channel surprises longtime listeners with their first-ever vocal track, “Must Be Nice” – a dreamy, rhythm-forward blend of bossa nova melancholy, delusional romanticism, and subtle frustration. With vocals by Geneva Murphy, the Lethbridge-based jazz collective explores what it feels like to be left behind in love and how powerful it is when someone finally sees you.

“Must Be Nice” is a love song about how hard it is to even get a date – let alone meet people who see you. It’s a reflection on that third-wheel feeling from high school, when everyone around you seems to be finding connection, and you’re stuck focusing on all the “self-work” people tell you to do. It’s about longing, being left out, and how powerful it is when you finally do meet someone.

The song is lush and layered, blending soft Latin grooves with warped jazz harmony, cuíca and berimbau percussion, and a moody, meditative vocal performance. Guitarist Austin Phillips flips his strings upside down – literally – to craft piano-like voicings, while Matthew Erdmann’s production channels cosmic textures using a Yamaha YC-30 portamento strip, à la Sun Ra. The result is a richly expressive, emotionally off-kilter song about the ache of watching connection happen around you and wondering when it’ll be your turn.

Hip hop icon and multi-platinum artist Kardinal Offishall is following up his brand new return to music, the Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall influenced “LET EM OUT,” with a decidedly sultry followup, the Amapiano and Afrobeats imbued “SOAK.”

“LET EM OUT” and “SOAK” are both taken from the multi-platinum artist’s long awaited and highly anticipated EP, Everyday, Sometimes.

Featuring TV and platinum music star Rotimi and newcomer Ocean Banks, “SOAK” brings us to a place where we leave behind our insecurities and embrace our inner sexy.

It’s a feel-good anthem made to move your body and lift the vibes all summer long.

“In a time when real connection feels rare and true sensuality is harder than ever to experience, enter the summer banger ‘SOAK’!” shares Kardinal, who also works as a Global A&R Executive at Def Jam Records, helping to shape the sound and direction of today’s music. 

Inspired by Toronto house parties, block parties, clubs and Caribana, “SOAK,” is a languid dip in the pool at the height of humidity and in true intimacy.

ABOUT KARDINAL OFFISHALL:

With a career spanning over two decades, from early underground classics like “Ol’ Time Killin’” all the way to hit singles like “Dangerous” featuring Akon – that made him the first Canadian rapper in history to land in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart – Kardinal’s laundry list of notable collaborations with superstars including Rihanna, Drake, Lady Gaga, Daniel Caesar, Ludacris, and exclusive music being featured on a Dave Chappelle Netflix comedy special, has placed his catalogue in the upper echelon of urban music performers of today.

Kardinal’s first official release since 2019, “LET EM OUT,” came after years of achievements that include an honorary Doctorate from York University, hosting Canada’s Got Talent alongside stars like Howie Mandel and Shania Twain, and a UWI Luminary award, to name a few.  A true multi-hyphenate — artist, producer, executive, and cultural architect — he’s been a voice for the streets, a leader in boardrooms, and a relentless champion for artists and communities alike. 

Award-winning East Coast artist Carolina East returns with a stunning live version of her 2021 single “Until You Are Sorry,” offering a raw, emotionally charged performance that highlights her commanding voice and magnetic stage presence.

“‘Until You Are Sorry’ was born from the quiet strength it takes to walk away from someone who refuses to take accountability,” East shares. “It’s about loving yourself enough to wait for the apology you know you deserve.”

Originally recorded for a TV special in Halifax, NS, during the height of the pandemic, this version captures East at a career-defining moment – performing live alongside Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Band, an experience she describes as “a dream come true.”

“This recording has become one of my favourites,” she says. “It was one of the first times I truly felt myself on stage – like I belonged up there with those incredible musicians. I’m so proud to finally share it with the world.”

Mixed by Cory Tetford, the live cut brings a fresh energy and emotional clarity to the track, bridging the intimate and the epic.

Drawing from a life spent between wild northern landscapes and intimate moments of reflection, Rogan Mei returns with “Lefroy,” a hopeful and heart-pulling indie folk track about self-discovery, resilience, and return. Anchored in quiet emotion but expansive in imagery, the song is part meditative memoir/part mountain summit.

Inspired by a painting of Mt. Lefroy by Lawren Harris – viewed during a visit to the McMichael Gallery on the anniversary of his mother’s heart transplant – “Lefroy” emerged as a metaphor for personal reckoning. “As we stood looking at this mountain, I imagined myself climbing it,” says Mei. “The first line and melody just popped into my head, and I wrote the rest in the days that followed.”

The track’s evolution mirrors its lyrical arc. Originally longer and more subdued, “Lefroy” was restructured for live performance as part of Canadian Musicians Co-operative’s Showcase tour before being recorded for his upcoming Dickies Green Plaid Jacket EP. Rather than opt for a studio, Mei and his band recorded it in the house he grew up in – immersed in nature, memory, and intention. “Everything (except the female vocals) was recorded in the same room, by people I know, playing real instruments,” he says. “Very few records are made that way anymore.”

Hamilton-based synth-pop duo Dynasty share their new single, “Combative Heart,” a lush, emotionally charged track about learning to stop wrestling with life and start moving with it. With soaring, cinematic production and introspective lyrics, “Combative Heart” captures what it feels like to ride into the unknown, arms wide open,  trusting the journey even when it’s messy.

It’s about that part of you that pushes back when you’re trying to move forward. But instead of shutting it down, it’s about learning to follow it. Even when it’s unclear, it’s still your guide.

Built on heartbeat rhythms, airy synths, and spacious melodies, the track unfolds like an emotional journey – vulnerable, reflective, yet quietly powerful. There’s an energy in “Combative Heart” that feels both freeing and grounding, a reminder that life isn’t judging you – it’s just happening. 

This was actually the second song we ever worked on together, and kind of the nail in the coffin of deciding to release this project. We felt this intense excitement as it started to build, and it almost brought tears to our eyes. It was like, okay… we have to share this.

We wanted it to feel like a journey. Emotional, open – like you could close your eyes and just be on the ride. – Dynasty

Hot on the heels of his debut album Second Chance Music, Canadian singer-songwriter Kentucky—the musical project of Jordan Holman—offers something rare in today’s polished music landscape: a live single released exactly as it happened, without a single stitch of post-production.

“Second Hand Love,” recorded during the final night of his Album Preview Tour, is an intimate, slow-burn performance that feels less like a track on a setlist and more like a personal confession whispered into the dark. Captured by acclaimed engineer Ken Friesen (The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo), the moment is preserved in full vulnerability—no overdubs, no edits, no safety nets. You can almost hear the air shifting around him, the faint presence of a room collectively holding its breath.

The performance is paired with a fan-shot video that matches the tone perfectly. Bathed in soft purples and warm, honeyed gold, the footage is grainy and slightly off-center, refusing to gloss over the imperfections that make it real. The camera doesn’t pan or jump cut; it lingers, steady, as Kentucky sings from a modest stage cluttered with cables and amps. What you see is what happened—hesitant, unpolished, and quietly beautiful.

“Second Hand Love” expands the emotional palette of Second Chance Music, deepening its arc without demanding more. There’s no pitch to make here. Just a song sung like it had to be. And sometimes, that’s the most powerful kind.

That sentiment is the heartbeat of the release. The live album from which this single is drawn wasn’t part of some grand plan—it came together almost accidentally, a document of a moment that would have otherwise faded with the night. “A moment captured, then left alone,” Holman reflects, the kind of recording that reminds you how raw and meaningful a show can be when the only aim is to mean every word.

Kentucky’s work lives in that space—between precision and presence, between control and surrender. The name “Kentucky” might conjure images of a band, but it’s really a vessel for Holman’s singular songwriting voice, a quiet signal cutting through late-night static. His music blends acoustic rock’s warmth, indie folk’s introspection, and a subtle glow borrowed from ’90s alternative—an alchemy that can shift from gentle to gutsy in the space of a chorus.

Raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and now based in Ontario, Holman has performed more than 100 shows across Ontario, Quebec, and back in his birthplace, forging a deep relationship with the audiences who find him. Onstage, his songs take on a living quality—different every time, but always intimate, always direct.

His influences are a mix of Canadian legends and classic alt-rock storytellers: The Tragically Hip’s poetic grit, Bryan Adams’ heartfelt sweep, Neil Young’s unvarnished sincerity, and R.E.M.’s atmospheric pull. Yet these are only reference points—Holman’s own tenor, steady and emotionally precise, wraps around each chord in a way that is distinctly his.

The Second Chance Music album, from which “Second Hand Love” draws, is a document of resilience. Born from extremes in Holman’s life—near-death silences, abrupt turns, and the slow climb toward hope—it doesn’t just tell his story, it offers listeners a place to set down their own. It’s music about the way we survive, the way we stumble, and the way a single song can guide us back to the light.

“Second Hand Love” deepens that narrative. In the album’s context, it’s a quiet pivot, a moment that doesn’t demand attention but earns it. Stripped of production and left to stand on the strength of its delivery, it becomes more than just a performance—it’s an unguarded connection, the kind you can’t plan for and can’t repeat.

With the release of this single and its accompanying video, Kentucky invites listeners not only to hear the song, but to be in the room as it happened. To feel the silence before the first note, the subtle shifts in breath, the echo of each chord against the walls. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most powerful music isn’t built in the studio, but caught in the wild, when everything aligns for just a few minutes and the only thing you can do is press “record.”

Second Hand Love is out now, offering a glimpse into the raw, resonant world of Kentucky—a project still in its first chapter, but already delivering moments that feel timeless.