“Happy” is an electro, synth-pop song about the ways in which the narrator would make his lover happy. The song intro introduces the upbeat feel of the song with an electric guitar and bell. This quickly builds with a pulsing synth that contributes to the song’s undeniable pull. The lyrics display an eerie, almost obsessive type of love that starkly juxtaposes the lightheartedness of the background instrumental. Towards the beginning of the song, the lyrics almost seem romantic with lines such as “In the dark of the night I’d run miles for you” and “climb every mountain top, cross every stream, fulfill your every wish, everything you dream”. However, as the song progresses, the narrator continues to get more and more desperate, chanting phrases such as “I’ll be everything you need” and “I wanna make you mine”. This obsessive kind of love, hidden between the addicting pulses of electro-pop, is a thought-provoking piece that is not only danceable but intriguing.

The song is written by Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, David E. Johnston, frontman of the electro-pop band Gift of Tongues. Known for his pulsing grooves and synth-pop beats, David aims to create a safe space in his music, while being unapologetically himself. This can usually be seen in his happy EDM/Pop songs with tinges of darkness around the edges. “I guess it’s just in my nature” he states when asked about this recurring theme.

“Happy”, the new song by Gift of Tongues, is the second single to come off of the upcoming album “The Perfect Son”. After hearing these last two releases, we can’t wait to see what else this new record has in store!

Blues punk band Livia and the Rosebuds have absolutely outdone themselves with the release of their newest single, “He”. The band’s badass frontwoman, Livia Rose Overton, beautifully mixes different genres and shows her songwriting ability when it comes to this emotional and sassy anthem about being in love with a toxic man. Livia and her co writer, bassist and guitarist Landon Moore, are able to convey so many emotions with this song that is honestly super relatable for many women. The pain of knowing you’re in love with someone who is bad for you is a very common emotion and Livia and the Rosebuds was able to put that on full display with an infectious rock sound in “He”.

“He” starts out with an overdriven bass part and instrumentation that is purely funk and blues inspired, but as it goes on, the song morphs and starts to get more intricate and intense. By the end, it has completely transformed into a calm and dream-like feel that showcases the anger of its topic, but also the soft and loving side with both the change in musical style and delivery of the lyrics. Born and raised in “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Memphis, TN Livia clearly has music in her veins. Her merging of rock and blues and punk is truly inspiring and insanely fun to listen to.

Star Goes Nova has absolutely blessed us yet again with a beautiful new single and a soothing video to complement it.Played on a 115 year old piano and grime bass, Star Goes Nova has created “The Ocean Between Stars,” a melodic instrumental electronica ballad with a beat. SoCal based sound engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and masterful songwriter Christine Law is the genius behind Star Goes Nova. This single combines real instruments and Enya-style background vocals with electronic sounds to piece together the most epic, unique track. 

There are many layers to “The Ocean Between Stars,” and the music video surely encapsulates the emotional beats. The 5-minute piece includes many different dynamics, sounds, and moods. The entire song is incredibly soothing and wistful, but there are moments that are more intense than others. The video begins with a fade-in of an image of an old ship sailing in space, surrounded by beautiful lights and stars. The entirety of the first section zooms slowly into the image of the ship while the colorful lights move slowly inwards and outwards. Accompanied by a bridge-like section of the track, the image then shifts to a star forming. As the track transitions into a denouement, an image of the same ship sailing through space with a purple moon above it appears. 

The single along with its video counterpart are perfect for anyone in need of a moment to relax and be mindful. We are all in need of these moments these days, and Star Goes Nova has given us the perfect audio/visual experience to do so. We can’t wait to hear more!

Pearls & Bones is an alternative hip-hop band based in Toronto and Montreal. The trio write and perform music inspired by discordant influences, from metalcore and PC music to backpack rap and pop-punk. Since forming in 2012, the band has released five EPs and two full-length albums. Their third LP, Cool Uncles, culminates a two-year period of technical and aesthetic development and will be released later in 2021.

Their new single “Bodega TV” is inspired by the colour washed LCD TV you’ll find in many a New York bodega and is about taking a step back, looking at the bigger picture, and levelling with your own mistakes. You may realize the right person was right in front of you the whole time.

For Jeff Beadle, the reality of working at the speed of inspiration means writing in solitary unromantic spaces, casting an inescapable sadness to his music. Personal evolution and the unconventional wisdom cultivated from extensive touring in Europe, Asia, and Canada, was the catalyst for his new era of dark alternative pop. His unwavering honesty and introspection continue to be the backbone of his lyrics, acquired from years as a folk singer-songwriter.

Beadle’s new single, “Shadows,” comes off as upbeat and fun, but lyrically represents bouts of recurring anxiety.

Ekelle is a multi-genre artist and songwriter from Toronto who rhymes about what she knows best: her real-life experience. Money, sex, drama and identity stir together to create a style that she calls Hood Pop – popular music with a street edge. Combining elements of hip hop, pop and R&B, Ekelle hopes that the honesty in her music will motivate others to share their stories too and to never give up.

New single, “I Need That,” is a reminder that you are that b***h, no matter what – even if we’ve all been inside for so long due to lockdowns that we don’t feel so sexy anymore. The pandemic hasn’t got any easier to deal with, and we all just need that confidence boost to keep us going. We’ll get back on the dancefloor one day.