Thank god it’s Friday! We are a week into the ‘second lockdown’ and new music is just what we need. With the positive news from the COVID vaccine let’s hope gigs will slowly start up again so we can enjoy all this new music being played in pubs and venues. But for now, the comfort of our own homes will do.
Editor: Megan Hofman
Baby Queen – Medicine EP (Polydor)
South Africa- raised, London-based musician Bella Latham better known as ‘Baby Queen’ released her debut EP ‘Medicine’ this Wednesday, the anti-pop star is one of the most exciting breakthrough acts of 2020. She released her debut single ‘Internet Religion’ in the midst of the first lockdown in May and made the music video in the comfort of her own home. The EP talks about struggles with mental health and our relationship with the internet, which is pretty important considering how much time we all spent on the internet during this pandemic. Her lyric writing is raw, honest and observational similar to that of ‘The 1975’ which isn’t far off as Bella is said to be obsessed with Matty Healy’s lyricism since being 17 years old. Aside from her music, she is incredibly active on social media, even going as far as having a WhatsApp group chat and zoom meetings with her fans; The Baby Kingdom, resulting in a growing group of incredibly loyal fans. Alongside the release of the EP, Baby Queen will support Yungblud on his virtual tour throughout November. I think it’s safe to say that Baby Queen is the future of pop music and I cannot wait, the world is ready for more great ‘Baby Queen’ hits.
www.instagram.com/queenofthebabies
Words: Megan Hofman
Pale Waves – Change (Dirty Hit)
“Change” is the latest release from the Manchester band “Pale Waves” who released this single alongside the announcement of their second album “Who Am I?” to be released February 12th. This single is the band’s first release since their 2018 album “My Mind Makes Noises”. Whilst lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie’s unique vocal style makes this instantly recognisable as a Pale Waves song, the single strays from their usual sound, incorporating a nostalgic, early 2000’s feel that many have compared to that of early Avril Lavigne. The lively sound takes you back in time and feels like a big step in the right direction for the band.
Words: Lucy Browne
Foo fighters – Shame Shame (Colombia)
The Foo Fighters released their new single ‘Shame Shame’ this week, this is their debut single of the new album ‘Medicine at Midnight’ which will be out on the 5th of February 2021. For the release they transformed the Saturday Night Live studio in New York into a great Rock n Roll party. With this single they capture the way Modern Rock music nowadays should sound like. It starts with a great rhythmic percussion intro that introduces the funky flow of the song; this continues throughout the song. It’s the vocal that shows the most contrast, from a soft flowy sound in the verses to a more of an edge within the chorus. ‘Shame Shame’ is the kind of song that will get stuck in your head even after hearing it once on the radio, it’s what great music does.
Words: Megan Hofman
BENEE – Happen To Me (Republic)
This week BENEE, the 20-year-old Kiwi new-comer who rose to fame when her hit single ‘Supalonely’ went viral on Tik Tok earlier this year, released a new song called ‘Happen To Me’. It’s the opening track of her new album ‘Hey u x’ which released today. Compared to her previous singles, this song is more mature and less danceable. The lyrics discuss feelings of anxiety, fearing death at a young age and the insomnia that comes along with it. The sound and the lyrical-topics she chose for this song might remind one of Billie Eilish, yet BENEE made it hers by adding E-guitar strumming and the signature beats that we know from her earlier releases. Her words also work as a reminder — whatever might go through your mind, or fears you might have, all of it is valid and you are not the only one feeling this way.
Words: Victoria Madzak
Master Peace – Love Bites (Universal)
On “Love Bites” Peace Okezie, better known as Master Peace, showcases his ability to meticulously craft an extremely catchy mix of indie rock, pop and hip-hop in his first, 6 track long EP. “You can say love bites” he sings on the title track while accompanied by easy-going guitar chords. Though Peace doesn’t have the most technical voice, he perfectly carries every track with his melodies that encapsulate exactly what audiences want today.
My personal favourite track is “Never Wanna Be”, it drowns you in slow trap drums and lush sound selection. A stand-out track is “Regular Feelings”, a blend of pop and reggae that’s used as the final track of this short but oh so smooth EP. Overall a very easy-to-listen-to EP by Master Peace, I definitely hope to hear more in the future.
www.instagram.com/masterpeaceldn
Words: Lu-Hao Veritas
LDN Music Magazine 