Words: Andrea Naess
This week NMF will travel to Taiwan and Saudi Arabia in the far east, as well as some closer countries. We will touch on EDM, experimental tunes, grunge and softer ballads. So buckle up for this ride filled with diverse and unique melodies!
#1 Paige Su – This is Trouble
We’re kicking off this New Music Friday with cancer-surviving, Golden Indie Music Award-winning Paige Su, with her experimental and jazzy single ‘This Is Trouble’. The eight-minute opus comes with a surreal music video featuring a woman under a veil, with people dancing in different costumes and smearing mud in each other’s faces. Taiwan newspaper ‘Taipei Times’ stated: “Su shows the artistic depth needed to make intelligent pop music. She is one to watch”. Go check out this masterpiece now and be as blown away as we were.
#2 Modernlove – Until My Heart Stops Beating
Our next song this week caught our attention because of the fast-paced and daydreamy sound – we’re talking about ‘until my heart stops beating’ by Irish band Modernlove. The 4-piece reminds us of The Cure and Joy Division, and the lyricism and sonic composition is very minimalist, just like typical post-punk tunes. LDN thinks this is the type of song that makes a heartbreak easier to get through, so if you have the chance, go watch them perform live at Lafayette April 14th.
#3 Cosmicat – Set Me Free
All the way from Saudi Arabia arises their first ever female DJ Cosmicat with her ‘Set Me Free’. The song sounds flowy and consists of a whispering subterranean voice that provides a stream-of-consciousness joy that will carry you through the weekend. The rising star has opened Boiler Room’s first broadcast in Bahrain, and we’re sure we’ll see more of her soon. The song is out now via MDLBEAST Records.
#4 Black Honey – Heavy
Brighton quartet Black Honey have announced their third studio album, which is set for release on March 17 2023, but in the meantime, they’ve given us a taste of what we can expect from the album with their single ‘Heavy’, on a theme of grief. The song is about the horrific day the band found out the founder of their fan club had sadly passed away from Covid. In a grungy rock style with robotic vocals, this fits very well with the tune.
#5 Rihanna – Lift Me Up
After a six-year hiatus, Grammy-winning R&B/pop artist Rihanna is finally back – and it’s safe to say we’ve been waiting for this one. ‘Lift Me Up’ is maybe not quite what we expected from the artist who is mostly known for dancey uptempo records, but this balled is beautiful and strong. The song is a part of the soundtrack to American superhero film ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, out now in cinemas.
LDN Music Magazine 