Serena Ryder digs deep on “Waterfall,” a powerful and deeply personal release that never deviates from emotional honesty. The song is the second single from her upcoming ninth studio album, The Art of Falling Apart, and eschews the lighter mood of “Candy” to plunge headlong into something much more exposed. It starts as a quiet […]
Austin Mahone nails the lighthearted mood of the season on “Summer Love,” a polished pop track that feels like it was made for long drives, open windows, and memories made under the setting sun. Mahone co-wrote and co-produced the song with Maejor, and the song has bright melodies and a contemporary pop sound that instantly […]
The opener, “Ghosts,” from City & Sound was abrupt. The band wrote the song in an hour after the first riff struck them in the basement. The band then worked on the track and came up with melody ideas. The next day I wrote the melody to the chorus. The song comes to life organically, […]
In “Never Truly Alone,” Haløver talks about the problems of being by yourself with your thoughts. The song was born from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, when being at home meant you had to face yourself. Haløver concealed his inner turmoil with distraction. That experience birthed an emotional song about accepting your mind, your shortcomings, and […]
Chris Janson‘s “Bye Mom” is inspired by co-writer Brandon Kinney’s mother’s death earlier this year. Kinney and Janson gave that deeply personal experience a larger meaning. The song was inspired by grief, but it explores unconditional love and the feeling of knowing someone loves you more than themselves. “Bye Mom” has a personal story. Instead […]
Dani Kristina‘s “Habit” is about romance, uncertainty, and the questions that remain when circumstances prevent two people from finding out about their connection. “One Nite Stand” is a dangerous romantic fling thwarted by border closures that block attraction. The premise of the song creates an emotional tension of possibility, what could have been and where […]
Maria Domark produced and wrote a solo electro-pop album, “Mieway.” The track was mixed by Scott Banks at Domark’s Sound on stage. “Mieway” is electronic and electro-pop like Grimes but highly influenced by its creator. “I like it when an artist writes and produces a track, especially if it sounds unique. Maria Domark oversaw the […]
Sam Fender is back with ‘Aye’, the second single from his forthcoming second album ‘Seventeen Going Under’. The song, written by Fender and produced by Bramwell Bronte, is about political division and its impact on the working class. ‘Aye’ is not a love song or an introspective song, it’s about the frustration of left-right politics, […]
Yebba’s “Boomerang” is a heartbreaking story of betrayal, violence, and falling apart. Yebba told The New York Times that she wrote the song about a friend’s toxic relationship when she met Mark Ronson. Yebba’s friend was going thru domestic violence after a child, and she wanted to get into the shock of seeing someone you […]
Fuel‘s “Don’t Say I,” written by Carl Bell, is one that grabs people right away. It was the last song written for the album in March and came from the struggle to write something that was instinctively accessible. Bell’s philosophy as a songwriter rests on that rare moment when a listener knows why he or […]