pop

Taylor Swift- Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Drops

Country, Music News, New Music, New Release, pop, Pop Music

As reported in NME ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’ is an impressive collection of pithy country pop songs – but, of course, we already knew that. Initially released in 2008, Taylor Swift’s breakout second record ‘Fearless’ was the one that catapulted her to the stratospheric levels of success she retains today.

Receiving largely positive reviews and massive commercial acclaim, it has sold over 12 million copies internationally and it won a 20-year-old Swift her first Grammy for Album of the Year in 2010.

Now, though, Swift has done something totally unprecedented: she’s re-recorded the entire thing.

It’s the first release in Swift’s ongoing battle to regain control of her master recordings that will eventually see her re-record each of her first six albums (that’s everything from her 2006 self-titled debut up to 2017’s ‘Reputation’). This bold step is a first for the music industry and comes following several sales of Swift’s back catalogue.

Taylor’s version of her beloved album ‘Fearless’ is proving to be a huge hit with fans across the globe. Nostalgic in nature, the re-recorded singles are taking us back to our teenage years of angst and heartbreak.

A dose of new Music for your Friday, Pop Playlister’s Fresh Hit Radar

Alt-Pop, female singer, Fresh Hit Radar, Indie-Pop, New Music, New Release, pop, Pop Music, R&B, Singer-Songwriter

We’re back once again to bring you a striking line-up of new Music with our Fresh Hit Radar.

Today we’ve got some power-packed tracks to help you get in to the feel-good Friday spirit.

First up it’s Mildflower with gorgeous Synth-Pop track ‘Just a Boy’. This single is bedroom Pop at its very best, subtly groovy and electro infused ‘Just a Boy’ is a total ear worm of a track. Packed full with innovative instrumental elements Mildflower creates a truly curious and other-worldly soundscape. Listen below-

Next up is a power packed single from Motion Sickness ‘Ether’. Ethereal vocals sit over punchy pianos chords and a steady beat. ‘Ether’ feels full of mystery and just a hint of darkness, softly sweet vocals are contrasted by the track’s lurking and leering synths to create a threatening yet freeing soundscape. ‘Ether’ wouldn’t be misplaced in a James Bond film, intense and anthemic Motion Sickness establishes himself as a producer powerhouse.

If you’re feeling a little more angsty we’ve got a track for you. ‘Better off Meditating’ is a grungy single from Tamar Berk. Full of attitude and resentment ‘Better off Meditating’ has us feeling like we could take on the world and everyone in it. If you reminisce over the golden days of Pop-Punk you’ll love this one!

Ending on a sultry and soulful note we have Pavit Sanghera’s R&B single ‘Fake Love’. Pavit’s pure toned vocals will have you well and truly in your feels, not to mention those gorgeous runs! ‘Fake Love’ is just great R&B, reminding us of the soulful divas from the 90s, Pavit Sanghera has that nostalgic R&B style.

Happy Listening!

Olly Alexander to release first solo Years & Years song

Alt-Pop, New Music, New Release, pop, Pop Music

As reported by Music News Olly Alexander has announced his first solo Years & Years song, ‘Starstruck’.

The pop trio – which originally formed as a five-piece in 2010 – revealed last week that the 30-year-old singer will continue to front Years & Years, but as a solo project, without Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen.

And now the ‘Desire’ hitmaker has confirmed his first solo Years & Years single will be released on April 8.

Olly captioned the artwork for the song on Twitter: “S T A R S T R U C K april 8th i’m really really excited. (sic)”

The group – whose debut album ‘Communion’ was released in 2015 – said of their future in their statement last week: “Dear Y&Y fans… There’s been some changes that we want to fill you in on.

“This upcoming new album has been an Olly endeavour and we’ve decided that Years & Years will continue as an Olly solo project.

“The three of us are still good friends. Mikey will be part of the Y&Y family and play with us live and Emre will focus on being a writer/producer.

“These past 12 months have been crazy for us all and we want to thank you for the love and support you’ve given us over the years (& years).

“New Y&Y music will be coming this spring.”

Best of luck to Olly as he turns Years & Years into a solo project!

Reported By: Jessica Rowe

Ariana Grande, Saweetie & more to feature on Demi Lovato’s upcoming album

female singer, Music News, New Music, New Release, News, pop, Pop Music

As reported in NME Demi Lovato has revealed that artists like Ariana Grande, Saweetie and more will appear on her forthcoming album ‘Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over’.

Over the weekend, Lovato revealed a string of featured artist on Twitter by posting snippets of various pieces of music. In addition to Grande and Saweetie, the album will also feature appearances from Noah Cyrus and Sam Fischer.

In an interview with PAPER, Lovato also revealed the title of a few of these collaborations. Her song with Grande is titled ‘Met Him Last Night’ and her song with Saweetie is titled ‘My GFs are My BFs’.

The collab with Sam Fischer is one fans have already heard, ‘What Other People Say’. The track, penned by Fischer, was released early last month.

Reported By: Jessica Rowe

History made last night at the Grammy Awards

female singer, Live, Music News, News, pop

As reported in BBC News Beyoncé has set a new record at the Grammy Awards with her 28th win.

The star is now the most-awarded woman in Grammys history, overtaking bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

“I am so honoured, I’m so excited,” she said while accepting her record-breaking trophy, for best R&B performance.

Taylor Swift also made history at Sunday’s ceremony, by becoming the first female artist ever to win album of the year three times.

The star was rewarded for her lockdown album Folklore – after previously winning with Fearless in 2010 and the pop opus 1989 in 2016.

Only three other artists have ever won the album of the year prize three times: Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.

Main winners from last night included:

Album of the year: Taylor Swift – Folklore
Record of the year: Billie Eilish – Everything I Wanted
Song of the year: H.E.R. – I Can’t Breathe
Best new artist: Megan Thee Stallion

It’s wonderful to see women dominating this year’s Grammy winners list.

Congratulations to all winners at last night’s Grammy awards!

Reported By: Jessica Rowe

Can’t wait for the weekend to begin? We’ve got you covered with our Fresh Hit Radar Feature!

Acoustic, Alt-Pop, Country, female singer, Folk, Folk-Pop, Fresh Hit Radar, New Music, New Release, pop

It’s the best part of the week and time to share with the world our Fresh Hit Radar line-up!

The Fresh Hit Radar is that end of the week pick me up we all need, a collection of striking singles to get you into the weekend spirit.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for your chance to submit every week.

Let’s start with a dose of fearless feminine flair with track ‘Move Me’ from EMME & Rabbi Recc. ‘Move Me’ is a rhythmic Alt-R&B track from Memphis born EMME ,whose sound is infused by that warming Southern style and a generous mix of genres. The track comes packed full of mesmerising beats, softly grooving melodies and EMME’s sugary sweet vocal runs. ‘Move Me’ has an infectious groove, full of vibrancy and warmth EMME‘s style is pure good vibes.

Following up with a generous taste of Indie-Pop perfection courtesy of Tom Shawcroft. ‘I Don’t Care, Never Mind’ is a glossy yet gloomy single from Shawcroft. Glittering guitars are contrasted perfectly by Tom’s beautifully sad lyricism and a punching beat. Softly gritty vocals and some gorgeous falsetto make this single a lullaby worthy number. A total earworm of a track ‘I Don’t Care, Never Mind’ is a soothing soundscape of subtle sadness. Don’t blame us when your eyes start leaking…

Slowing it down just a tad we bring you Harriet Rose’s acoustic single ‘Love Me Like That’. Finding a perfect blend of Country and Folk ‘Love Me Like That’ is a catchy track full of melodic hooks, lusciously layered guitars and wonderfully emotive word-smithery. Multi-instrumentalist Harriet may be UK born and raised but the young talent oozes that enviable Nashville-style. Pouring true passion into her singles ‘Love Me Like That‘ is full of feeling. We’re strangely drawn to Harriet Rose, her warm energy and bright toned vocals have an addictive nature that leaves us wanting more. We’ll be keeping a firm eye on this one.

Rounding up our list with some raw Pop goodness from Cassandra. ‘Like You’ is an energetic single from Pop Princess Cassandra, infused with feminine flair and power-packed lyricism. ‘Like You’ is the definition of feel-good, a gloriously catchy chorus and some grooving melodies make this a striking Pop single. Cassandra’s vibrant personality is truly enchanting, an infectious cheer that pours from her sound in abundance. We can’t get enough!

Happy Listening!

Written By: Jessica Rowe

Justin Bieber to release new music this week

Music News, New Music, New Release, pop, Pop Music

As reported in NME on his 27th birthday, Justin Bieber has announced plans to release a new single, ‘Hold On’.

The singer-songwriter revealed on March 1 that he will drop the track this Friday (March 5).

In his social media post announcing ‘Hold On’, Bieber uploaded the single’s artwork, which depicts him on a motorbike. Alongside the caption “Hold On. Friday”, Bieber shared a pre-save link to his forthcoming album, implying that the single will feature on the record. See the post below.

Last month, Justin Bieber announced details relating to his sixth studio album, ‘Justice’, which drops on March 19. The record is set to feature the previously released singles ‘Holy (ft. Chance The Rapper)’, ‘Lonely (ft. Benny Blanco)’ and ‘Anyone’.

On announcing ‘Justice’, Bieber said that he hopes the album will “provide comfort” to his listeners.

Exciting times ahead for Bieber fans, with a HUGE catalogue to live up to, will Justin’s sixth album meet the standard?

Reported By: Jessica Rowe

Billie Eilish’s highly anticipated documentary lives up to expectation

female singer, Music News, News, pop, Pop Music

As reported on BBC News Billie Eilish’s documentary The World’s A Little Blurry finally landed.

The documentary centres on Billie as a 17-year-old, a year into which she packs what would fill two lifetimes for most people.

She never stops: writing, touring, singing, practising, working, working, working on her album with Finneas.

They tour Europe (with mum as a constant chaperone, which leads to some memorable scenes). Billie gets injured, she mentions having Tourette’s syndrome; she falls in love.

She tells us how she once dreamt truly, madly, deeply about Justin Bieber, and now guess what? He’s facetiming her!

Billie certainly impresses, with BBC’s Will Gompertz celebrating the candid nature of the documentary.

There is a foreboding sense in this film of we’ve seen all this before, it is Act One of a three-act story.

You can’t help but think of the recently released Britney Spears documentary, she was a talented teenager who had a lot of parental input but whose life and mental health suffered under the pressure of fame and expectation.

Turning a person into a product works for just about everybody except for the artist. It is the epitome of a Faustian pact, with an important exception: it is rarely the teenage prodigy who does the deal.

Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry is a refreshingly candid, intelligent documentary, if a little a long, which leaves you wondering if a life of relentless celebrity and trying to please everybody but yourself is actually a good plan.

You wonder exactly whose dream is coming true?

I found it sad rather than uplifting, but the music is exceptional and so is the woman making it.

Get ready to groove, The Fresh Hit Radar is back!

Acoustic, Alt-Pop, Dance, Electronic, female singer, Fresh Hit Radar, indie, New Music, New Release, pop, Pop Music, Punk, Singer-Songwriter, UK Music

The end of yet another week means it’s once again time to bring you some great new music.

A highlight in our diaries, there’s nothing we love more than bringing you some of the very best new sounds we’ve stumbled on this week.

Today we’re feeling the funk, and pulling together a line-up of energetic and grooving tracks to give you that Friday feeling.

Kicking off the list it’s familiar faces and talented sister group, Trio Minutes. This power-packed group of sisters have been on our radar for some time, carving out a name for themselves in the Electro-Pop scene. Combining a sound both modern and nostalgic the trio make a sound that’s truly innovative, intriguing and catchy. Latest release from Trio Minutes ‘Vampire Boy’ is another effortlessly grooving, ear-worm of a track. A punchy beat, bright harmonies and innovative electronic elements make for another stunning single. Trio Minutes continue to impress.

Summer may feel very far away right now, but Motion Sickness’ track Proselyte has us feeling the warmth of sunny days may not be so far away. Driving and atmospheric, this track is full of punchy hits, rising synths and bright as the sun vocals. Proselyte is a striking release that reminds us of huge names and summer anthem makers The Chainsmokers. Creating an Electro sound that’s heavy yet freeing, Motion Sickness is a truly talented producer. We can’t wait to see what he brings us next.

Next on our lineup is Synth-Pop mavericks Screams From The Sun with track Keep on Running. 80s inspired with a modern pop-punk twist, this London based duo are true masters of synths. Combining hefty drums with a softly gritty vocal style and nostalgia-inducing synth elements. Screams From The Sun truly bring something new to the table, emo meets 80s, pop-punk meets synth-pop, and we are HERE for it!

We’re rounding up our list with something a little smoother, Redwood’s Honey Sauce. Don’t be fooled, this Singer-songwriter still packs an absolute punch. Combining elements of Rock, Indie and Acoustic-Pop Redwood creates an eclectic soundscape of acoustic guitars and rolling drums. Redwood’s sultry and deep vocals are a true stand out in the world of singer-songwriters, an intense sense of power and drive oozes from track ‘Honey Sauce’. Motivating and moving, this track is a true stand-out number from Redwood.

Happy Listening!

Written By: Jessica Rowe

Jesy Nelson opens up about her battle with body image

female singer, Music News, News, pop, Pop Music

Jesy Nelson bravely took to Instagram to share her struggles with body image and self love.

The former Little Mix member has become increasingly vocal about her mental health, her BBC documentary Odd One Out was a brutally honest look at the effects of online bullying and body shaming.

Although no longer a member of group Little Mix, having made the decision to leave last year, Jesy Nelson continues speaking up and sharing her experience.

The star took to instagram to get real about her struggles to love her body.

Jesy states-

“I remember going to the gym with my manager and I stood in the mirror and I said, ‘god I’m so fat I just want my legs to be like this’ and I pulled my skin around to try and create a thigh gap because I genuinely believed that being skinny would make me happier. And even when I got to a size 8 from starving myself, I still wasn’t happy. I mentally bullied myself everyday to try to please other people.”

She continues

“It’s taken me 10 years to realise that I’m the only person I need to please. As humans we find it so easy to pay other people compliments but yet we find it so hard to be kind to ourselves because it’s so much easier to pick ourselves apart than to find the things we love about ourselves.”

Jesy Nelson’s openness about such difficult topics is a brave and commendable attribute.

We wish her the best of luck as she focuses on herself and her mental health.

Reported By: Jessica Rowe