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Review: Blackpink - "How You Like That"

2020-06-30T21:08:00.003-04:00

BLACKPINK dropped their pre-release single "How You Like That" from the highly-anticipated full-length album, that will be released in September. The song was written and produced by Teddy, with additional help from Danny Chung, R. Tee, and 24.

Like many other Blinks around the world, I was anticipating this release since late last year and expected perfection. Unfortunately, it wasn't perfection for me. I don't have a major issue with the beat, its mainly some of the lyrically content and how its being sung, like the chorus. The repetitiveness of "Look at you now look at me" and "How you like that that that that that" is slightly annoying and it's not catchy to the ear. Wanted to hear Rose take the bridge of the song to whole another level vocally (cause we all know she can sing) and that didn't happen. The music video was a great visual, but I honestly can't say it makes the song better.

The song is just all around bland and I know they can do better meaning YG Entertainment. It's a major step back from what they've released in the past. To sum it up, I would rather listen to their other catalog of songs rather than this. Maybe I had my expectations set too high who knows. This is a pre-release, so I'm assuming this isn't the official title track, we're supposed to get another song between July or August (I'm thinking August, to give them time to promote "HYLT").

Check out the MV below and the Jimmy Fallon performance.

Listen: Aria Hennessy - High With Me + Needed Me (Rihanna Cover)

2016-09-03T22:22:00.001-04:00

Aria Hennessy is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter from Vancouver. She has released her debut single titled "High With Me", was produced by Michael and Louis Biancaniello. The track is infused with R&B and electro-pop, its the first song taken from her upcoming debut EP. Aria has also recorded a cover of Rihanna's hit single "Needed Me".

Check out both tracks below.

Young newcomer Amberay debuts with "I Say Stop"

2016-09-02T20:56:00.001-04:00

14-year-old talented singer-songwriter Amberay has made her introduction into music with her debut single called "I Say Stop".

With emerging producer Morsecode creating the beat, the song features ethereal vocal and drum & bass instrumental. Her style of music is a mash-up of Jessie Ware, Katy B and very reminiscent Grimes. This track is from her upcoming debut EP, which is expected to be released later this year.

Check out the music video below.

Review: BLACKPINK - Square One

2016-08-25T22:19:00.003-04:00

YG Entertainment has finally debuted their first group in seven years Blackpink. The foursome is a multinational group consisting of: Kim Jisoo, who is from Busan, South Korea; Jennie from Anyang, South Korea but grew up in Auckland, New Zealand; Rosé, from Melbourne, Australia, and Lisa, from Bangkok, Thailand.

They made their debut with double title tracks "Whistle" and "Boombayah".

"Whistle" was written by Teddy and Bekuh Boom, produced by Teddy and Future Bounce. The song starts off with Lisa and Jennie rapping a catchy well-known lyric: "Make' em whistle like a missile bomb, bomb, Every time I show up, blow up uh" over a distinctive whistle sound, accompanied by a bass beat and finger snaps. While listening to the song, you'll hear a shift in the production. During the rapping parts, it'll consist a slower hip-hop beat with drums and it switches when Rose and Jisoo sing their parts. The pre-chorus takes a different approach, an acoustic guitar sound that's slightly more pop than hip-hop. It gets you hyped, but unfortunately goes back to the original beat. The main chorus itself is lacking, more could've been done to the arrangement. Maybe more instruments, lyrics and or vocals would've took it to another level.

"Boombayah" was written by Teddy and Bekuh Boom, produced by Teddy. This cut is more uptempo and has a combination of genres that includes dance, pop, and hip-hop. Unlike "Whistle", I like how it does have some type of climax. When the pre-chorus kicks in, electro synths and hand claps are introduced, Jisoo and Rose (especially Rose) takes it home with there vocal abilities. Another highlight of the song, would probably would have to be Lisa's slay-aged. Her rapping in this track sticks out the most to me. Her overall presents just screams TALENTED.

When I first heard both of songs during their LIVE showcase, I honestly wasn't too impressed. I had to listen to them a lot (I mean a lot) in order for them to grow on me. Like everyone else, I was waiting for two years for the group to debut and I did feel like we didn't get the highest quality of music. At times the production can seem a bit dated and does take TOO MUCH inspiration from 2NE1. I feel like YG should've strive to make them different, when it came to the music. Yes, I like both tracks and its catchy, but having catchy music and throwing flashy music videos with it isn't enough. It wasn't nothing game changing about for me personally.

YG Entertainment has plans to release more music by the group, before the end of the year. They've stated that BLACKPINK's debut album is done, so I'm curious to hear what those tracks sound like.

Listen: Maccie - Bleed

2016-08-25T17:22:00.002-04:00

She released her debut single "High" in July of this year, now Toronto-based singer-songwriter Maccie has returned with a new offering titled "Bleed". Its the second track lifted from her upcoming debut EP "Primal", which scheduled to be released in September. The song was produced by Jeff Hazin, "Bleed" is a mixture of R&B, pop, electronic-rock influences. The lyrics expresses strong sexual desires towards a certain individual.

About the song, she told NOISEY:
"'Bleed' is about lust. It's not about the act of sex... It's about wanting sex. Needing it. Craving it. Obsessing over it. It is about a sexual experience so powerful that it haunts every interaction I have with anyone else and trumps any and every thought that tries to take precedence in my mind."

Listen to "Bleed" and "High" below.

Glasgow-based singer KLOE release pop-electro single "Touch"

2016-08-18T18:28:00.001-04:00

A few years ago, Scottish pop singer-songwriter KLOE headlined Glasgow music concert King Tuts, sometime last year she signed a record deal with IAMSOUND (Florence + The Machine, Charli XCX). Following the release of tracks "Grip" and "Feel", the singer made herself officially known with the single titled "Touch".

KLOE told The FADER:
"'Touch' is a love song, but it kind of takes the piss out of how much we, as teenagers, exaggerate and over-analyze every single thing about it".

Produced by Lewis Gardiner of Scottish band Prides, "Touch" has a vulnerable vibe. Her voice is sensual, which is laid over electronic melody and pop synths. The lyrics covers the subject of a tangled web of teenage love. The video showcases what the song is about, it shows the life of a teenager.

The single is available on iTunes now, check out the music video below.

Listen: NOVAA "Organic Sounding" single "Rose"

2016-08-14T18:22:00.001-04:00

19-year-old German singer-songwriter and producer NOVAA made her debut last year with an EP "Hari" and recently did a collaborative project with musician-producer Moglii called "Down Under". Now she has announced her second EP titled "Stolen Peaches", which will include nine tracks and it scheduled to be released in September. The singer has revealed the first single titled "Rose".

According to NOVAA:
"I tried to make it a nonhuman, nonphysical one. To tell the truth to me, it would be the ideal kind of love".

"Rose" displays the "organic electronic" sound that she experimented with on those two previous releases. Its a piano-lead song, with droplets and harp-synths, which gives it a very natural sound.

Listen to the track below.

Listen: RALPH - Cold to the Touch

2016-08-11T11:51:00.001-04:00

Raffa Weyman aka RALPH, is a Toronto-based pop singer-songwriter who's looking to bring back 70's and 80's music style. She made her musical debut last year with her single "Trouble". Now, she's back with an new offering titled "Cold to the Touch".

The song is a frest upbeat and radio-friendly, also has those throwback sounds. It will be included on her upcoming debut EP, due out later this year.

Listen to the track below.

Alternative pop band THRONES make proper debut with "Midnight"

2016-08-11T08:57:00.000-04:00

English alternative pop band THRONES made themselves known earlier this year with the release of a first buzz track "Hands". Now the duo is back with a new single titled "Midnight".

Both tracks will be on the band's upcoming debut EP, which is set to drop later this year.

Amanda Mair reveals first new in four years "Wednesday"

2016-08-11T08:01:00.002-04:00

Swedish singer Amanda Mair made her debut in 2012 with singles "House" and "Sense" and self-titled debut album. She has returned to the music scene with a new single titled "Wednesday".

"With its different moods, the song is like travelling in time. A timeline that’s just one point", said Amanda. "It's as nothing has a taste and you can't feel anything you touch. Absolutely nothing happens besides that a concentrated globe is about to explode. You want to escape but also stay. In the video, you can follow these moods, into my head and see what’s going on".

The song will be included on her sophomore album, which is set to be released later this year via Bonsai Records. Check out the music video below.

Listen: Effie Liu - Best Side + Getaway

2016-08-10T08:42:00.002-04:00

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Effie Liu (previously known as Bebe Panthere) has released her new single titled "Best Side". It was produced by Woodro Skillson. This is the follow-up to "Getaway" following "Getaway", that will be on her upcoming 7-track EP, "Magenta Agenda", which is scheduled for release on August 19th.

Listen to both of the tracks below.

Watch BLACKPINK's showcase LIVE on V channel + 4th individual teaser photo

2016-08-08T01:40:00.002-04:00

The wait for BLACKPINK's debut is about to end. They'll be going LIVE on their official V LIVE channel in about thirty minutes in eastern standard time. In Korea, it will start around 3PM KST and music videos and single album "Square One" will be released at 8PM KST. If you would like to watch, here's the link below:

BLACKPINK Official V LIVE Channel

BLACKPINK reveals 2nd debut track title teaser

2016-08-07T07:49:00.002-04:00

YG Entertainment revealed the teaser photo for BLACKPINK's second debut track.

The photo shows the title written in Korean which translates to "Whistle". The track is produced by Teddy and Future Bounce while the lyrics were created by Teddy and Bekuh Boom. They previouly revealed another photo of their first debut track "BOOMBAYAH".

The girls will make their debut on August 8th at 8 p.m. KST.

Listen: Kady Rain - R.A.D. Moves + All I Ever Wanted

2016-08-06T13:57:00.001-04:00

Kady Rain is an Austin-based pop singer-songwriter and she has premiered her new single "R.A.D. Moves". It was produced by Doug Helsel and co-written with Sameer Bhattacharya of Flyleaf. The song will be included on her debut EP "All I Ever Wanted", which scheduled for release on August 26th.

The single is available to purchase on iTunes now. Listen to tracks below.

BLACKPINK tease debut with 3rd individual photo teaser + More group teaser photos

2016-08-06T13:39:00.001-04:00

YG Entertainment revealed BLACKPINK's Lisa individual teaser and two group photos. The group are set to make their debut on August 8th at 8 p.m. KST.

Check out the photos above and below.

MIYNT tribute Neil Young with "After The Gold Rush"

2016-08-06T13:20:00.003-04:00

Stockholm-based singer-songwriter MIYNT has revealed her new single titled "After The Gold Rush", which serves as the second official single that's from her upcoming debut EP, called "Ep no. 1". It will be released on September 16th via B3SCI Records. It was produced by Daniel Nigro (Sky Ferreira, JR JR, Carly Rae Jepsen). The track is also dedicated to Neil Young's critically acclaimed third studio album, with the same name.

MIYNT stated the following about the song:
"I worked as an assistant to the artist Jacob Dahlgren a summer three years ago and he introduced me to that record", revealed in a statement. "I listened to it for that whole summer in the studio drinking coffee and painting squares for a sculpture (yes it was a great job). The song is playing with some of the titles of that record but it is also about time. How things have a timeline and about doing the best of things and not to overthink it".

Listen to the track below.

Kerli releases new single + music video for "Diamond Hard"

2016-08-06T12:50:00.002-04:00

Estonian singer-songwriter Kerli will be releasing her long-awaited second studio album, which be released later this year. This will be her first album as an independent artist.

The song serves as the third promotional single, following "Feral Hearts" and "Blossom". With "Diamond Hard", Kerli returns to the dark EDM sound. She's known for the creepy and mysterious vibes, that Kerli infuses into her music. The visual is just as good as the song, its very cool to look at. It has a dark theme (of course) and also contains a lot of expressive dancing. I will say this is my favorite song released from the project so far.

On the video, she says:
"Diamond Hard is an audiovisual story about true strength and resilience. Appropriately, this is the first release for which I both produced the music and directed the video on my own, marking an important milestone in my journey as an artist".

The single is available on iTunes now. Check out the video below.

New Music: Saski - Faking Bright

2016-08-06T11:55:00.002-04:00

Singer-songwriter Mikhail Birch aka Saski, is from Wellington, New Zealand. She released her new single titled "Faking Bright" via AIA Records imprint, Your Secret. The song has dynamic melody mixed with smooth harmonies and soulful vocals.

The single is available on iTunes now, listen to the track below.

BLACKPINK reveals debut track title teaser + More group teaser photos

2016-08-06T08:49:00.002-04:00

YG Entertainment has revealed a photo teaser for BLACKPINK's debut track "BOOMBAYAH".

"BOOMBAYAH" is produced by Teddy and was written by Teddy and Bekuh Boom. The single will be released on August 8th at 8 p.m. KST.

Check out more photos of the group below.

Listen: Welsh-born singer Casi Shares "Golden Age Thinking"

2016-08-04T21:47:00.003-04:00

London-based singer-songwriter Casi has revealed new song titled "Golden Age Thinking", which is part of her debut double A-side single "Lion". Casi said the following about the track: "We look at past moments and decades under a shimmer of glitter, and often fail to realize that in reality, all we have is now". She currently signed to Chess Club Records and has made her debut, which got some good praise.

Listen to "Golden Age Thinking", also watch the video for "Lion" below.

New Music: AVA - Anyone But You

2016-08-04T21:12:00.001-04:00

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter AVA has released her new single titled "Anyone But You".

"Anyone But You" is a soulful electronic pop track, it's very catchy and has turned a lot of heads on the internet. It will included on her upcoming debut EP, which is scheduled to be released later this year.

Check out the song below.

BLACKPINK tease debut with 2nd individual photo teaser

2016-08-04T21:00:00.001-04:00

YG Entertainment has released Jennie's individual teaser image for BLACKPINK's debut. Yesterday, they revealed Rosé’s individual teaser photo.

Their debut title track will be revealed on August 8th at 8 p.m. KST.

BLACKPINK tease debut with 1st individual photo teaser

2016-08-02T21:59:00.002-04:00

YG's new girl group Blackpink are getting ready to make their official debut on August 8th, 2016 at 8pm KST.

The has just released an individual photo teaser, which is the main vocalist of the group 'Rose'.

We have five more days to go, until they arrive on the scene and expectations are running high. This more than likely serves as a countdown, so expect more photos and maybe a video teaser.

Brave Girls make comeback with album/title track "High Heels"

2016-08-01T22:04:00.004-04:00

Brave Girls came back with their third mini album and title track both called "High Heels".

The group dropped their on June 27th, this is the Brave Girls second comeback of year. In February, they made their long-awaited return with the single "Deepened". "High Heels" is an upbeat pop track, which showcases a more playfully and bright sexy side. For the song, I expected more. Brave Brothers is a good producer and creates a lot of great (hit) songs for other artists.....AOA to be exact. Me personally its lacking in production, you do catch yourself singing along to it, because some of the standout lyrics like: "I'm a sassy girl (I'm a sassy girl), I'm a tough girl (I'm a tough girl), I'm a pretty girl (I'm a pretty girl), I'm a foxy girl". I don't understand why Brave Brothers keep giving away the best music he makes, but anyway. As for the music video.........theirs not much I can say about it.

I can't see myself listening to the song or watching video again. This was a major step down from their February comeback. The mini-album features five tracks, with the exception of "High Heels", the rest of the music on there is decent. "Deepened", "Help Me" and "Whatever" are some tunes.

The album is available now on iTunes now. You can listen to it below.

YG reveals BLACKPINK teaser photo + debut date

2016-07-31T13:52:00.001-04:00

YG Entertainment revealed the first teaser photo for BLACKPINK's debut. The poster says "BLACKPINK IN YOUR AREA", it also reveals the debut date. They will make their official debut on August 8th at 8 p.m. KST.

The group includes members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé.

Stayed tuned.