Column aiming to present 6 glowing with quality tracks, under the “future soul” genus; An amalgam of soul, contemporary R&B and even hip-hop and electronic elements.
-not to be confused with Daley’s “Future Throwback Soul” term-
Madison Beer – ‘Dear Society’
Quick pitch:
“I’m a natural disaster...” sings Madison Beer, but we cannot resist!
dynamic: ★★★/5
style: ★★★★/5
performance: ★★★/5
Trivia:
Madison Beer is an independent artist breaking in a major way. Her debut EP, ‘As She Pleases’ (which spawned ‘Home With You’, ‘Say It To My Face’ and ‘Dead’), has notched up over 500 million combined streams and accumulated Gold certifications in 3 countries after debuting in the Top 5 on iTunes in 18 countries and in the Top 10 in 42 countries worldwide. Recognized by Billboard on their 2018 “21 Under 21” roster of the most promising young talents in music, Madison proves that she is in control and has never been more confident as an artist. Following the success of ‘Home With You’, Madison released ‘Hurts Like Hell’ ft. Offset, which has been described by Complex Magazine as her “biggest track to date.” The song is just a glimpse of what’s to come from her highly-anticipated upcoming debut studio album.
Stefan James – ‘Temptation’
Quick pitch:
Among the most alluring falsettos, and an ultra-smooth track by Stefan James.
dynamic: ★★★/5
style: ★★★★/5
performance: ★★★★/5
Trivia:
Breaking from a recording session in his Los Angeles studio and at ease in a swivel chair, Stefan James can’t help but to showcase his vocal prowess. Now he’s cooing the hook from “Situation,” the intoxicating lead single out Sept. 14 via Republic Records. An effortless falsetto spills out of the 20-year-old as he checks his phone. It’s subtle, in that way a friend might sing in the kitchen as they wash dishes and know anyone in the room is only half-listening at best, but so potent and pitch-perfect that it demands full attention.
James, the son of a music teacher mom, seems at home here. But this Cali’ comfort is a far cry from the life he’s freed himself of. “I was a troubled kid,” he says the Maryland native. His early teens were marred with a collection of unfortunate happenings. Stef attended several Montgomery County high schools, never feeling at home and being bullied because he was a quiet kid. Loners are easy pickings for verbal attacks and with no backup in the form of friends, he regularly had cruel words thrown at him from both students and staffers. He remembers “one teacher saying, ‘With all of those tattoos, you’re going to end up working at McDonald’s.’” Consumed by self-loathing, he’d skip class in search of someone or something fulfilling. “I was always looking for things to make me feel whole as a person.”
The hurt led him to vices that would haunt him for years. At 12 he was nabbing bottles from liquor stores. At 13 he began smoking cigarettes, then weed came with his older brother during an afternoon hang in Ocean City. Next was cocaine at 14. “I didn’t feel anything,” James remembers of the numb moments. “It wasn’t a fun experience. It polluted my brain for sure.”
In his brother’s downtown Silver Spring apartment, they both did heroin.
Fabian Secon – ‘Small’
Quick pitch:
Feeling really “small” and vulnerable, while listening to this future soul gem on repeat….
dynamic: ★★★★/5
style: ★★★★/5
performance: ★★★★/5
Trivia:
UK singer-songwriter Fabian Secon has released his latest EP, I See Things Others Can’t. The five-track collection is led by new single “Small” and arrives after recently surpassing 20 million streams across all platforms, a huge milestone for the independent DIY artist. To commemorate the moment in style and in support of the EP, Fabian has announced his debut UK headline show at London’s Camden Assembly on 2nd September.
I See Things Others Can’t is self-written and self-produced. It follows previous projects Until We Meet Again alongside 5ive Beatz (2017) and Don’t Disturb (2016) and sees Fabian experimenting more with his sound.
“Each song has its own personality and expression, ranging from uplifting emotions to depressing places and rebellion”, says Fabian. “The EP’s title and concept revolves around the idea that sometimes I’m in my own world and only I can feel and visualise certain things around me. I always like to be one step ahead creatively and sonically too.
“For this project, I wanted to push my own boundaries. I created a more progressive sound with tracks like ‘Small’, which is very melodic and pop-R&B driven, while keeping a more familiar dark and eerie sound on others, such as ‘One More Day’ [co-produced by Jacob Manson]. I wanted to show growth and capabilities of what else I can do but also pay homage to what has been successful for me previously.”
Gigi Moss – ‘Issues’
Quick pitch:
We all have oure ‘issues‘.. With this noir-soul jewel by Gigi Moss we’ve found our sedative.
dynamic: ★★★/5
style: ★★★/5
performance: ★★★/5
Trivia:
Rising singer/songwriter Gigi Moss has announced herself onto the scene with this impressive debut. ‘Issues’ sees the young North Londoner bear her soul over a late night Alt RnB beat courtesy of producer Mike Keyz – showcasing her jazzy, soulful tones alongside some captivating storytelling.
Coming from a highly musical upbringing and having been surrounded by music her whole life, it seems Gigi was destined to follow her family’s passion. Her natural flair for musical expression is undeniable and ‘Issues’ represents an artist bursting with ambitions potential. The track also comes equipped with a music video via SBTV. Tackling the theme of timing (both good and bad in relationships), lyrically the song explores how timing will always be the determining factor in whether a relationship will grow or not. Gigi explains:
“’Issues’ spawned from a personal experience where I felt that I had connected with someone however we were in different places within our lives and our timings couldn’t have been more wrong”
Having co-produced the track with Mike Keyz (credits include Big Zuu, Kojey Radical and Bobii Lewis), Gigi explains how it came about in the studio:
“’Issues’ was the first song I wrote in the studio on the fly. I completely improvised the start of the song so we had the lyrics and melody before even starting on the beat”
Steven Alexander – ‘Wait’
Quick pitch:
The power of DIY for 19 y.o. neo-soul prodigy Steven Alexander!
dynamic: ★★★★★/5
style: ★★★★/5
performance: ★★★★/5
Trivia:
A 19 year old producer and songwriter from San Diego, playing guitar since he was 9 and have been drawn to music ever since, playing in bands locally and picking up audio engineering/production in high school. He writes, produces, and records all of his music in my garage converted to a studio, which he really enjoys. He works mostly alone, but his good friend does horn parts for him!
MovaKween – ‘BODY’
Quick pitch:
Super sexy and stylish tune “covered by an electronic, hypnotic cloak”….
dynamic: ★★★★/5
style: ★★★★★/5
performance: ★★★/5
Trivia:
“Body” is a sexy love song that illustrates how true love can liberate us from our own insecurities. That renewed self-confidence has allowed me to embrace my body for the sacred vessel that it is and I finally feel comfortable sharing it with you. I want you to feel me, all of me.
“Soul Professor”: Christos Doukakis