Big personalities are ready to burst out on What’s Good This Week, with empowering R’n’B, all the way to “Zend out” funk-pop.
Amahla – Commandments
London singer/songwriter Amahla has been penning her words to paper since the early age of 8, so it comes as no surprise that her writing on ‘Commandments’ is sublime. A rich, soulful piece of R’n’B, Amahla discusses the difficulty of staying true to ones-self, navigating romance, social issues and faith in such turbulent times when one decision can unintentionally go against the other. Utilising her powerful vocals, Amahla presents her struggles as two sides of the same coin; while thought-provoking and even sombre at times, ‘Commandments’ is emboldened by Amahla’s desire for change and peace, using her everyday struggles to craft enchanting R’n’B that is brimming with the passion of classic Soul.
The Marías – Hush
L.A. group The Marías announced their upcoming album “Cinema” with the release of their first single of 2021, ‘Hush’. A dark, electro-pop number, The Marías’ latest is caught between the whispery vocals of Billie Eilish, the seductive nature of Nasty Cherry and the synth mastery of Chvrches. It’s a real, stomping down hallways under neon lights kind of vibe when all heads turn at once in a shared understanding that the real main character has just arrived. “Cinema” is expected for release on June 25th via Nice Life Recording and Atlantic.
Mattiel – Those Words
It’s a blast of breezy pop-rock on Atlanta based Mattiel’s latest ‘Those Words’. A reminder to stop caring about everyone else’s opinion of you, Mattiel deliver a hit of unapologetic indie-pop that is equal parts empowering anthem and pure summer banger. Speaking about ‘Those Words’ the band shared: I think everyone can relate to a song like Those Words – it’s really just about choosing who to give your energy to. If someone isn’t treating you with respect or crosses your boundaries, you don’t owe them anything. It’s an especially good reminder if you’re a person who tends to try to please everyone. Women are taught to do this from a very young age. It’s just not possible to make everyone happy, so you might as well sing and dance those cares away.
Noon Garden – Decca Divine
Flamingods member Charles Prest shares his second single as Noon Garden with ‘Decca Divine’, a fusion of psychedelia and African pop music. Bursting with spiralling synth cuts and post-house percussion, there’s an endless wave of energy exuding from ‘Decca Divine’ that radiates pure joy and love. Speaking about the track, Noon Garden shared: “Sonically this is the most I’ve ever drawn on my African heritage and love for African music. I was obsessed with Charly Kingson’s track ‘Nimele Bolo’ for a time which has such an infectious, repetitive bass line and groove that I wanted to explore something similar myself. Musicians like Nigerian funk master William Onyeabor influenced all the bright synth work and I even named the song after a popular recording studio in Lagos called Decca Studios where a lot of my favourite African artists like the Lijadu Sisters, Obenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade recorded albums. Lyrically it’s a celebration of ambition and determination and a call to exorcise one’s self-doubt.”
Perrin – Zen Mode
The final track this week comes from Hungarian artist Perrin, with a slice of delightful funk-pop titled ‘Zen Mode’. Collaborating with electronic giants Casio on the video for ‘Zen Mode’, the backdrop of Perrin’s plant-filled living room helps anchor in Perrin’s message of balancing staying safe during the global pandemic, while still keeping the good vibes flowing, even if it’s just in your own living room.
Speaking about ‘Zen Mode’ and its video, Perrin shared that: I think the mood of the music video is a good fit to this period of time as well: staying home, keeping your distance, but still having a good time. We tried to make the shoot as much fun as possible, and we ended up having a great time with the guys. We danced, we chilled, we were playing with the possibilities given by a simple room and our cooperation with Casio made it even cooler.
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