The top tracks of the week based on readership!
Dylan Rockoff – “Magic”
Nashville-based emerging pop artist Dylan Rockoff has released a Top 40, radio-ready earworm with “Magic.” The upbeat track is eminently listenable and will have you ready to play it on repeat. Reminiscent of a young Bruno Mars, Rockoff’s vocals are pop gold as they effortlessly float from chest to head voice.
Listen to “Magic” below.
Number One Popstar – “Forever 21”
Number One Popstar’s music transports you. A song like “Forever 21” could very well be ripped from Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club (basically any Molly Ringwald film). “Forever 21, I just don’t know now,” she sings, fully owning the crisis of growing up.
“I don’t wanna grow up and be like you,” she admits. “Everything you say is sounding the same / And I can tell your scared, scared to change.” Production bursts at the seams, like those spandex workout clothes your aunt still wears. Adulthood is a trip, so who could blame her?
Listen to “Forever 21” below.
Ashley Monroe – “Gold”
Bless Ashley Monroe for doing exactly what she wants. On her new record, the songbird discards her usual country approach for synths and pop glitter. Standout cut “Gold” rinses the listener in an intoxicating grandeur, like it could be the soundtrack to some Steven Speilberg flick.
“You are good as gold / The more I see, the more it shows,” she sings, as the production kicks up into a sound-storm. “Something to behold / I can’t afford to let you go.” Monroe’s voice remains as sturdy as ever, yet there’s something even more evocative about it in such a setting.
Listen to “Gold” below.
DEVORA – “Body Bag”
DEVORA is full of newfound independence on her new single, “Body Bag.” The twisted and upbeat track has DEVORA wishing the most fatal ending to someone who has scorned her. DEVORA’s country/pop-infused sound is confident and unwavering on “Body Bag” while the compelling production takes this sassy song to the next level. “How’s that for a comeback?”, she demands with full badassness.
Listen to “Body Bag” below.
Holiday Sidewinder – “Into the Universe”
Holiday Sidewinder tricks you into thinking you’re getting an acoustic heart-scorcher. Instead, “Into the Universe” is like sending David Bowie through the twisted Flaming Lips, emerging as a psych-pop acid trip. “Drifting slowly,” her voice echoes like starlight through the endless cosmos.
Piano lassos you, and her voice drags your feet into the dust storm. “Out of this weary world / In my mind / Into the universe,” she sings, almost calling to you from the otherside of the universe itself. It’s both ethereal and cold; a dichotomy that suits her well.
Listen to “Into the Universe” below.
Alex O’aiza – “Runnin’ to Death”
Sometimes, you’ve just got to head bang. Singer-songwriter Alex O’aiza constructs a sticky rock web with a new song, lurching right into the eardrums with electric stake and a relentless chord progression. “Runnin’ to Death,” dark and twisted, seems to capture collective anxieties and loneliness.
“Live in fear, live in pain, is this how we’re made? / Take a shot, take a pill, till I go insane,” he wails and writhes in the musical mess. “‘Cause I’m stripped to the bone.”
Listen to “Runnin’ to Death” below.
Chayce Beckham – “23”
The reigning champion of American Idol, Chayce Beckham has released his debut single “23.” An impressive introduction, Beckham’s gritty and soulful voice soars over the outlaw country-produced track. A vocal mix of Eric Church and Chris Stapleton, Beckham has dominated the iTunes Charts since the May 14th release of “23” and continues to top artists like Luke Combs and Blake Shelton. With the amount of momentum this young artist already has, it won’t be long until Beckham follows in the footsteps of fellow American Idol alum Gabby Barrett.
Listen to “23” below.
Brynn Cartelli – “If I Could”
The Season 14 Champion of The Voice, Brynn Cartelli is looking like she may be the first Pop artist to have a successful career after coming off the show. On her latest Atlantic Records release “If I Could,” Cartelli showcases her dynamic and impressive vocal skills. The ballad builds throughout as Cartelli effortlessly delivers each word. Since its release, “If I Could” has racked up more than 1 million streams. Cartelli’s stats are quite impressive when stacked up against her fellow Voice winners, which puts her ahead of the pack for future success. “If I Could” is the lead-off single from Cartelli’s forthcoming, debut EP due out May 28th.
Listen to “If I Could” below.