- Five Films to Watch About Stonewall … Besides Stonewall - 29 September, 2015
- Symphony: An interview with Raymond Yiu - 25 August, 2015
- Raymond Yiu’s Symphony to debut at BBC Proms - 12 August, 2015
Troye Sivan – Touch
I never heard of Troye Sivan’s music until a friend of mine told me about him a few weeks back. So when I came across his new EP TRXYE in the New Releases section on Spotify, I decided to give it a quick listen, and I was pleasantly surprised with what I heard.
Troye has a soothing voice that although not entirely unique, works perfectly with the selection of songs he chooses (believe me when I say not every artist understands this is a chemistry formula they must get right).
One standout from this EP was the second track titled ‘Touch’. This song, which details an impending intimate encounter, not only sounds nice audibly but paints a clear visual picture. ‘Touch’ starts slow as Troye sings and starts to build the song to a climactic moment just before the first chorus. After he says touch, the electronic beat drops and the song springs to life. He does this two more times before the beat goes silent to close the song.
The mixing of slow pop with fast electronic music is not entirely new, but fairly risky. Many songs have tried this before and have come off sounding forced and contrived in an attempt to fit a trend. This song, however, perfectly elements from pop, R&B, and electronic dance music to create a sensual masterpiece that listeners will not be able to keep themselves from listening to over and over again.
Although there isn’t a video for ‘Touch’ yet, you can check out the video to ‘Happy Little Pill’ below:
Kimbra – Goldmine
Okay, so I’ll admit that I was entirely too late for the Kimbra train. I was always told that she was a great artist to listen to, but for some reason I never gave her music a real chance. She has definitely gained a new fan after I listened to The Golden Echo album.
One track that everyone should listen to from this album is ‘Goldmine’ (song four on the album). The song starts with the sound of clanking tools and the calls of men who sound as if they are going to work in a gold mine. The southern rap-influenced beat then drops and Kimbra begins to sing.
She refers to herself as a goldmine, one that can neither been seen nor touched. It’s an empowering song that anyone can interpret however they choose. And seriously, what’s not to love about that?
Jessie Ware – Say You Love Me
A few weeks ago, Jessie Ware released ‘Say You Love Me’ from the upcoming album Tough Love. In this beautiful slow song, Jessie pleads for her lover to say that he loves her before she puts any more love and energy, into what is painted as a failing relationship.
One thing Jessie has always done well in the the past is to make listeners feel like they’re standing in her shoes whenever she sings. This song is no exception, and the feeling is carried along by Ed Sheeran’s songwriting abilities. If this song is any indication of what listeners can expect to find on Tough Love, then I think listeners will be in for quite a treat when the album is released in October.
Now, enough about me. What songs have you been listening to? What songs, albums, EPs do you think people should be giving a listen? Let me know in the comments below.
