On Our Radar: HANNIE, Empress Of, Miya Folick and more

The holidays are starting out with a bang and this Thanksgiving we have plenty of music to be thankful for. We’ve cultivated a list of fresh-faced artists that are bringing a whole lot of promising sounds to the table this November.

 

Miya Folick – ‘Stop Talking’

Miya Folick released a powerhouse debut album just this past October. ‘Premonitions’ addressed the idea of taking accountability for her actions, something that doesn’t happen often in pop music. The LA-based musician is dynamic, creating a sound that’s radio-friendly but also satisfyingly unique. Folick explains how one of her tracks isn’t the usual tune we hear about friendship saying, “‘Stop Talking’ is about being demanding of your friends and telling them when their behavior isn’t serving them. Saying, “Hey, you talk about this a lot, and when you talk about this a lot, it becomes your thoughts, and your thoughts become who you are.”

Follow Miya Folick on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

HANNIE – ‘Stay Another Night’ feat. Hight

We can never get enough of women making it happen in the music industry. The electro-pop duo HANNIE (Hannah Koppenburg and Annie Wagstaff) formed in 2017 with Koppenburg on keys and Wagstaff on guitar, they were able to create the ultimate production pair. Before their breakthrough, they covered popular tracks on their YouTube channel, helping them gain over 250,000 subscribers and a very loyal following. Now they’re on the path to music success with collaborations alongside Ralph, Carys Selvey, and more recently Hight in their new single ‘Stay Another Night.’ They discuss the meaning behind the beat-driven, light track saying, “Every song we’ve written has been super upbeat and happy vibes, which this is, but it’s got more of a solemn story to it. It’s such an easy song to grab onto because the topic is so relatable, I think pretty much everyone has been in the situation of wanting to be with someone but knowing it’s the wrong thing to do.  It’s like head against heart situation.”

Follow HANNIE on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

Kelsey Lu – ‘Due West’

We’re getting extreme Solange vibes from LA-based cellist and musician Kelsey Lu’s new track titled ‘Due West.’ Giving off a perfect combination of R&B and pop beats, Lu hypnotically reminisces about the enigmatic west coast and the beauty of California. Lu stayed true to her creative and musically perceptive side from her 2016 EP ‘Church,’ recorded live in a Brooklyn church, all after she moved away from her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. She’s visually and uniquely different, a breath of fresh air in a sea of lookalikes.

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Empress Of – ‘I Don’t Even Smoke Weed’

Empress Of (aka Lorely Rodriguez) just released her sophomore album ‘Us’ this past month and it’s serving all the synth, dream-pop goodness we would expect from the LA singer. Her latest single aptly titled ‘I Don’t Even Smoke Weed’ delves into the honest discussion about a passionate new romance. She compares fresh love to being high: “I don’t even smoke weed / It gives me anxiety / But when I’m with you / I’m too careless to / Care what people think.” It’s like entering an alternate universe full of synthetic beats and galactic harmonies and we’re not complaining.

Follow Empress Of on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

Fly By Midnight – ‘You Belong’

Justin Bryte and Slavo make up the dance-pop duo Fly By Midnight and they’re hot on the music scene after just releasing their debut album ‘Rerunning.’ ‘You Belong’ is an uplifting but longing track about pining for another, thinking of all the places their significant other belongs—”But you belong in the passenger side / You belong like a partner in crime / You belong and you don’t know it / Too proud because I don’t show it.” It’s a song to dance to but also send to your potential lover—all we know is, Fly By Midnight might become our favorite go-to band when it comes to love anthems.

Follow Fly By Midnight on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

The Japanese House – ‘Follow My Girl’

The Japanese House is on a journey to the highly-anticipated debut album. Amber Bain began her persona as the indie-pop act back in 2015 and majority of her tracks are produced by her and The 1975‘s George Daniel. Besides the fact she works closely alongside one of alternative-indie music’s most popular act, Bain is releasing her first album in March 2019 titled ‘Good at Falling.’ ‘Follow My Girl’ is the second single from her eclectic LP and it has pop perfection written all over it. It’s unconventional but in the most fulfilling way possible. There are so many twists and turns throughout the entire track, it somehow all fits together.

Follow The Japanese House on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

 

CILVR – ‘Bound to Die’

Scandinavian pop artist CILVR has created a sound completely distinct. With her new single ‘Bound to Die,’ she throws in a little dreamy, hazy pop beats into the mix along with the reminiscent feelings of an emotional breakup, saying: “Bound to Die was written in a small city in the North of Sweden. It’s about a breakup and the feelings you have when you’re trying to move on from something. The song paints a picture of the feeling when you’ve decided to separate but still need each other.” Her vocal talents remind us a bit of big popstars before her—Billie Eilish, Halsey, and Lykke Li—but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a force to reckoned with herself.

Follow CILVR on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Ariana and the Rose – ‘Night Owl’

We’re never tired of high-energy dance bangers and Ariana and the Rose has given us the ideal track with ‘Night Owl.’ Full of vivid and vibrant synth-pop perfection, the track is definitely a nightclub favorite. The Brooklyn-based soon-to-be popstar is focused on setting her music apart from the others—a catchy but succinct musician that’s able to convey an image that’s individualistic. “”I was coming out of a tough few months and just beginning to feel like myself again,”” Ariana said about the track. ““There had been another piece of news on TV that was just so disheartening. I sat down in the studio and wanted to make something that would lift everyone up. The mood of the song is about standing on your own two feet.”” It’s an anthem about independence and unparalleled in a world like today.

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Shy Beast – ‘Leave Me Be’

Looking for a sunny track to lift you up during the winter months? Shy Beast’s ‘Leave Me Be’ should be your new favorite song—an upbeat bop that cultivates a groovy but dream-like haze over the gloomy, cold weather. They just released their self-titled EP, allowing them to take one strong step into the music world. Frontwoman Mariclaire “MC” Glaser passionately spoke about their debut saying, “Each track on the EP Leave Me/Let Me represents a different type of rebellion. The song “Monday/Sunday” walks through the smug enjoyment of giving someone a taste of their own medicine, whereas “Leave Me Be” and “Flowers Grow” provide elements of a stubbornness in the face of social norms.”

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Salt Ashes – ‘Go All Out’

London-based musician Salt Ashes (aka Veiga Sanchez) is inspiring us to embrace ourselves and have no regrets in her new single ‘Go All Out.’ An empowering track that’s full of rebellion that takes on the image her younger self-concocted in her mind, throwing all her insecurities and insults out the window. Sanchez’s sound is a different type of pop music, it’s darker and bit grittier—it only makes it more authentic and believable. We need a bit more transparency in the pop music world and Sanchez is setting a flawless example.

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Call Me Loop – ‘Business’

‘Business’ is a sassy pop song from Call Me Loop is exactly what we need to start off the dismal winter months. Like her previous singles ‘Cut & Run‘ and ‘Give ‘n’ Take,’ she reminds us of those demanding relationships that just don’t work out. Chockfull of R&B riffs and electric vibes, ‘Business’ is a slowed down version of her other works but it’s just as powerful. The songstress talks about the meaning behind the heartbreaking record saying, “Business was the first time I felt really vulnerable in my songwriting. I wrote it at the start of the year when I was in a pretty sad headspace about my ex. He moved on pretty quickly after we broke up and I made the rookie error of keeping tabs on his new relationship across his social media… I was annoyed a him, jealous and sad all at the same time but also angry with myself because I wanted to him be happy… I think ‘Business’ kind of depicts that internal struggle I was going through on a daily basis.” That’s something we all can certainly relate to and Call Me Loop has created the ideal track that explains that feeling so well.

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