｡★ New Single Release ✰ : Cat Burns “alone”
｡★ New Single Release ✰ : Cat Burns “alone” BRIT-nominated singer-songwriter Cat Burns has officially released her emotional brand new single ‘alone’. 06.03.24 Words by Heather Collier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nykWr50KeUU Produced and co-written by acclaimed British producer Steve Mac, the track follows up on previous releases ‘live more & love more’, ‘people pleaser’ and her hit 2020 song ‘go’ which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart in 2022 after it became a viral sensation on TikTok. After teaming up with UK rapper ArrDee on ‘Home For My Heart’, Burns has also been riding the more recent high of her feature on goddard’s genre-bending ‘Wasted Youth’, proving herself to be an all-rounder when it comes to collaborations. The South London artist’s latest single ‘alone’ showcases her soaring vocals and heartfelt lyricism as she paints a picture of the loneliness felt when living in a big city. Yearning for companionship, Burns confesses to coffee trips and dinners booked alone, admitting that she’s ‘never been on a date’ and finds it difficult to open up to others romantically. Each lyric weaves an honest, all-too-relatable tale, highlighting the struggles of trying to find love as a twenty-something year old woman in a metropolis like London. Burns sheds light on the societal pressures placed upon women to find a partner by a certain age, and how she feels them boiling to the surface the older she becomes: ‘All my friends are saying my time will come / But the years are going by, I’m not long off twenty-five / My fear is growing stronger, now I’m getting older.’ Introduced by a haunting choir, Burns begins her storytelling with a percussive vocal, drawing loving comparisons to many of her musical influences, some of whom she has cited as US songwriter and musician Kirk Franklin, pop sensation Anne-Marie, and 2000s powerhouse trio Destiny’s Child. The track pays homage to gospel music and old school R’n’B, harnessing her impeccable vocal ability during the chorus. Burns continues to champion her individuality as a queer black woman, and although she may be afraid to bear her soul to potential suitors, she certainly isn’t afraid to do so in her artistry. From busking along the Southbank to taking over TikTok from her lockdown bedroom, she has since amassed national critical acclaim. Nominated for the BRIT Rising Star, Best Pop/R’n’B and Song of The Year awards in 2023, the indie-pop fusionist also earned a well-deserved spot on the BBC Sound of 2023 shortlist, as well as a nod in the Rising Star category at the Ivor Novello Awards. Not planning to slow down any time soon, the singer made a major appearance in JD Sports’ Forever Forward campaign, alongside Central Cee, Joy Crookes, Nia Archives and Kano, and has been unveiled as an ambassador for New Balance. Returning from a trip across the pond, she has also not long completed a sold-out, debut run of live shows in North America, and has supported Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran on their respective global tours. No longer in ‘newcomer’ territory, the emerging star is also set to perform at a string of festivals this summer, including In It Together in Margam, South Wales, Mighty Hoopla in London, and The Big Feastival in Oxfordshire, with more to be announced. ‘alone’ is out now. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cat Burns (@catburns) You Might Also Like
｡✦✦ New EP Release ✦✦ : BXKS “One Time”
｡✦✦ New EP Release ✦✦ : BXKS “One Time” BXKS’ newest EP ‘One Time’ is solidifying the Luton-rapper as one of the most electrifying artists on the scene all while she crafts a new stage for female UK rappers to thrive. 06.03.24 Words by Amalia Castle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLUGvemxqag Over the past few years, under the smokey Luton sky, one of the most exhilarating voices in UK rap was being forged. Throughout BXKS’ rise within the uk rap scene – leading to endorsements from Skepta and a show at Boiler Room Amsterdam – the Luton-hailing rapper has taken on the scene with a sure-confidence, despite its historical fixation on her male counterparts. Now as she enters 2024, BXKS is not only honoring her music as a space for experimentation but undeniably crafting a new stage for female UK rappers to thrive. Since her inception, BXKS entered the rap game with power. Having looked up to legendary grime artist Skepta in her youth, the sound she showcased in her debut performance – her 2018 Mixtape Madness freestyle – comes as no surprise. At the time BXKS was revealing her prowess as a new-gen ‘drill artist’. However, following the performance’s success, she took some time away. She tells The Face “My entry point into music, though, was church” even beginning her journey with music wanting to sing. Drill wasn’t a genre she wanted to be confined to; BXKS had other plans for her sound. Six years later, in 2024, the Luton-born artist has cultivated a catalouge full of heavy, gritty basslines, fragments of smooth, spectral, jazz and shades of high-tempo dance influence. And with her self-assured flow – that’s almost cocky in the best way – she seems to have found her sound. With a list of high-grade releases and a host of collaborations that call for rejoice from any UK underground fans – such as Joe James, P-Rallel and Bawo – there’s been a level of excitement surrounding BXKS’ name this year. Which brings us to last week and the release of her eight-track EP titled ‘One Time’, which is nothing short of a masterful depiction of her artistry. BXKS takes centre-stage, telling stories of the come-up and her experience of the London scene through her slick storytelling, inviting Joe James and vocalist Sie to feature. The project is a cohesive collection of tracks spanning grime, alternative, electronic-club and jazz-fusion with BXKS’ signature hard-hitting flow and gritty basslines in tow. A clear showcase of her ability to break sonic-boundaries within her area of the scene. The mid-point of the project perfectly highlights this, with a transposed sample of Radiohead’s ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ playing as BXKS’ relays the chilling realities of being a woman in London. While track two, ‘Excuse Me’ with Joe James, is a classic jazz-infused alt rap release that’s reminiscent of the saxophone smoothness in a CowBoy Bebop episode. BXKS continues to show the multifaceted nature of the project with ‘Back It Up’, a pumping club-inspired track full of choppy vocal samples and a vibrant bassline. The ‘One Time’ EP is a unique and exhilarating journey for UK rap fans to embark on, and an exciting starting point for new listeners of BXKS. In the heart of the UK rap scene, BXKS is already carving out a distinctive space for herself, defying the narrative for female rap artists. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ⭒{(BXKS)}⭒ (@bxksintokyo) You Might Also Like