Since her debut album HEAVN last year (one of my albums of the year), Jamila Woods was a little bit quiet after the tour run and I honestly didn't expect anything new from her so soon. In the past I've described listening to Jamila's music as a form of self-care and so when this thumbnail popped up on my YouTube homepage I couldn't have clicked it faster.



This visual is simply stunning. I had to watch it twice back-to-back just to catch some of the nuances that I was sure that I'd missed. The various sets and LOOKS came together beautifully wrapped around snippets of commentary from empowered yet everyday Black wxmen. The mantra (adapted from Nikki Giovanni's piece - 'Ego Tripping') "there must be a reason why" comes at a time when we're closing in on the end of a confusing and uncertain year and leaves a dim glimmer of hope and purpose for the months to come. Jamila continues to make art that not only represents her, her life's inspirations and how she feels but also that resonates with most of those listening.  In a world that oftentimes makes it challenging to do so, Jamila consistently makes me feel, from my head to my toes, proud to be a Black wxman. She couldn't have picked a more crucial time to bring new music into my life.

Ray BLK. I feel like I've waited a long time to see her get all the credit that she's due and if I'm honest - particularly after seeing this latest video - I'm still waiting. Ray's voice, whilst smooth and silky, is still one of the most recognisable voices in the mainstream at the moment. Managing to break away from what is currently a very "same-same-but-different" radio time period. Even after winning BBC Sound Of in 2017, I still don't think we're quite hearing just how good she is.



Firstly, Ray BLK has not put out one bad or even mediocre video since she's started releasing, and sad to say it but this is definitely something to be acknowledged right now. Director Tom Green has one very well with this. Following the recent spike in street-violence around the UK (London in particular), the premise of this song comes at a necessary and relevant time. Green depicts the message of "Run Run" in a way that left scenes embedded in my head for days - the closing scene specifically. As a song, I'd say it's a bit instrumentally simple but it clearly relies on the words and the vocals to lift it up. I'm really looking forward to this new album. It will be a mixed bag but the standout tracks will hold a lasting shine no doubt. Ray BLK will be playing the o2 Forum in London on the 3rd of October - if what we've seen so far is anything to go by; it will be a show to remember.

My heart. I can't really explain how good it feels to have new PVRIS music in my life honestly. The last time I tuned into a radio station specifically to hear a song debut was when Paramore released "Now" in 2013, I remember it so clearly. I doubt I'll be forgetting the first time I heard this song either. As always, Lynn's giving us those beautiful, strong and gritty vocals over a beat that forces you to move. As much as I enjoyed their debut record, the amount that they've improved as a band is pretty clear.


As big as the track sounded initially, this video brings so much substance to it making it easier to isolate each detail in such an encomspassing sound. People often associate good music with colour and even in black and white PVRIS have managed to paint a bold picture here. The scenes of death and reawakening did remind me of Slipknot's "The Devil In I" concept but as gruesome as it seemed in that video, here PVRIS have managed to make it seem almost beautiful. The album drops on the 4th of August and is available for pre-order right now. PVRIS are playing a couple of small shows this week in London (Shepherd's Bush Empire) and a few more across Europe. I don't doubt that there'll be a few surprises at those shows and I have high hopes for the new album, so if you can get along to see them at some point, most definitely do.

Paramore are back with some new musical magic for our ears in the form of 80s inspired electronic rock and I'm absolutely here for it, but we'll get to that. Check out the new video first...

For those of you who have been reading for a while, you might have noticed that I haven't posted much this year. At first it was because I spent the past year interning and traveling and so couldn't dedicate a good amount of time to it. However, I've been back now for over a month and have just been waiting for inspiration to strike. Writing and rewriting drafts, deleting, questioning, drafting some more. The only thing that I really kept going was the blog's Instagram page. But finally, after some much needed music talk with some friends - Bonobo came to the rescue with this gem he released on Thursday.

BONOBO - Kerala

I actually spoke about this single a few weeks ago here and it's still just as huge as it was then expect now it has a VIDEO...

SUPERFOOD - Mood Bomb

I've always thought that M.I.A. awesome but after watching this video for the first time it was cemented. She is so badass and over the years, this song, amongst many others of hers, have become anthems of my life and hopefully they'll continue to be...

M.I.A. - Bad Girls