I’m back with Soul Sessions again, bringing you that good good from Soundcloud. Don’t worry, there will always be something for everybody, because we want this to be your go-to list for new songs for your playlist this week. The talent out there is abundant, y’all. Here are some artists to listen to this week:
Javonté – “The Girl Everyone Knows”
This song is about the struggle of the popular girl. A lot of times she’s the party girl or the talented girl, and in any case, she’s the girl in the spotlight. Few people know her backstory, and fewer people care. They want to be attached to her shine for as long as it lasts, but she just wants go get away and find some semblance of normalcy. Basically, everything that glitters ain’t gold. Javonté teams up with our favorite legacy singer, Alex Isley, for this insightful track.
Josh Collins – “Good Things”
I love super vibey stuff. This is song is what gets played toward the end of the week when you’re gonna lay in your hammock eating mango or drinking iced tea. I enjoy Josh’s voice, and though the production is very simple, it builds with the background vocals. The production is what I enjoy the most. I felt like I was on a boat in the middle of the ocean while listening to this! Definitely chill music.
Ki’Ki Steward – “Poetic”
Let’s keep the vibes going with this jazzy tune! Ki’Ki goes all the way in, in ways that I really appreciate from vocalists. It’s not about yelling or doing a bunch of riffs all over the place. She exercises control and makes great vocal and harmonic choices. I also appreciate this song not being over-produced. It’s just her voice and an acoustic guitar, which gives her room to spread out vocally. Put this on repeat.
Arima Ederra – “The Boogie Man Song”
Will we ever get more music from Mos Def (more recently known as Yasiin Bey)? One of the only rappers who also sings in a way that I can accept — he’s one of my favorites. If the reports are true, we’ll get nothing else from the Brooklyn native, much to my chagrin. This song starts his second album, the much maligned Danger, and was my favorite song on the entire project. I enjoy this cover by Arima very much, and hope that if more musicians make reference to his music, he will feel the weight of his influence and impact and possibly return.
Talay Riley – “Not Enough”
Have you had your fill of Eric Benet or Maxwell this week? Me, neither! If you want to add another guy maximizing his falsetto, checkout Talay’s music. This is that song where the guy is telling his woman all the ways that nothing will ever outshine her, nothing will ever make him stop actively ramping up his love for her, and that no one and nothing compares.
MUHSINAH – “Careless”
This is a serious departure from the MUHSINAH music that I’ve come to know and love, and I like this, too. There are obvious rock undertones here, which influences the vocal arrangement as well. It’s a relatable track, as she starts off talking about how her friends call the manner in which she falls in love reckless. She’s not trippin’ off her friends ’cause she’s ’bout to love you, boy. Get ready.
Tiffany Gouché – “Lose It (Live)”
I’ve heard some crappy live recordings. In fact, I’d say more are bad than good, because then we get to hear singers without any of the tricks of the studio. If we compare this live recording with the studio version of the same song, I actually like the live version better! The band takes it to another level, I think. Tiffany is one of my favorite finds on Soundcloud, and this song doesn’t disappoint.
What are you listening to this week? Let us know in the comments below!
