Today, I’m reviewing Nina Del Rio’s latest single, “amor fantasma,” released in November. This track marks a new chapter for the artist as she evolves post-graduation from Berklee College of Music. While her previous songs often carry joyful, uplifting melodies, “amor fantasma”—translating to “ghost love”—feels enigmatic, elegant, and hypnotic.

CARAMEL, also known as Angus, is an incredibly talented young artist on the rise who is currently a full time student at Boston College and he has demonstrated his musicality and sonic prowess through the tracks he has released in such a short period of time in his career. This week, the singer, songwriter, and producer releases another piece of his creative saga which continues the story of this artist's growth and development into uncharted territory of the industry. 

Since her "2 On" days, a whole decade ago, Tinashe has never stopped being an iconic figure in the female hip hop and RnB realms. It's a dance party whenever you're in the presence of her music and her choreography is always on point. She is currently on tour for her BB/ANG3L tour, which is dedicated to her recently released album under the same title. The project includes heavy hitters like "Needs" and "Talk to Me Nice", as well as beautiful ballads.

The electro-pop trio A R I Z O N A made it back to their old stomping grounds where they first became a band in Boston, MA for their headlining tour Live For a Night.

His music is airy, rigid and hypnotic as he moves you through various waves of alternative pop and takes you into a reverberating dreamworld. The 22 year old producer and artist from Nottingham, England, with over 81K monthly listeners on Spotify, caught me by surprise after reaching out to share his music and then I found myself saving every song he's ever released. Each song is just blissful ignorance, playing with psychedelic guitar strums and exciting tunes strung through dark and bubbly melodies.

Kiana Ledé Brown, an RnB artist native to Arizona, raised by Philly streets, and born to a Mexican, Native American, and African American background, has embarked on her epic headlining tour for her recent project Grudges. The project filled with emphatic and bold vocals and vulnerable, vengeful lyrics, came to life last weekend on October 8th at Boston's Big Night Live. Ledé performed an incredible show for her hypnotized fans and took us into a sensual experience of a woman with a heart broken one too many times and a come back like no other that builds her stronger than she ever was before.

If there is anything that has absolutely enchanted me or moved me in this past year, it will be Jungle and their new project Volcano (released via Caiola Records). Yes, that is how serious this is. From concept to fruition, this project is absolute magic with songs that electrify your soul, engage your body, and transform your mindset. Everyone who knows the UK hailing production duo knows that their music always cover a wide spectrum of genres, but more commonly they reflect themes of soul, funk, house, and RnB. AND most Jungle fans will also know that their music always has more visual elements to it, most specifically around the art form of dance. In this most recent escapade with their album, the pair created a motion picture titled Volcano, which is a 45 minute masterpiece of pieced together choreographed music videos starring some familiar faces from past projects such as Mette Birdy and Will West (choreographed by Shay Latukolan). The track "Back on 74" from the project alone has taken the internet by storm with a dance challenge.

Pop Punk is making a comeback, but this time, in a fantastically, whimsical and multi-cultural way. In comes Nxdia (pronounced "Nadia"). The Egyptian-Sudanese artist has been simultaneously putting out cutting edge music all while changing the landscape of the artists in the music industry game. They are paving the way for a niche in this creative space for queer, Middle-Eastern musicians in the US market and other industries.

On August 13th, the Australian/New South Wales band 5 Seconds of Summer performed at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway and truly gave the audience a night to never forget. They had performed the night before, but Luke Hemmings, the lead singer of the group, claimed that this second night already was better than the first.

VÉRITÉ (aka Kelsey Regina Byrne) is kind and soft spoken when you speak with her, but bold and magnetic when she performs on stage. I truly enjoyed our last interview and was excited to hear that she would be opening for Fletcher at the House of Blues in Boston. She came on stage and gave the crowd just the magical energy they needed to be ready to sing and dance all night, and as I turned around from my spot in the photo pit to face the audience, all I could see was a sea of smiles and many who were singing along to the lyrics.

I had the pleasure of interviewing up and coming artist William Hinson while he was on a Sofar Sounds tour, and I will say that our conversation will definitely remain one of my favorite sit downs with an artist to date. (It was also my first in-person interview since the pandemic!)

Meet your new favorite girl next door, Jillian Dawn. This sweetheart has a talent and it's making beautiful pop songs. Jillian Dawn was my greatest new find in the year 2021, and I can’t wait for her to make waves in 2022. I saw her perform coincidentally at the same show as another artist and friend of mine, Jake Brewer. It is safe to say that after hearing her, I immediately became a fan.

If the feeling of nostalgia had an album, it would be Phangs' music. From Nashville, Tennessee, the dream-pop, indie-punk artist also known as Jake Germany, came out to Boston to give us an electric show of all of his greatest hits. The artist has always been known for exuding an aura of cool. The best part about his music is that you always feel like you're endlessly young, no matter what age you're at. It's the music that makes you feel like you're in The Breakfast Club throwing your fist in the air, Ferris Bueller's Day Off playing hookie from school, or 10 Things I Hate About You blasting music to your high school crush during his/her practice. The magic of his music is the time capsule it creates transporting you to the past with synths and the guitar solos and up-tempo beats that both intoxicating and energizing.

Blake Rose has been on many people's radars, especially after his hit single "Lost" took over the airwaves. His pop music is truly enchanting and hypnotic, and if anyone in the crowd didn't know him before this tour, then they certainly do now, and most likely have added him to their playlists.

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Noah Kahan's concert in Boston at the iconic House of Blues, and needless to say, the folk-pop artist gave a memorable performance for his sold out show.

The most epic show to come back to after what feels like an eternity, Emotional Oranges, the neo-R&B king and queen duo, gave us an incredible night to remember on Monday, October 4th at Boston's nightclub venue Royale.

It was as if really nothing ever happened; we never experienced a pandemic. The crowd was energetic and dressed up in the typical concert-going attire. Large groups, couples, friends filled out the outdoor stadium and the buzz was contagious. I don't know how else I could express the giddiness I felt, but I knew this was going to be a great show, especially having been to a Glass Animals concert in the past. Of course, everyone was following the protocols of presenting a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination, and many wore their masks, but it still felt somewhat "normal". People stood by their seats and danced and sung the night away.

Light, bare and lovely, this trio creates a beautiful rendition of Wilco’s “If I Ever Was a Child”. Their vocals are soft and serene as they are up against the fireside sounds of the guitars and the jazzy piano riffs. Their music is the perfect conclusion to a summer season as we welcome fall. I overall loved this slowed down version of this classic track and the emphasis of all of the players' parts in the piece. They skillfully lull you to dream of better days; simply living in blissful nostalgia.

J.Pappas is a rapper with a very refined understanding of song structure. His music always comes with crisp melodies and well-thought out lyrics, and he structures them with strong collaborations. A quiet rapper with a bold voice, J.Pappas creates his own compositions and produces them.

I was very excited to meet Andres Owens, also known as andreas owens. This multi-hyphenate is a man of beautiful words and well-constructed productions, crafting mixed-media pieces that offer small doses of magic in music form. You may also know this LA-based producer as the lead singer of The Millennial Club, an electronic-pop band with a vibe very fitting for the times.

Originating from the suburbs of Quebec, the French-Canadian pair are the epitome of melancholy romanticism. Their sound is ethereal and their vocal control is unsurmountable. They’ve dabbled in both electro-pop and indie music, and after moving to Montreal for school, where they initially met, and then stayed after graduating to pursue their musical careers, they found a space in the industry as emerging indie artists. They had recently participated in the 25th edition of the music contest Les Francouvertes, which gave them well-deserved recognition in the Montreal music landscape.

A couple months ago, I got to chat with a new band that came across my radar, and I am so excited to share them with you. Charismatic, charming, and exciting, New Friends is exactly the band I needed this year and will most definitely be needing every year after. They have a fresh sound that’s reminiscent of COIN, Glass Animals, Coldplay, and Nightly—the dreamy-pop mood that picks us up but also has us subconsciously slipping away into the thoughts and imaginations in the corners of our minds. Undoubtedly, New Friends stands out on their own. The group consists of Stefan Boulineau, Ayden Miller, Cole Wilson, and Conrad Galecki, a core quartet of good friends, that were once new friends that then formed this amazing project.

Mia Giovina is a dreamer. That’s what she told me, and after having her debut single “Sirens” on repeat for what seems to be an infinite number of times over the span of 3 weeks since I last spoke with her, I can actually feel the dream she’s going after. 

This is Abir Hashem, or abir.mov on Instagram, and he is a creative. Yes, the word “creative” is a buzz-word these days, but a title that is very true to the core of the work he does every day and the world he wants to continue to pursue. I had the chance to speak with this emerging talent from Canada, and we had a really fun conversation that was almost a full hour, discussing life, creativity, passion, and goals. I’m excited to share what I learned from this young artist and hope that you’ll also be inspired by his energy.

Rayvon Owen serenades and swoons in his new single “Do It Again”.With memorable lyrics and sweet intonations, this singer/songwriter gives you the truth and nothing but the truth. His narratives are real which makes it easy to relate to. It’s also why he has gained such an organic following online.

With a gentle nod to the Motown music days and a demonstration of honor to the era of soul music, ALONZO takes us on a high energy ride with his new single “Respect”. In celebration of Black History Month, this LA-based artist shares with us an anthem that is meant to be heard, understood, and respected. The track is the lead single from his debut album ENOUGH, which is set to release on March 3rd. ALONZO says, “I wanted to release this song to kick off Black History Month as an affirmation…A new anthem that Black people can sing from the rooftops with pride & confidence.” This song delivers just that.