Chappel Roan – ‘Good Luck, Babe‘
Going from strength to strength on both the Olivia Rodrigo tour and an appearance on TinyDesk, Chappel Roan is being praised online for coaxing the ‘LGBTQ+ girls from a BoyGenius winter to a Chappel Roan summer’. The joyful 80s cavorting of ‘Good Luck, Babe’ is certainly enough to shake off any pre-BST blues, chasing the thrill of “a sexually explicit kinda love affair…You would have to stop the world just to stop this feeling.” File next to Marina & The Diamonds, CMAT and The Last Dinner Party if you like a good time.
Hope Tala – ‘I Can’t Even Cry’
Ever had a break-up so bad that you don’t know if you’ll ever move past the initial shock? Hope Tala has got your back, spilling numb disappointment over intimate, rootsy guitar that grows twinkling R&B flourishes as she starts to cut herself some slack; “Been making my peace with what the future holds / Embracing all the things that I don’t know.” It’s another dose of gorgeously relatable songwriting from the singer-songwriter, slowly but surely building to lofty heights.
- Read an interview with Hope Tala
London Grammar – ‘House‘
Known for their sparse, chill electronics, British trio London Grammar return with something much more intentional, staring the listener right in the eye “Do you see me/ I don’t think you do?”. Vaguely drum and bassy in its skittering beats, it marks the first release from their forthcoming record The Greatest Love, and a sign of how much internal warmth they have amassed.
Mellissa – ‘Happy‘
There’s something about Ghanaian artist Mellissa that likes to keep people guessing. Her artistic core is Afrobeats, but the pitched-up vocal and pace of ‘Happy’ also screams low-key hyperpop, with a little bit of Tinashe-esque cool-girl R&B on the side. When she sings “You took two seconds just to answer me”, it’s impossible to tell if she’s grateful or simply vindicated, telling her lover exactly how good they both have it.
Chloe Slater – ‘Nothing Shines On This Island‘
Borrowing from the pacey spoken-rock style of Bob Vylan, Panic Shack and Sprints, Chloe Slater goes both hard and silly on a pastiche of modern Britain, describing a character who funds his lifestyle through monarchy connections, relentless landlordism and a general disdain for any form of genuine social mobility. “Access to the healthcare in this country gets restricted/ you don’t need doctors that are government-assisted! I’d never catch you in a jumper off of Vinted.” With this kind of observation and humour, she’s a serious one to watch.
