We are the second Sunday of May in, and we are beginning to see more and more artists move towards creating upbeat and energetic tunes for the warmer days ahead.
This week especially, brought us a remarkably strong selection of amazing new tunes from independent artists, and we will be covering nine of our favourites on the list below.
Track Of The Week
Madelyn » Be It All
With ‘Be It All’, Madelyn moves a much beloved britpop sound into a more modern era, thanks to its mix of nostalgic and current elements.
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Since kicking off her discography in 2019, Birmingham-based alternative pop artist and producer Madelyn has stayed consistent with her releases, while continuing to stay experimental, and try new things musically. Her two 2020 singles saw Madelyn transition from her dreamy, ambient pop sound, to one that felt more engaging and accessible. With her first single of 2021, titled ‘Be It All’, we see another new stylistic approach. With a production that carries a sense of an almost Brit-pop feel, reminiscent of The Verve, ‘Be It All’ carried such an instantaneously euphoric, and nostalgically familiar feel, that it was easy for us to be hooked on this tune straight away. And with Madelyn’s own twist, this new track moves a much beloved sound into a more modern era.
Agata » The Bottom
With its sleek sense of accessibility, ‘The Bottom’ presents Agata’s signature musical depth, albeit in a more elegant framework.
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‘The Bottom’ is the second single release of 2021 from Bristol-based singer-songwriter Agata, and the fourth original single of her discography. Following the awe-inspiring sound of her previous single ‘For Sale’, ‘The Bottom’ presents that same level of depth, albeit in a more elegant framework. The way the melody of ‘The Bottom’ is paced, allows the track to be incredibly engaging. With its sleek sense of accessibility, this track also has a brilliantly contemporary quality to it, and gives us the impression that all this track needs to become a widespread hit, is simply more exposure. With its lyrics reflecting upon a toxic relationship, and Agata’s mental health, ‘The Bottom’ will be a connective listen for many people.
Emmrose » Waitlisted
Much more upbeat and energetic than Emmrose’s previous release, ‘Waitlisted’ wonderfully reflects the amazing versatility of this artist.
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Following the success of her previous 2021 release ‘The Impostor’, which we at Indie Top 39 thoroughly loved for its soft beauty, New York indie pop artist Emmrose is back again with her newest single ‘Waitlisted’. In contrast to the emotive and elegant feel of ‘The Impostor’, this brand new single offers a refreshingly different sound in comparison. ‘Waitlisted’ stands as a punchy, upbeat, and groovy tune that definitely seems tailor-made for the warm summer days ahead. A song that channels a very empowering and uplifting message; of finding celebration in rejection, this track feels like a well-needed musical remedy for listeners who may have had their ambitions delayed or stopped by the pandemic.
Gabrielle Sey » White Noise
‘White Noise’ carries the kind of acoustic framework that adds a layer of intimacy to Gabrielle Sey’s unique and soulful sound.
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In the lead-up to her 2018 debut EP Break My Silence, London-based artist Gabrielle Sey managed to conceive a well-balanced mix between soulful R&B and African panache. And with this year allegedly marking the teasing of Sey’s next EP, her musical uniqueness only seems even stronger at this point. However, her newest single ‘White Noise’ also carries a more acoustic framework, which gives her unique style a more intimate feel. As well as this, ‘White Noise’ still manages to have an extremely textured sound too. Further empowering this tune is the exploration of Gabrielle’s feelings of claustrophobia towards unwanted opinions towards her; a deep narrative that many can connect to.
Holly Fitzgerald » The Tide
Brilliant in both its progression and immersion, ‘The Tide’ is a gleaming example of Holly Fitzgerald’s dark and cinematic style of pop.
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The first single release of 2021 from singer-songwriter Holly Fitzgerald, ‘The Tide’ begins the artist’s musical year in an incredibly intimate way. While Fitzgerald’s previous releases have solidified her as a true champion of dark and cinematic pop, the way that ‘The Tide’ starts, with its very acoustic framework, effortlessly draws us in with its straight-forward beauty. After getting off to such an effective start, ‘The Tide’ begins to gradually add more elements, giving the track a wonderful sense of progression. As the individual elements begin to piece themselves together and evolve, we were able to notice how the switching rhythms resemble the ebb and flow of a tide, which speaks of how much artistry this track has.
Mally Smith » To The Birds
Mally Smith’s own musical love letter to herself, ‘To The Birds’ will be a well-needed uplifting listen for many.
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After the hiatus which followed her 2018 track ‘Neon’, Edinburgh singer-songwriter Mally Smith is well and truly back, with the start of her brand new album cycle. Teasing her upcoming sophomore full-length album, ‘To the Birds’ wonderfully represents just how sleek and refined Mally Smith’s folk sound has become. This new track carries a beautiful sense of warmth, which truly had us indulged from the beginning of this track, to the very end. Mally Smith wrote ‘To the Birds’ to serve as what is essentially a love song to herself, and a reminder to treat yourself with the same kindness you project onto others. It is a truly uplifting sentiment which, paired with its musical warmth, will be a well-needed listen for many.
Shayla McDaniel » Better Days
Shayla McDaniel honours Mental Health Awareness Month with ‘Better Days’, a track that adds another layer of brilliance to her musical 2021.
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Knoxville-based indie pop artist Shayla McDaniel has seemingly gone full steam ahead in the year of 2021. Alongside the two original singles that Shayla had previously released earlier this year, they have each been accompanied by more stripped-back “solo” variants. With her newest single, titled ‘Better Days’ Shayla McDaniel also honours Mental Health Awareness Month. With its bittersweet and emotive sound, along with Shayla’s lyrics, ‘Better Days’ reflects this sentiment perfectly. It is definitely safe to say that Shayla McDaniel has given us some incredible music already this year, but the relatable and supportive sentiment of ‘Better Days’ gives her musical 2021 an additional layer of brilliance.
Swerfey » i am there and never gone
Swerfey continues to project her sheer level of artistic integrity and high productivity, with the atmospheric and emotive sound of ‘i am there and never gone’.
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The musical project of German singer-songwriter Anna-Victoria Gesch, known as Swerfey, has already shown to have one amazing musical 2021 so far. Having already released her debut album, and a wide array of tracks earlier this year, Swerfey’s artistic integrity and high productivity has truly shone. This week sees Swerfey release her newest track, titled ‘i am here and never gone’. This new track carries a highly artistic and poetic feel, as the backdrop for an atmospheric and emotive sound; one which harnesses the essence of a true chart-topping anthem. We are astounded that even with the sheer amount of material Swerfey has created in 2021, we can still expect tracks as intricate as this one.
Wes King » Loaded Gun
Wes King creates a tremendously upbeat and feel good, britpop flavoured banger, in the form of his sophomore single.
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The sophomore single release from Maidstone indie-rock artist Wes King, ‘Loaded Gun’ follows his debut single ‘Living Strange’; a track that was loved by us at Indie Top 39, for its nostalgic, almost brit-pop inspired vibe that it gave. In the case of the brand new ‘Loaded Gun’, that essence is ramped up extraordinarily, to the point where we have a far more gritty and hard-hitting single than its predecessor. ‘Loaded Gun’ sounds like what you would get if you mixed Liam Gallagher’s ‘Shockwave’ with Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’. In other words, it’s a tremendously upbeat and feel-good, britpop flavoured banger. Wes King truly seems to know what kind of aesthetic he aims to pursue, and we cannot wait to see him evolve as a result.
New Music Sunday » 39 Best Songs Released This Week