new music – Page 3

October 15, 2025

October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 Mew Zikwryder

Olivia Dean’s ‘The Art of Loving’ Lands with Neo-Soul Precision

Olivia Dean‘s sophomore effort The Art of Loving dropped on September 26, marking a sharp step forward for the East London-raised singer who’s been climbing the UK’s live circuit with her blend of neo-soul and classic pop. A BRIT School alum who cut her teeth as a backing singer for Rudimental, Dean has racked up over 10 million monthly Spotify streams, sold-out European tours, and nods like Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist in 2021 and BBC Music Introducing’s Artist of the Year in 2023. She’s shared stages at Glastonbury and Later… with Jools Holland, drawing from influences like Amy Winehouse and Carole King while flipping covers of The Supremes and Nat King Cole. Shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and up for BRIT Awards, Dean channels that groundwork into an album that feels both lived-in and forward-leaning, all while unpacking love’s everyday mechanics.

What stands out on The Art of Loving is its stripped-back setups—think subtle bongos pulled from a Laurel Canyon jam session, a smooth Rhodes organ nodding to Brill Building grooves, and those crisp bah-bah-bahs echoing Motown’s tight harmonies. Drawing from bell hooks‘ All About Love and visual artist Mickalene Thomas‘s glittering take on the same ideas, Dean and co-producer Zach Nahome keep things lean, letting small touches pop: a glassy five-note piano line threading through ‘Nice to Each Other’, or horns doubling up post-chorus on ‘Let Alone the One You Love’. It’s economy in motion, turning potential filler into hooks that stick without overreaching.

Dean’s delivery seals the deal, her voice hitting that mid-ground—not the powerhouse belt of RAYE or Jorja Smith‘s edge, but a steady glow that could coax shade from a streetlight. Tracks like ‘So Easy (To Fall in Love)’ lean into bossa nova swings that match the easy rhythm of a solid first hang, while ‘Man I Need’‘s 12/8 sway turns routine into ritual. Sure, spots like ‘Close Up’ and ‘Baby Steps’ flirt with retro overload, and some lines tangle in familiar turns of phrase, but the whole set works as low-key soundtrack material—ideal for chopping veggies or folding laundry, where its warmth turns the mundane sharp. Dean knows the stagecraft here, staging clips for ‘Nice to Each Other’ and ‘Man I Need’ on obvious sets that wink at old Hollywood illusions, proving she’s got the chops to keep evolving beyond the blueprint.

Stream The Art of Loving:

Follow Olivia Dean:
Spotify – Facebook – Instagram

October 15, 2025

October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 Mew Zikwryder

Q052’s Thunder Child Lands with Unyielding Bars and Beats

(Q052 / Image Credit: Jean-Philippe Sansfaçon)

On October 10, 2025, Q052 released his fourth studio album, Thunder Child, via Musique Nomade, a set that cements his status as a Mi’gmaq hip-hop force tackling systemic inequities head-on. Quentin Condo, the man behind the name—drawing from his first initial and the 052 code for his Gesgapegiag, Gaspésie roots—now operates out of Sherbrooke, Canada, where he amplifies calls for Indigenous youth empowerment and safeguards for women and girls. With streams topping 140K on Spotify, he’s claimed Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the 2023 International Indigenous Hip-Hop Awards, alongside noms for Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2021 ADISQ Gala, Expressive Music Artist/Group and Blues/Rock Artist/Group at the 2022 Teweikan Gala, and Hip-Hop Album at the 2022 GAMIQ. His commanding live shows have drawn coverage from CLASH Magazine, spins on Radio Canada, and support for ‘Loud Sunday‘ from BBC Radio 6‘s Don Letts on Culture Clash Radio. Q052 has rocked major lineups with Cypress Hill at events like FEQ, La Noce, OFF Québec, Innu Nikamu, Festival Kwe!, FME, Festival Bleu Bleu, and Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée.

The album’s tracks demand close listens, stacking Q052‘s sharp wordplay against instrumentals that nod to classic hip-hop roughness, infused with grunge and alt-rock elements from influences like Ty Segall, Immortal Technique, Cypress Hill, Black Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, Run DMC, and King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Leading the charge is ‘Look It Up‘, the focus single that dials back the layers to spotlight his aggressive verses dismantling authority, in the vein of Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Danny Brown, and KRS-One. It embodies the project’s push for awareness and resistance, blending spoken-word intensity with hip-hop’s backbone and rock’s snarl for a sound that’s grounded in urgency.

Q052 had this to say: “Hip Hop artists are considered to be street journalists who share stories from their environment. In this album, I’m taking listeners on a tour in my mind and expressing how I view the world right now. It’s gone to hell!! From world leaders to the environment, from television shows to the news, from law enforcement agencies invading homes to assassinations, from social media platform addictions to a cold beer!! I’m reporting on it…is this mic on?”

Thunder Child Album Tracklist

1. Whap Bam-Boo
2. Wickedness
3. Look it Up
4. Thunder Bows
5. Piece of Man
6. Loud Sunday
7. Post Like Addict
8. Space Invaders
9. Restricted Radio
10. Sláinte

Stream Thunder Child:

Follow Q052:

Instagram – Facebook – Soundcloud – Youtube – Spotify

October 15, 2025

October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 Mew Zikwryder

Pinwheel Valley’s ‘Can’t Hear a Sound’ Hits Deep in Wake of Release

(Pinwheel Valley / Image Credit: Yazeed Malkaw)

Nearly a week out from its October 10th drop via Hot Soap Records, Pinwheel Valley‘s ‘Can’t Hear a Sound’ continues to pull listeners into its orbit, serving as the opener for the November-bound EP Hello From Afar. At the wheel is Jordanian-Canadian Qais Khoury, whose project morphed from KAIS into a full live outfit—him on vocals, guitar, and keys; Stephanos Marangos handling lead and rhythm guitar; Max Daniels on bass and Ableton; and Stephanos Meletiou or Phrangiskos Petrisis drumming.

The track itself coils tight around Qais Khoury‘s self-produced layers: soulful guitar lines threading through string swells and alt-rock drum sections, with vocals that rasp against the quiet. It has shades of City and Colour‘s worn-in resolve or Alberta Cross‘s road-weary swing, the folktronica hum emphasizing a slow-burning tension that feels authentic.

Qais Khoury shared: “‘Can’t Hear A Sound’ is a song of bloodlines and soil, of war and the restless pull of home. It is a cry carried on the wind, calling to kin who have wandered astray, drawn into circles that could never hold them. A plea for their return to the ground where their fathers lie sleeping. It is both invocation and vow — a promise to shield them, body and soul, whatever the cost, and to guard the earth that holds their roots”.

With the EP on deck, Pinwheel Valley looks primed for deeper cuts that lean into these uprooted themes, maybe sparking live runs across Europe or North America to road-test the full band’s chemistry. If this single’s traction holds, expect festival slots next summer, building on their video awards and radio push to solidify that genre-blurring spot.

Stream ‘Can’t Hear a Sound’:

Follow Pinwheel Valley:

Website – Instagram – Facebook – Soundcloud – TikTok – Youtube – Spotify

October 14, 2025

October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 Mew Zikwryder

La Clara Sofia Ignites with ‘Abrasa’ LP, A Daring Fusion of Rhythm, Spirit, and Desire

La Clara Sofia released her new 7-track LP, Abrasa, on October 10, 2025, under Madrugada Records. The rising Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer has already gained international recognition for her fearless blending of genres and emotionally charged performances. With previous accolades including the Prêmio da Música Brasileira for Best New Artist and collaborations with acts such as Liniker e os Caramelows and Seu Jorge, La Clara Sofia continues to cement her position as one of the most innovative voices in contemporary Latin music.

Born in Recife, Brazil, La Clara Sofia’s sound reflects the rich tapestry of her cultural roots, where rhythm, spirituality, and experimentation coexist. Her musical journey began with classical piano before she turned to jazz, electronic production, and the traditional sounds of Northeastern Brazil. Known for her hypnotic stage presence and dynamic vocal range, she crafts music that traverses genres and emotions, merging Afro-Brazilian percussion with urban grooves, distorted guitars, and ethereal harmonies. Her influences, ranging from Esperanza Spalding and Rita Lee to Akua Naru and Björk, reveal an artist unafraid to transcend borders.

Abrasa is a bold exploration of memory, desire, and resilience, uniting organic percussion, field recordings, and intricate vocal loops into a sonic ritual. Tracks like ‘Lança’ ignite the dancefloor with samba rock flair, while ‘Subi’ captures the floating joy of love’s early moments. ‘ILIXILU’ transforms vulnerability into empowerment through crystalline percussion and haunting vocals, and ‘Reza’ channels collective transcendence inspired by the Olinda Carnival. From the groovy New York homage ‘Bowery’ to the forest invocation ‘Oxóssi’ and the reflective ‘Période Bleue’, La Clara Sofia’s LP stands as both a personal diary and a celebration of Afro-diasporic sound.