We’re not hiding the fact that Nia Smith is one of our favorite new talents on the rise. She simply never disappoints with her music. This summer, she blessed us with Payback Is A Dog, a seven-track EP packed with killer songwriting and music perfectly suited to those sunny days. Now that autumn is here, Nia is slowing things down with her brand-new single. On ‘Mr Right’, the production remains stripped back, allowing her incredible voice to shine in all its glory. But it’s not just about the vocals. The song comes with a beautiful message for anyone still waiting to find their perfect match. As Nia explains, “A song for those who haven’t found their perfect match yet, don’t let the wrong people convince you that your heart is asking for too much.” It’s a reminder that wanting love that meets your standards isn’t asking for too much, and that there’s no need to settle for someone who doesn’t give you what you deserve. Sometimes, waiting for Mr Right is worth it.
Your Sunday is getting a delicious genre-blending moment with big Y2K vibes. Bronx-born singer and songwriter Mia Lailani has been making waves since 2018. Throughout the years, she has explored personal songwriting about love, heartbreak, growing up and finding confidence in yourself. Her Puerto Rican roots are always part of the picture, with some of her music moving between English and Spanish to reflect her cultural background. Music clearly runs in the family, too, as her brother Devan Ibiza has been her longtime producer. On her latest single 'Substance', Mia is hosting a boyfriend casting call. The lyrics leave no doubt about exactly what she’s looking for and what she doesn’t want in a man. She is quite literally running auditions for a boyfriend, and if the Y2K-inspired, old-school DVD-style video is anything to go by, the guys are lining up to audition for the role. We love this fun, confident and flirty moment!
Snoh Aalegra has mysteriously made her comeback to music. ‘Run Free’ appeared on YouTube without the usual streaming release, leaving us with a beautiful, simple visual, a handful of lyrics and plenty of questions. Is this an official single? Is it just an interlude for the new era? Honestly, that only makes the whole thing feel more intriguing. What we do have is Snoh doing what she does best: delivering soulful, heart-tugging vocals over a cinematic soundscape that feels like the closing scene of a coming-of-age film. With its vintage ’80s R&B influences and understated production, ‘Run Free’ feels nostalgic without getting stuck in the past. The visual follows suit, with Snoh cruising through winding, tree-lined roads in the back of a vintage BMW, as if she’s escaping something she hasn’t quite figured out herself. It’s intimate, melancholic and just mysterious enough to leave us wanting more. After years without a full-length project, every little clue feels like a reason to get excited. A new era might be on the horizon, with A Legendary Love rumored to be the next chapter, but for now, Snoh is keeping us guessing. All we know is that she’s been at the top of our ‘please come back!’ list, and it finally looks like she’s answering our prayers!
She delivered one of the best pop albums of the year and isn’t ready to end the era anytime soon. With WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA, Slayyyter cemented herself as one of pop music’s current it girls. There is no denying that her ability to blend hyperpop, electro-pop and trashy Y2K dance-pop is a force to be reckoned with. Pairing maximalist, club-ready production with provocative lyrics, distorted synths and a playful, unapologetically raunchy pop-star persona, she serves up a sound that feels like early-2000s pop stardom colliding with underground club culture. The album is now officially getting a counterpart with the upcoming release of wor$t man in america. The latest single, ‘i think he’s got a girl’, is a huge, ballad-like pop-rock song that sits somewhere between Sky Ferreira and Avril Lavigne. Slayyyter explained, “When I made this song it made me feel like a main character going thru some bullshit on the OC season finale or something.” And honestly, we can absolutely hear it. The song has all the drama, heartbreak and cinematic energy of a season finale that leaves you staring at the screen as the credits roll.
After more than a decade of building his name in Los Angeles, AZ Chike stepped into the national spotlight alongside Kendrick Lamar in 2024. Following appearances on Kendrick’s now-legendary ‘peekaboo’ and ScHoolboy Q’s Blue Lips album, the South Central rapper now enters a new chapter with No Rest for The Wicked, a versatile major-label debut balancing West Coast street rap with melodic and introspective moments. Album opener ‘Mercy’ takes on the important role of inviting us into the new era. It does an excellent job of grabbing the listener’s attention from the second it starts playing. The album title is repeatedly chanted before a soulful choir takes us to church, only to pull us right back out and leave us in the West Coast streets with raw rap verses. The opening track is quite the rollercoaster, but somehow this wild ride sets exactly the right tone for what’s to come. We are pleasantly surprised to see JSMN taking on the role of one of the guest appearances on No Rest for The Wicked. We’ve been massive fans of the singer ever since his impressive releases such as ‘Bout It’, ‘Cruel Intentions’ and ‘Talk Is Cheap’. The Albanian-American singer has been exploring a new, more alternative and experimental sound with his own music. Having him make a comeback to the soulful music we know him for is an absolute blast. The romantic ‘Need Your Love’ sees both AZ Chike and JSMN offering their best over a slow-tempo, R&B-leaning production. Tyler, The Creator appears not once but twice on the album. ‘Look Like My Mama’ was released prior to the album and came paired with a cinematic video referencing Napoleon Dynamite, Sinners and Men in Black. The video gives the song exactly what it deserves: a big-budget visual for a big, energetic song. The track is one of the best uptempo rap songs we’ve received in 2026. It’s powerful, fun, exploding with a pleasant aggressiveness and simply feels like an anthem. When hearing ‘Negative’, you can almost envision Kendrick Lamar on the track. Which makes complete sense, as the song was originally meant to appear on Kendrick’s successful album GNX. Eventually, AZ Chike decided to keep the song for himself, as it was a better fit for his own album. He gave the song his own twist but never forgot its origin story. In the first verse, he respectfully name-drops Kendrick: “Bitch, when? Have you ever met a guy, shawty, that didn't sin? Time to pull out the coupes, let me call Ken.” The album perfectly finds a balance between his signature energetic L.A. rap on songs such as ‘Lamb Truck Keys’ and ‘God’s Favorite’, melodic, almost funky and sexy offerings like ‘Packed Up’ and ‘The World Is Ours’, while not shying away from sharing more vulnerable moments dealing with family, grief, relationships and personal struggles on ‘Wonder’ and ‘Rock Bottom’. AZ Chike delivers a statement with perfect timing. He proves he is more than a feature. He is the moment.
After more than a decade away from German stages, Jill Scott finally returned to Berlin, bringing her celebrated To Whom This May Concern live show to Tempodrom as part of her first major European tour in years. Her long-awaited European comeback feels like a celebration in itself. The tour comes after the release of her sixth studio album of the same name earlier this year. We are gearing up for an evening celebrating her legendary discography, throwbacks to her most celebrated songs and, of course, brand new music. Despite the decision to fill the venue with seats, even in the areas that would normally accommodate a standing crowd, the audience had little interest in remaining seated. The moment Jill Scott stepped onto the stage, the entire room rose to welcome the legendary singer. Whatever the reason behind the unusual seating arrangement was, her music had other plans. From that moment on, it kept us on our feet all night long. The singer shares the stage with an impressive big band and a trio of backing vocalists called the Freeman. You’d expect the show to start with a bang, but Jill decides to let just one instrument take the lead and honour of welcoming us to the show: her voice. It’s quite unheard of to kick off a show fully a cappella, letting nothing else fill the room but one powerful voice. The song of choice? ‘Be Great’ sets the tone for the evening. She lets us know she is here not only to celebrate her music, but also to show us that she is one of the greatest in her genre. Perhaps the most powerful tribute to Black excellence comes during ‘Offadaback’, a song built around Jill Scott’s gratitude towards the ancestors and pioneers who paved the way for her. As she sings of the people whose shoulders she stands on, the stage is transformed by a moving compilation of photographs and footage celebrating generations of Black artists, activists and cultural icons. What could have been a simple visual accompaniment instead becomes a deeply emotional reminder that Scott’s own legacy is part of a much larger one. For a woman who has spent more than two decades shaping the sound and language of contemporary R&B, watching her honour those who came before her feels like witnessing one generation pass the torch to another. Another reminder Jill wants to pass on to her fans tonight is where she is from. She unapologetically delivers ‘Norf Side’ in full attitude. The track serves as a hometown anthem filled with rap bars celebrating the energy, resilience and culture of her North Philadelphia roots. On the studio version of the song, she is accompanied by Tierra Whack, but tonight she shows us she is perfectly capable of delivering the same energy all by herself. In between songs, Jill Scott takes the time to speak to her fans. Her charming stories and effortless banter become perfect little interludes, often setting the scene for whatever song is about to follow. It is also a reminder of where it all began. As a spoken-word poet, Scott has always had a natural gift for storytelling, and she knows exactly how to hold an audience with nothing but her words. And then there is her humour. Effortlessly funny and wonderfully expressive, she has the entire room laughing between songs, offering a glimpse of the comedic talent that has also taken her beyond music and into acting. In those moments, the music may have stopped, but Jill Scott is still very much performing. Our absolute highlight of the evening comes when she brings her hit ‘He Loves Me’ to life. Her vocal range shines brightest during the performance, as she takes it to places we didn’t even know were humanly possible. She goes from her highest register to her lowest and makes it all seem easy. The song itself has this beautiful, haunting feeling to it, but witnessing it live is stunningly mesmerizing. The moment Jill decides to point the microphone towards the audience to take on the “la-la-la-la-la-la-la” part of the song lifts it to a whole other level. Hearing each and every fan sing in harmony, what a dream. The show can only come to an end with her biggest hit to date. The moment the first beat of ‘Golden’ is played by her band, the crowd gears up to have one massive dance one last time, celebrating the legend that is Miss Jill Scott. Seeing her perform the song makes it clear that she didn’t make a comeback after more than ten years because she had to. She simply wanted to. She lives and breathes music, and she clearly loves putting on a show filled with spectacle and live music. You know when you leave a live show with the feeling that you’ve just witnessed history? This is exactly how we left feeling after this evening.
After the sudden and sad cancellation of the remaining European leg of her Cruel World tour due to a band member being hospitalised, the show must go on. Even though she might not be performing the songs from her latest album live for now, fans are still in for a treat as the album campaign is far from finished. November 13 will see the release of the deluxe version, including brand new songs. The first taste of the deluxe Cruel World ... So It Ends version comes in the shape of the glossy, disco-inspired ‘Too Cute To Be Lonely’. The fun and flirty song sees Holly playing with a more playful sound while keeping things classy and romantic as always. She sings, “Are you sleeping all alone tonight? Baby, I'm way too cute to be lonely. So when the music and the party die. I think I should be the one that you're holding. Don't leave a girl upset in such a pretty dress.” Hopefully, replacement tour dates will be announced soon so we can enjoy the live version of this one.
Fresh from her intimate performances celebrating 10 years of her debut album For All We Know, Nao got right back into the studio to record new music. Singing reimagined versions of the songs from her debut album inspired her to create new music. Seeing the news, we can only hope that the new releases sound anything like the 2016 album. To this day, the album remains one of our favourite records ever released. The production, songwriting and insane vocal delivery were simply out of this world. The first releases from her upcoming fifth studio album Autumn are ‘Eugene’ and ‘Save The World’. We fell in love with ‘Eugene’. It reminds us of her debut album, but in a more mature, confident and calm way. The song is titled after D’Angelo’s middle name, as the singer has played a huge part in Nao’s musical journey. Of course, we hear his inspiration coming through on the song. It’s a beautiful devotion and ode to the late singer that he would have loved to hear.
Harmonized pop-R&B songs, big vocals and synchronized, highly choreographed dance routines. Soulidified are bringing back the definition of a ’90s boyband. Put Bradley Rittmann, Shade Jenifer, Malik Heard and Landon Boyce in one room and you get the ultimate boyband throwback to the days when they were dominating the charts. The band have freshly signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and are ready for their next chapter. Last week, we were lucky enough to already get a taste of the brand new single ‘Man Ain’t Me’. The live performance cemented it as a certified banger, complete with catchy lyrics and infectious dance moves. Now that the song is out on streaming platforms, we have it on repeat. Speaking of repeat, at the end of the accompanying video the guys tease that their next release is going to be ‘Repeat’. And trust us, this is another one that will convince you why Soulidified are going to be your next obsession.
“Walk by faith, not by sight” is the motto for the day. Lil Nas X makes his long awaited big return to music as he releases the official lead single of his upcoming sophomore album. The phrase was his mother's favorite and that it has been resonating with him increasingly as he moves through life. His mother, Tamikia Hill, sadly passed away in August 2026. Before announcing the song, he posted a video of himself listening to a voicemail she had left him. In the message, she encourages him to keep his head up, not give up and, importantly, to “walk by faith, not by sight.” ‘World’s Greatest!’ marks a special release for the young rapper. It’s by far his most personal song to date. It won’t come as a surprise that Lil Nas X wrote the song completely by himself. It carries a theme of resilience, self-belief and moving forward despite everything that has happened to him recently. He looks back at where he came from and how he is navigating through the complications that come with fame. The video perfectly reflects this idea by connecting his present-day self with his childhood self. We see him rehearsing choreography and then scenes that recreate moments from his younger life. The video ultimately ends with a dedication to his mother, including her voice. Musically he delivers a heartfelt upbeat big pop moment while still having a healthy dose of hip-hop coming through his raps. The production itself and some of the vocal delivery leave us wondering if Outkast had a massive influence on the creation of the song. We love to see Lil Nas X strip back and fully rely on his talent, rather than hiding behind huge stunts and characters (which we equally love of course!).
Let’s start this month with a big breath of fresh air. Meet Bam Rigby, your next favourite indie-rock-infused pop artist. And yes, if you’re wondering why his face feels familiar, he used to release captivating music under the name Kentö. His return to the spotlight comes packed with a new artist name, a new sound and a whole lot of energy. The lead single from his upcoming debut album Sometimes I Forget To Breathe feels authentic and raw. Its nostalgic feel is intentional, thanks to the choice to go as analog as possible while recording the song. ‘Silhouette’ was recorded using live instruments and run through real vintage equipment to capture the indie-rock sound in its full glory. For the final touches, Bam Rigby got Andros Rodriguez to master the track. His impressive catalogue includes work with Justin Timberlake and Florence + The Machine. We already featured the song in our ‘Seven Songs To Add To Your Summer Playlist’ feature. But with the excellent video finally released, we simply had to make sure you take the song with you from summer season into autumn.
Bree Runway is making her big return to the music scene. Her comeback song is an absolute show-stopper. With ‘BAGS OF YEN’, she reminds us all why we fell in love with the British-Ghanaian singer in the first place. Her music has always felt like a British version of Missy Elliott, complete with the stamp of approval from the legendary hitmaker herself, who featured on Bree’s ‘ATM’. Along with the single announcement, she wrote a heartfelt letter on Instagram to her fans, giving some insight into why she has been releasing music inconsistently. The music itself, however, sounds anything but apologetic. It’s another confident, maximalist pop song doing the absolute most. It’s tongue-in-cheek, fun and loud! Her raps are clever as ever and so much fun. This is a very, very pleasant welcome back to Bree Runway!