Life doesn’t always go your way. That doesn’t mean the outcome has to be bad. Graham Bright had dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, but a serious injury in 2014 forced him to reconsider his path. As music was always a passion of his, this was the push towards making music more seriously. Good for us, life had different plans for him, otherwise we wouldn’t have had his delicious music to treat our ears. The Maryland-based singer, rapper and producer draws his inspiration from rap, R&B, Afrobeats, pop and gospel. The latter mainly comes through on his latest release, ‘TAKE IT TO TRIAL’. On the song, we hear his pitch-perfect, smooth R&B voice singing over gospel-inspired production. He takes the chance to display each of his talents on the song, delivering some rap bars as well. We have this one on repeat.
Let’s go back in time to June 2021. Joy Crookes released ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’, which served as the lead single from her debut album Skin. The song went on to do a pretty good job, even reaching number 30 in the UK charts. To this day, it remains one of her most successful songs. And it seems that five years later, it is about to reach even greater heights. ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’ recently had a second wind online following the 2026 World Cup, with the song resurfacing everywhere on social media. We completely get why, after all these years, people are still discovering how great this song is. By now, it seems pretty safe to say the song is timeless. To give the song an actual new life, she asked Ravyn Lenae to jump on the official ‘Part 2’ of the song. We couldn’t think of a better duo to sing over the funky and catchy production!
Florida-born Dominic Fike went from uploading bedroom recordings to SoundCloud to landing a multimillion-dollar record deal with Columbia Records after his EP went viral while he was serving jail time. Since his breakout single ‘3 Nights’, he has been releasing hit after hit, quite literally taking the world by storm. You’d almost forget he somehow also found the time to make his acting debut in the hit show Euphoria during its second and third seasons. The young hitmaker has announced that his upcoming third studio album How to Quit Smoking will be released on October 9th. To start things off with a bang, he released the lead single ‘Wallflower’. Dominic is no stranger to recording songs about not fitting in. ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Double Negative (Skeleton Milkshake)’ explored the same theme. This time around, he finds the perfect balance between rock and pop, with some country influences thrown into the mix to give the song an uplifting feeling.
F3miii is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting new acts to emerge this year. We already featured one of his breakthrough moments right here on Clean, as we instantly fell in love with ‘Splinter’. Now he is back with some new music to continue his rise to fame. This time around, he is not alone. He got some of his Irish friends to jump on ‘TAKE A TRIP’. First up, he has the band Bricknasty from Ballymun joining in. As if the three band members weren’t enough, he also asked Dublin-born Irish-Libyan rapper KhakiKid to jump on the song. Together they sing, ‘You got the music, everyone is listening. You got me moving, I can feel it kicking in.’ These words couldn’t be more accurate. It might sound like a messy bunch, but trust us, this is the ultimate Irish dream collaboration. All their genres melt together perfectly, delivering what truly is one of the most exciting collaborations to be released this year.
Is there anyone else who can seamlessly jump from genre to genre without losing their unique identity? No, we don’t think there is anyone else in the game like Destin Conrad. April 2025 saw the release of his official debut album LOVE ON DIGITAL. The album was packed with smooth R&B songs heavily inspired by pop music and the summer season. His follow-up album wHIMSY!, released in April this year, took quite the U-turn and went full jazz. And no, we don’t mean ‘jazz-inspired R&B’, but actual jazz true to its genre. Obviously, we had to take another surprising turn for his third album. ROADRUNNER is reggae, it’s dancehall, it is rebellion. It wouldn’t be a Destin Conrad album if it didn’t completely stay true to what it is claiming to be. Expect a body of work that has clearly studied those who came before him in the genre. By this, we don’t just mean a summer-soaked reggae production and that’s it. It means carefully selected samples, handpicked guest appearances and vocal stunts that match the vibe of the music. Each single that led the way to the full-length album did an excellent job of predicting what ROADRUNNER would sound like. To this day, we can’t stop moving our hips from left to right to ‘NERVOUS’. The track truly relives the days when this genre was dominating the charts with the likes of Sean Paul and Kevin Lyttle. It has the right dose of confidence to boost your own confidence, step onto the dancefloor and dance like no one is watching. Writing this review is hard when every song makes you want to get up out of your desk chair to dance. We fully pressed pause on writing when ‘CHI CHI’ blasted through our speakers. The song instantly resonated thanks to its sample of the 2000 song ‘Chi-Chi Man’ by T.O.K. In Jamaican Patois, ‘chi chi man’ is a slang term for a gay or effeminate man. With this track, Destin is reclaiming the term and turning it into an anthem for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It wouldn’t be the album it’s claiming to be without a sexy song to slow-whine to. Thank God we get the Kwn collaboration ‘DADAMAN’. The track has already been claimed as the fan favorite on the album. It’s sexy, it’s charming, it’s cheeky, it’s fun and, may we say, it is very deserving of receiving a video that interpolates all of this. We know Destin is no stranger to making a slick, hot and sexy video, so hey, we don’t think it’s too much to ask. Is it? Besides the carefully sourced samples, we also receive a full-on cover with ‘TURN ME ON’. To be honest, at first we were a bit scared of this one. Kevin Lyttle’s ‘Turn Me On’ feels like one of those classic hits that should stay untouched. Luckily, Destin right away proves he is more than capable of respecting the original naughty energy while completely making it his own. The tempo slows down a little, making it even sexier than the original. What a way to close down the album. We know we only highlighted a few of the songs throughout this review. But trust us, we could write a whole other review highlighting each and every other song on the project. This album has no skips. Destin Conrad is a gymnast and can jump between genres like a chameleon, without ever losing respect for the genre itself or getting too experimental and straying too far from what makes each sound so special. He is one hell of a talent!
Here at the Clean office, we’ve always been massive Olivia Rodrigo fans. Especially her upbeat songs get played on rotation. Unfortunately, her latest smash-hit album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love mainly had slower songs on it. This doesn’t make it any less deserving of all the success it has reached, but it does make us even more excited to receive a brand new song that gives us exactly what we love about the young singer. This weekend, Olivia Rodrigo is hosting her all-female festival Daisy Chain Fields. Besides the singer herself, artists such as Doechii, Rachel Chinouriri and Santigold will be performing at the charity event, which is dedicated to advancing and advocating for women and girls. Just for the festival, Olivia released her brand new song ‘serena joy’. Inspired by the characters in The Handmaid’s Tale, the song is a fun, upbeat pop-rock moment. Part of the proceeds will go towards the Daisy Chain Fields Fund.
Recently, we discovered UK-based artist Blession. We organically covered his brilliant album Those Damn Phones ! and shared the love. The young singer knows exactly how to translate what it means to be in your twenties in this modern world into music. His talent for writing songs about modern love is exactly what got us into his music in the first place. For his new release, he uncovers new territory. Last week, Blession released ‘Autopilot’. It’s still very much written about what it means to be in your twenties, but this time, minus the modern love part. Instead, he writes about switching to autopilot, drifting through your twenties and trying to figure out who you are. The lyrics are sung over a soft-rock-inspired pop production, paired with R&B thanks to his soulful voice. Blession once again proves he is one of the voices to watch.
This summer there was no escaping the incredible Jorja Smith. It felt like every week we were treated to brand new music by the ‘Little Things’ hitmaker. Whether it was music from her third studio album or features with the likes of Odeal, Nia Archives or Wesley Joseph, there is simply no denying that summer 2026 has her name written all over it. Today finally marks the release of What Are The Odds. With the album, it feels like Jorja is intentionally extending our summer. She wants to keep us on the dancefloor and, if possible, the dancefloor is located at an open-air club in the burning sun. Each lead-up single did an excellent job of setting the tone for the project as a whole. It’s a cohesive body of work that should be enjoyed from start to finish, without any need for skipping or pressing shuffle. We love hearing the UK singer evolve from her previous album falling or flying. It’s as if she took all the positive songs from the album and travelled around with them for the past three years. She seems to be in a better place than ever before. The album carries a sort of freedom and worry-free vibe with it upon first listen. She brings together UK garage, 2-step, funky house, Afro house, grime and other club influences to dominate the record. It’s not all fun and dancing. Jorja addresses the pressures and disillusionment surrounding fame and the music industry on the title track. She’s going for a much more rhythmic, almost rap-like delivery. The lack of a question mark in What Are The Odds feels intentional. Almost as if she is making a statement rather than questioning what she already knows. It matches the overall confidence throughout the album perfectly. We love when the album tackles simple topics such as dancing in the club or generic love games. Not because they are so original, far from it, but simply because of their kind of dry delivery. She somehow never goes all out, neither vocally nor in the production. She always stays composed and keeps it cool throughout each track. It’s songs like the fantastic ‘Dancing’ and ‘When It Gets Like That’ that stand out to us for this exact reason. Jorja is not here to reinvent herself. She is here to show you a good time. She brings together all the elements that her fans have loved since the very start. It has references to ‘On My Mind’ and ‘Be Honest’, and it breathes ‘Little Things’ and the brilliant Shy FX remix of ‘Let Me Down’. It’s an ode to all the positivity she has brought us over the years, packed into one UK club-ready album.
You predominantly know her for making club-ready music. She has jumped on massive remixes for pop stars such as Lady Gaga and Charli xcx. Besides her dance music, she has also dipped her toes into pop herself. She has released music with the likes of Tinashe and Mabel, all taking a step away from huge electronic productions and staying very much radio-friendly for the commercial ear. So when we tell you Shygirl her comeback is unlike anything you’ve heard from her before, we are as surprised as you are. ‘Alyse’ explores the feeling of being in love. Everything feels overwhelming and hectic inside your brain. When you and your partner are far apart, you remind yourself that at the end of the day, you both look at the same stars in the sky. Shygirl packed all these romantic feelings into a chaotic, bassline-heavy track that almost feels like it belongs in an action movie. It sounds massive and explores an exciting new sound for the star. If this is the creative space she is in right now, we can’t wait for the surprises to come.
We are gearing up for Love Spells’ sold-out show this coming Monday in Berlin. Naturally, we’ve been having his debut album LOVE IS THE LAW on repeat to prepare for the concert. The album is packed with romantic songs that explore desire, devotion, obsession, heartbreak and surrender. Each one of them is brought to life with his soft, high-pitched singing tone that is almost reminiscent of Prince and Michael Jackson. The one track we keep coming back to is the second single from the project. ‘Keep It To Yourself’ is pure perfection. It’s soft and hazy, with restrained production, pillowy guitars and shimmering textures. It’s a sensual dream-pop world visited by an otherworldly falsetto. This is going down as one of our top songs of 2026, and we can’t wait to see how Love Spells brings it to life in a live setting.
Tiana Major9 has always had a special way of making R&B feel intimate. Her music doesn’t need huge productions or overcomplicated arrangements to make an impact. Her voice does most of the work. On ‘Heaven’ she once again reminds us why she is one of the most exciting voices within the UK’s R&B scene. There is something so effortless about this one. The production gives her enough space to let that soulful voice float through the song, while the dreamy atmosphere makes the whole thing feel like exactly what the title promises. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to close your eyes, forget about everything around you and simply enjoy the moment.
Natasha Bedingfield is 22 years deep into her career. Even though she hasn’t released music in a long time, she is touring the world thanks to the second life of her 2004 release ‘Unwritten’. The song climbed back into the top 10 in many countries after its appearance in the movie Anyone But You, which was followed by a massive TikTok success. Thanks to this whole new fanbase, she has been booked and busy performing at summer festivals. Her comeback to the stage has been a huge success. Fans have been welcoming her with open arms, singing back every word of her iconic hits. Natasha, however, felt it was also time to sing something new. The result? A catchy pop song that feels as if she never left the industry. ‘Dot Dot Dot’ is exactly the kind of song that would do well in a live setting. After all, Natasha is back on stage and it looks like she has no intention of leaving anytime soon.
The girls are dominating the music industry. No wonder Troye Sivan makes his comeback with an ode to women. Smart move to slowly ease his way back to the charts without stepping on anyone’s toes. All jokes aside, the Australian popstar is more than welcome to make his huge comeback to the spotlight. After his tremendous contribution to pop music with his latest project Something To Give Each Other, we are craving more of him! One of his most successful songs from his latest album was ‘One Of Your Girls’. For the lead single of the upcoming album She’s the Best, we stick around to play a bit more with this sound. Don’t expect huge, electronic-fuelled pop productions on this one. No big, catchy chorus this time around. We keep it small and composed for the comeback single. On ‘She’s the Best’, Troye talk-sings over an almost rock-inspired beat. His lyrical delivery feels dry in the best way possible. Smooth, charming his way through a celebration of womanhood and the power that women have in the face of worldly issues. Both the song and video bring something new to the table in a classy, inspiring way. Welcome back Troye!
Tinashe is on a roll redefining what the definition of a popstar is. She surely portrays some traditional popstar qualities. Her charisma, iconic choreography and flashy, inspiring outfits: she breathes popstar behavior. But when it comes to the music itself, she breaks all the barriers. Today she releases the third flavor of her upcoming studio album Popstar. Not only is she challenging herself musically, she also displays everything she is capable of within one massive tune. It shows who she can be as your DJ, warms up the dance floor for her dance skills and leaves the perfect amount of space for a pop vocal delivery. ‘Melatonin’ might be the least radio-friendly offering from the album so far, but it sure as hell is her most exciting one yet!
‘Handle’ is unmistakably one of our favorite musical moments of 2026. To say the cheerful banger got us excited for Ravyn Lenae’s third studio album would be an understatement. On top of the excitement created by this era itself, we still keep coming back to her 2024 release Bird’s Eye. The album showcased the number of genres she can tackle within one project without ever losing her signature angelic sound, as well as her incredible ability to make the project as a whole sound cohesive. Backed up with this knowledge, we dive into the world that is Blue Island. Our hope to find tracks that could be siblings to ‘Handle’ is answered quickly. We love a tune that starts with an alarm, remember the iconic ‘Headache’ on JADE’s debut album? A massive pop song ringing the alarm from the get-go is always a sign that good things are awaiting. Ravyn’s ‘In & Out’ is no exception to this rule. There is a certain chaos to the song that feels so good. The way the production takes you on a whirlwind into the chorus, with the singer playfully singing up and down, has us all ears. Besides the previously released Dominic Fike collaboration ‘Reputation’, we are treated to one more guest appearance on the album. None other than Doechii jumps on the perfect ‘Babygirl’. The duo is one that just makes sense. Both female performers know exactly who they are and what they can do to empower each other’s strengths. While Ravyn takes the lead, letting the listener float towards the arrival of the ‘Denial Is A River’ hitmaker, the rapper stays calm and composed, perfectly matching her energy. We love how Ravyn tricks us into believing there is a beautiful, peaceful ballad awaiting us near the end of the album. ‘Find It One Day’ starts off as a soft acoustic song, allowing space for the singer to let her voice shine. Don’t be fooled, though. Around the 1:15 mark, a glossy, disco-inspired beat enters the song. Not in an overpowering, upbeat way that would erase her angelic voice, but rather in a way that lets you fly high through the song. Something about this makes us wish we could hear it loud in a dark room with nothing more than a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. On this project, the singer tried to let go of what traditional R&B means to her. “I was raised in R&B, so I’m not rejecting that in any sense… But, in hindsight, I placed a lot of weird expectations and rules on what it had to be.” No more pressure on herself for Blue Island. Instead, she welcomes velvety, ’80s-inspired pop and indie-rock sounds to join the party. She obviously has never been a stranger to experimenting with genres wherever possible, but she yet again gets to show us that the sky is the limit when you have a talented ear for music like Ravyn does. To make sure her statement doesn’t get lost, she takes her sound to its most experimental ever on the closing track of the album. ‘Let Us In’ goes to places we have never heard her go before. An electronic, almost distorted production interrupts her falsetto and pitch-perfect lyrical delivery. It’s a sound that feels unfamiliar to her, but wouldn’t sound out of place on a Dijon album. Hearing this right at the end almost feels as if she is subtly hinting at a new era and sound for a future fourth studio album.
Isaiah Falls has been linking up with a bunch of exciting artists such as Odeal, Big Boi and Joyce Wrice for his latest projects LVRS PARADISE and the recently released LVRS PARADISE (SIDE B). The collaboration that excites us the most must be with UK singer Mahalia. His trademark smooth, intimate and distinctly Southern R&B melts perfectly together with her soulful, conversational British delivery. ‘HONEYBUTTER’ has that late-night, cruising-around feeling, but there’s more warmth and romanticism to it than the stereotypical “toxic R&B” template. The track almost leans into a jazzy vibe, making it the perfect love song. And the chemistry between the two singers sparkles through every melody in the production.
The gay anthem of the year finally gets its well-deserved single treatment. Jessie Ware’s ‘Sauna’ is having a full moment. Besides being sent to radio, it has received remixes from Horse Meat Disco as well as an extended version. For the remix she even flew over to Berlin Pride to perform the song live at the, you already guessed it, Horse Meat Disco party. The live performance was proof of what we already knew: this song needs to live in the queer clubs. A single treatment obviously needs to come paired with a strong visual. In the video Jessie enters an elevator and lets the temperatures rise to sauna heat. She’s joined by beautiful dancers, iconic models and her gorgeous husband, wearing nothing more than a towel. She knows how to deliver the moment!
She is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, home to artists such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Doechii. The record label is known for signing some of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B. Alemeda, however, is carving out her own lane amongst her colleagues. She is challenging the assumption that Black female artists should automatically be placed in R&B or soul categories. Instead, she is proving to be TDE’s unlikely rock star. Her latest offering is the beautiful and sweet ‘The World Keeps Spinning’. On the pop-rock song she invites her friend Fousheé to come together and deliver one of our favorite collaborations of the year so far. The two genre benders keep the production easy-going, leaving space for their pitch-perfect voices to really shine. Alemeda cites Paramore, Avril Lavigne and Beabadoobee among her influences, and you can hear those inspirations shine through on this one.