Dawn Richard has been through just about every possible chapter of the music industry. She competed on the reality TV series Making the Band, became a member of the successful girl group Danity Kane, left to join Diddy and Kalenna Harper in the band Dirty Money, went solo, reunited with two of the original girlband members under the name DK3, before eventually embarking on a solo career once again. What a rollercoaster ride! All those experiences, the highs and the lows, are paying off in her music. Her last two projects were met with widespread critical acclaim, and this October Dawn is set to release her new body of work, creole culture. The album’s second single plays with a reggae-inspired sound thanks to its brilliant use of Sister Nancy’s classic ‘Bam Bam’ sample. It gives ‘enough’ an instantly recognizable hook that feels destined to get stuck in your head. We’ll definitely have this one on repeat over the coming days!
Tyla recently released her sophomore album APOP. After the global success with hits such as ‘CHANEL’ and her collaboration with Zara Larsson on ‘SHE DID IT AGAIN’, it is finally time to experience the full body of work. The album is packed with afrobeats, allowing Tyla to proudly showcase her South African roots and the sounds that shaped her artistry. The title APOP is clearly chosen with intention, as she continues to create her own version of pop music while bringing her culture to a wider audience. Our favorite standout moment takes us somewhere unexpected. ‘RIGHT NOW’ feels like it could have easily found a home on Normani’s debut album DOPAMINE rather than on a Tyla project. Instead of leaning into heavy afrobeats or TikTok-ready dance moments, she switches things up with a more traditional R&B production. This early 2000s-inspired R&B sound allows Tyla to truly shine vocally. Her voice sounds as angelic as ever, and it serves as a kind reminder that we would love to hear a full EP filled with traditional R&B bangers from her.
American rapper Wale is eight studio albums deep into his career and gearing up for body of work number nine. Even though he might not have the biggest chart hits to his name, there is one thing he has always managed to do: get the biggest names to collaborate with him. Throughout his career he has worked with Jazmine Sullivan, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Rihanna. While the numbers might not always back it up, his talent certainly does. On his latest single he reached out to another gifted artist to head into the studio together. None other than neo-soul singer Elmiene delivers his dreamy vocals on ‘Overthink’. The British singer gives the hip-hop track just the right amount of soulful R&B. Together they remind us of the days when rappers and R&B singers regularly joined forces to deliver some of the biggest hits of the 2000s.
The weekend is going strong. Let’s throw some more energy into it! Lance Savali might look like a familiar face to you. He has shared the stage with the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez as one of their dancers on tour. Within the world of dance he is one of the biggest names. Touring the world has now sparked another passion to come to life. Dance moves have made way for beats behind the decks. This is exactly the kind of career switch we love. A few years ago he turned his passion for house music into reality. The DJ and producer is making music for the clubs, and his latest release is no exception. Together with pop superstar Rita Ora, he delivers ‘Higher’, the perfect banger to turn up your weekend!
For some reason, we feel like we’ve been waiting for years for a new Ariana Grande album. We are craving a new body of work in a way that is almost disrespectful to the fact she has been one of Hollywood’s busiest stars in recent years. With the release of eternal sunshine in 2024 and eternal sunshine: brighter days ahead in 2025, it hasn’t actually been that long at all. Especially when you consider her taking on the leading role in the successful Wicked. All we’re trying to say is… we are so ready for petal! The whole album campaign has put all its weight on just one taste. Lead single ‘hate that i made you love me’ managed to claim the top spot in the charts in five countries, including number one debuts in both the US and the UK. A massive achievement when you consider the reviews were mixed upon its release. Some claimed it sounded like a lazy AI-produced Ariana song, while others, like us here at Clean, praised its simplistic, intimate production, vulnerable lyrics and mature songwriting. The opening track ‘kiss me’ does the perfect job of slowly guiding you into the album before exploding into a massive production, only to tone it right back down again to not set any false expectations for the rest of the record. We can imagine it must’ve been hard keeping this one to herself. As Ariana is currently on her tour, she must’ve loved the idea of opening the show with it. It’s quite literally a perfect arena opener. However, what wasn’t meant for now can always happen later. It’s no secret the singer is a massive Imogen Heap fan. She has always praised the artist for taking creative risks with her production. It feels like, on petal, Ariana is more tuned into the freedom of creating unique, electronic sounds inspired by this than ever before. The title track is definitely her boldest one yet. We love how the production finds the perfect balance between staying small and intimate in all the right places before unfolding into huge drums that never overpower Ariana’s sweet, angelic falsetto. Throughout the body of work it becomes clear the hitmaker is not here to once again prove she is a vocal powerhouse. The world already knows she is capable of singing the roof off with those incredible pipes. This time around she keeps things soft and intimate, almost as if she deliberately restrained herself from going big to leave space for the production to truly shine. As much as we love the creative risk, listening to the album from start to finish, we do find ourselves wishing for a little break from the constant falsetto guiding us through the world of petal. When you’re such a gifted vocalist, it wouldn’t have hurt to make use of that beautiful lower register every now and then. There is some sort of unfiltered rage running through the album. It gives you that bittersweet feeling: upbeat tracks that on the surface sound positive and carefree, until the passive-aggressive songwriting starts revealing itself. After all the relationships and heartbreak she has experienced in the public eye, Ariana has plenty to draw from to deliver reflective and mature songwriting. Paired with the excellent production by long-time collaborators Max Martin and Ilya, it makes petal one of her most cohesive and detailed works to date. Near the end of the album we reach a pleasant surprise. Pressing play on ‘bad thing (bunny hop)’ transports us to a place Ariana has never been before. She experiments with an upbeat indie-pop sound that suits her incredibly well. The sound might be new territory for Ariana herself, but it feels familiar to Max Martin’s work with Kelly Clarkson and The Veronicas, to name just a few. We love her in this lane, and it leaves us wanting even more. Ariana Grande once again proves why she remains one of pop music’s biggest stars. petal isn’t here to compete with eternal sunshine or chase another chart record. Instead, it feels like an artist trusting her instincts more than ever before. It’s intimate, beautifully produced and full of creative risks.
Go off, Destin Conrad! The genre blender is fully tuned into his reggae alter ego. The first official taste of his new era came in the shape of ‘Nervous’, an absolute dance floor filler. Bust those confident moves and keep them moving for the follow-up track. ‘I LOVE YOUR BODY’ is here, and it’s nothing short of another banger. This one has us feeling sexy, boosting our confidence and wanting to get flirty in the club. Oh yes, we’re turning the volume all the way up for this one!
We can’t stop praising UK-based artists lately. Something about the creative freedom they approach their music with is really getting us excited. So yes, another day, another shout-out to a Great Britain artist. Rachel Chinouriri is on top of her game. She is unmistakably one of the leading voices in the UK’s new indie-pop generation. With her breakthrough debut album What a Devastating Turn of Events, she had all eyes on her. Honest songwriting exploring themes of grief, depression, body image and self-worth. Despite the heavy topics, the album was full of humor, warmth and catchy melodies. After a successful tour, she made time to get back into the studio to record her upcoming sophomore album. I think I spoke too soon is set to be released on October 16th. The lead single, ‘One song away from crying’, is a huge indie-pop-disco mash-up moment. It sounds fun and light until you start paying attention to the lyrics. Over a glossy, glamorous production she sings, “I’m one song away from crying… One. I’m thinking… I’m one dance away from leaving here without saying goodbye.”
Pop music is in a good place right now. We love seeing the biggest female popstars jumping on each other’s songs and returning the favour whenever the time is right. For years, the media has tried to pit women in the industry against one another. Luckily, the artists themselves are leaving absolutely no room for that narrative anymore. We love seeing them support each other! Robyn joined Zara Larsson on Girls Trip and delivered our favourite moment on the remix album with ‘Puss Puss’. So when the news broke that Zara would be returning the favour by appearing on one of the Sexistential tracks, we were more than ready. Fan favourite ‘Talk To Me’ has now received the official remix treatment, and it exceeds our wildest dreams. The flirty and sexy song tackles communication and intimacy. Its lyrics ask a partner to stay emotionally present through conversation, before playfully nodding to phone sex. Robyn wrote the track during the COVID pandemic, when physical intimacy wasn’t possible for many people. Talking was the way to go. We already know Zara likes talking to her Swedish boy over FaceTime, making her the perfect addition to an already perfect pop song.
Let’s start the week off in a smooth and jazzy way. Today we have new music by Jordan Rakei lined up for you. Last week he not only announced his new album A Safe Place To Be Wild, set to be released on October 10th, but also revealed the accompanying tour, kicking off in early 2027. All this exciting news naturally came paired with new music. The first single from the upcoming album has officially arrived. Jordan is known for playing piano, guitar and bass, while also producing much of his own work. It’s no surprise that most of the credits on ‘Enemies’ belong to the talented artist himself. Once again, he delivers a beautifully smooth piece of music where neo-soul and jazz effortlessly become friends. It’s the kind of song that instantly makes you crave hearing it performed live.
She is one of the UK’s most important names in the dance scene. Nia Archives has helped introduce jungle, the fast-paced dance style born out of the UK’s Black rave scene in the early 1990s, to a whole new generation. Being of Jamaican heritage, reggae and sound-system culture played a huge role in her upbringing. It shines through in her music in the best way possible. To make jungle even more approachable, Nia has the rare talent of blending in all her favorite genres without ever letting them overtake jungle as the heart of her sound. We hear neo-soul, Britpop and alternative rock all influencing her hypnotizing beats. Nia’s latest project couldn’t have been given a more fitting title than Emotional Junglist. Yes, at first listen the music is pure high energy. But listen a little closer and you’ll discover those explosive productions are often paired with vulnerable songwriting. That contrast becomes the thread running throughout the album. Pressing play, we are immediately pulled into Nia’s world with the energetic, almost haunting ‘Feelings Go Numb’. The track repeatedly asks, “What have I done? Because I’m feelin’ so numb. What have I done? Feelings go numb.” It serves as the perfect introduction to everything that follows. Our favourite moments on the album are, without a doubt, when Nia shows off her ability to seamlessly blend jungle with alternative rock. We already got the perfect glimpse of what that sounds like on the single ‘Boys In Blue’. The explosive, full-on, in-your-face production has all the right ingredients to appeal to audiences that normally couldn’t be further apart. This is unmistakably one of our favorite songs of 2026. Other tracks stepping into that alternative rock lane are ‘Around Tha Bend’, ‘Superlust’ and ‘This Could Be…’. Each of them comfortably sits in the same waiting room, ready to be blasted at full volume. The very first collaboration of Nia Archives’ career is an iconic one. After Nia remixed Jorja Smith’s ‘Little Things’, the two became friends. It only makes sense that Jorja is the one joining her for this milestone. Nia explains: “I wanted to make something that had trip-hop vibes like Massive Attack and that also has a jungle element. It’s more of a 5am-at-the-afters feeling than being at the party.” The two prove to be an extraordinary pairing on ‘Get Me Down’. We couldn’t have been happier when we reached our favorite moment on the album. There’s something so compelling about ‘Dance With Me 2nite’. It feels like the answer to one simple question: what would Nia Archives sound like if her only goal was to score a massive commercial hit? The beauty is that she does exactly that without sacrificing a single piece of her identity. That balancing act is exactly why we’re so excited about her. If we ever get married, put this one on our playlist. Jungle is all about high-energy, uplifting beats. Every now and then, though, we need a moment to catch our breath. Nia Archives gives us exactly that throughout the album. It’s during those quieter moments that her gift for emotionally rich songwriting shines the brightest. Together with Sampha she delivers the angelic ‘Tender’. With him as a feature you can hardly go wrong. He gives the song exactly what it needs to reach another level. Other highlights carrying the emotional heart of the album are ‘Train Of Thought’ and ‘Tha Darkest Hour’. Nia Archives has delivered one of the most exciting projects of the year. It sounds unlike anything else being released right now. Having an artist like her introducing a once-underground genre to a wider audience feels genuinely important. But most of all, it is bloody good!
While the comeback itself is long overdue, the announcement she’s bringing with it is way ahead of its time. First things first: the one and only queen of garage music is back! Katy B is one of the UK’s greatest musical treasures. She has huge hits to her name, including ‘On A Mission’, ‘Lights On’ and ‘Crying For No Reason’. Her music has always found that sweet spot between dancing until the sun comes up and getting relationship advice on the dance floor. It’s garage at its very best, where uptempo dubstep beats meet emotional songwriting. For her comeback single, however, we’re keeping things light and summery. Luckily, the last day of summer is still months away. Katy B wasn’t about to wait until September 22nd to release her collaboration with Jax Jones. ‘Last Day of Summer’ is all yours today, making sure you can blast it while the sun is still shining bright. It’s an instant classic from the hitmaker. Hypnotizing dubstep beats are poured over with her compelling voice. Please give a warm welcome back to Katy B!
Victoria Monét is currently touring the world as support for Bruno Mars on his headlining show. We could argue that someone as talented as her, with three Grammys in her pocket — including Best New Artist — should be touring her own headline show. However, we are very happy that she is getting the opportunity to perform on these huge stages around the world and showcase her talent to a wider audience. It is time for the world to open its eyes to her undeniable talent, and this might just be the best way to do it. It has been quite the wait for a new Victoria Monét album, so we were jumping up and down when we finally received a release date. On October 2nd, she will unleash Frequency Of Love into the world. To accompany the announcement, we were treated to new music as well. Kaytranada and D’Mile are the dreamy duo behind ‘Reach Out’, and you already know this is the perfect upbeat R&B jam to blast out loud. As if that was not enough, we also received the song’s beautiful, dance-packed video.
How much can you experiment musically within one song before it turns into complete chaos? Australia’s favorite artist Genesis Owusu seems to know the exact answer to that. His undefeated talent is taking on as many musical influences and genres as he can possibly imagine, throwing them all in the blender and creating a hell of a delicious song out of it. He takes on funky dance-punk, alternative hip-hop, neo-soul and electronic beats. The result? A carefully crafted sound that is uniquely his own. Genesis explains his latest single in his own words: “I wrote this song when I was thinking about apathy. Living in the digital age of misinformation is genuinely brain-frying sometimes. So much global gaslighting, so much to cry and scream about; it’s easier to just flip the switch off and sink into base hedonism to feel human again. But it’s really important to care. You can party too. Care about the rights and freedoms that let you party. Care about all the people around the world who wanna party just like you. Keep fighting, kicking and screaming so the party doesn’t die.” On ‘HUMAN AGAIN’, Genesis Owusu doesn’t have to do it alone. He has a creative partner in singer KYE. Together, the duo translates the chaos into the most beautiful mess you could possibly imagine. This is the true result of a creative mind without boundaries or restrictions.
The BRIT School has been the starting point of many of today’s biggest success stories in music. Artists such as Adele, RAYE and Olivia Dean all studied there before rising to fame. Now, the next superstar is making waves with her beloved music. Rose Gray is already your favorite artist’s favorite artist. The UK singer has been praised by fellow names within the dance-pop world, including JADE, Kesha, Demi Lovato and Slayyyter. On her latest release, rumored to be taken from an upcoming project, she remains firmly in the same world as her debut album Louder, Please. To make sure all eyes stay on Rose, she teamed up with two iconic producers. None other than Mattman & Robin, the duo behind some of the biggest hits by Selena Gomez and KATSEYE, produced her latest single ‘Just Be Bodies’. The producers have truly outdone themselves on this one. It sounds as if your favorite pop song discovered the freedom of the dance floor and decided to melt into it. Combined with Rose Gray’s crystal-clear voice, ‘Just Be Bodies’ is another strong contender to take over your summer.
What was once considered a lack of identity is now celebrated in today’s music industry. Remember the days when you had to be ‘this’ or ‘that’ and were only allowed to fit into one box? This is exactly the issue Tinashe publicly spoke about when her label struggled to figure out how to market her. The hitmaker decided to show them exactly how it’s done by going independent. The rest is history. Gearing up for her upcoming album Popstar, she has just dropped her second single. The infectious track reminds us of Tinashe at her very best. It instantly brings to mind some of our favourites, such as ‘Hopscotch’ and ‘Link Up’. We couldn’t be happier to add another banger to that list. It’s songs like this that remind us pop music can be anything when artists are given the freedom to explore between genres.
Leon Bridges is doing something quite unheard of. Why warm up for an album release with a few singles if you can release your project in three parts? The ‘River’ hitmaker announced his upcoming album Happiness Anytime and, instead of treating us to just one single alongside the announcement, he is spoiling us with four songs at once. This unique way of kicking off a new era makes so much sense that it has us wondering why it is so rarely done. Releasing more than one song at the same time immediately sets the tone for what fans can expect. In this case, the music truly lives up to the album title. Going through the four tracks, we can’t help but lift our spirits. Every single one puts a smile on our face. We open with ‘Light The Way’, a song so full of joy and celebration that it makes you want to grab your neighbours and dance in the street. What follows is the Bob Marley-inspired ‘Tears of Joy’. Leon has always been perfectly capable of drawing inspiration from the decades that came before him. Reggae, however, remained untouched territory. We are so glad he decided to explore the genre. On both ‘Illusion’ and ‘Your Love Is Electric’, he keeps the tempo upbeat and full of life. Naturally, it all comes paired with his undeniably sweet, charming and soulful voice. Music like this just sounds like summertime. Even though the full project is not set to arrive until September 25th, Leon Bridges is making sure summer lasts a little longer. The next four songs will arrive in part two on August 21st, followed by the final four tracks on September 25th, when Happiness Anytime will finally be yours in its full glory.
Love these days is an interesting topic. Sure, you can still bump into your dream partner in the supermarket or find your summer fling on the dancefloor. But the majority of relationships now start digitally. Modern love is all about overthinking text messages, thinking twice about when the right time is to respond is, doomscrolling, and finding that perfect balance between online and real-life relationships. Love on digital is experiencing emotional distance despite being constantly connected. Smartphones made everything so easy to be harder. This is exactly what young rising star Blession explores on his latest EP. The emerging R&B singer, songwriter and producer from Bournemouth, UK is gaining true fans through his beautifully honest music. His alternative R&B sits somewhere between Frank Ocean and Steve Lacey, never afraid to stay raw and real. Don’t expect simple rose-coloured love songs, stay here for his take on reality. The title Those Damn Phones ! gives it away before you even press play. We love hearing Blession’s take on modern love through the eyes of a young singer. Besides his own work, he is also busy writing songs for others. You can currently find him in the Billboard charts with writing credits on ‘Butterflies’ by Isaiah Falls. His unique sound, refreshing songwriting and contemporary take on life and love in the digital age are exactly what the music industry needs right now. If this is just the beginning of his career, so much more is yet to come.
He is a classically trained saxophone player, she is one of the hottest actresses of the moment. Together, they are two multi-talented artists delivering one irresistibly funky pop song. Charlie Jeer is best known for his incredible saxophone skills, but he is now combining them with another instrument he has mastered: his voice. The result is upbeat, groove-filled pop that effortlessly showcases both of his talents. On his latest single, ‘SO GOOD’, he teams up with actress-turned-singer Simone Ashley. Most people will know her from her standout roles in Bridgerton and The Devil Wears Prada 2, but she recently proved she is just as comfortable in the recording studio with her debut EP Songs I Wrote In New York. Bringing these two multi-talented artists together feels like the most natural collaboration imaginable. Now all we need is a full EP of duets.