R. Flex is a Toronto-based queer (they/them) R&B singer who is breaking out more and more with every release in what could be called a new wave of fine local R&B talent. Following their debut EP In & Out is the six song EP Flex With Benefits, and “Too Late” is the opening track. It’s one helluva fusion of contemporary R&B and 90’s house music, an upfront invitation to prospective suitors to “come and get some of my lovin'” before the singer is taken. R. Flex has a familiar tone that reminds me of 70’s disco icon Sylvester, and it’s perfectly in sync with the harmonies of fellow Toronto artists and co-writers Desiire – who has a nice solo showcase with a crisp, defined vocal that doesn’t sound like anyone else – and Tafari Anthony, a 2022 Juno Awards nominee with indelible deeper tones whose songs have been written up in these blog pages in recent past. “Too Late” is one fun R&B jam session that you don’t want to miss, and watch it come to life in the above video.
MRKO is an ambitious electronic dance producer from L.A. who will grab your immediate attention with the striking deep house of “Dark Ocean”. It’s a taut mix featuring an inviting vocal by Sophia Ilys that builds steadily with its haunting melody. What’s lovely about “Dark Ocean” is that MRKO doesn’t overwhelm the song with huge synths and saves them for their own showcase later in the song. As someone who grew up with a myriad of musical influences from James Brown to The Police to Justice to Lane 8, the reference points in “Dark Ocean” have been disguised well, though a nod to 2000’s trance of Armin van Buuren and Above & Beyond could be factored in. “Dark Ocean” is a great introduction to MRKO’s world. You can often find him spinning tunes on Neon Owl Radio on Twitch, and any record label wanting to invest in a surefire hit needs to check out his recent release “Gotta Good Thing”.
Four highly danceable new songs charge on to the new BILLCS Top 30, and one recent one takes over at the top of the chart. The power in great dance music is to make you feel great, react, and even lift you off your behind to get you to spontaneously dance! There’s tons of great dance music that I listen to each week that doesn’t get recognized by music fans outside of its genre, and that’s always a shame. What Top 40 and AC radio play is a pop-inflected generic version of it to liven up regular programming. Dance music radio – mainly in the US – plays a broader mix but it’s hardly what I would call risk-taking. But a major release, like say “High” by The Chainsmokers, is embraced immediately and quickly gets regularly included on station playlists. As I’ve often mentioned, my chart is in its own lane, and I appreciate everyone who follows the blog and chart and checks out all of the songs!
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France’s Mercer gets his second number one with his loving tribute to “Aretha”, which is a song that showcases her vocal abilities without actually singing more than a word or two. It follows his rollicking 2018 #1 “Satisfy” (featuring vocals by Chicago house legend Ron Carroll).
The rest of the Top 4 basically switches positions, with “The Half Moon Comes Up In The Sky” (above) by Frankmusik and “Careless” (below) by Mahalo, Milkwish and Lena Leon, both inching up a notch 3-2 and 4-3 respectively.
Joining the above songs in the Top 5 is the infectious house track “Hold Me Down” by Italy’s Luca + Giam featuring Florida singer/songwriter Sam Merkin, climbing 8-5.
Three songs leap into the Top 10 after being held back a bit previously by some favourites which have begun their descent. Florence & The Machine’s outstanding “My Love” (above) leaps 13-7, becoming their third Top 10 entry. It’s followed by “As It Was” (also above) by Harry Styles, climbing 17-9 and becoming his 5th consecutive Top 10 entry. And the EuroVision entry from Sweden, “Hold Me Closer” (below) by Cornelia Jakobs, soars 19-10 and is the Fastest Riser of the Week. Let’s see what the rest of the world thinks of it on Saturday May 14!
One of the competitors of “Hold Me Closer” in Sweden’s Melodifestivalen contest is right on its heels. “Bluffin'” by Liamoo climbs 20-12. It was my underdog favourite and it came third in the competition.
Damon Sharpe and VIVID find themselves quickly in the middle of the chart with their collaboration “First Time”, moving up 23-15.
Songs in the Future Bass sub-genre occasionally find their way onto the chart, and “Fall Into Me” by NGHTMRE, SLANDER and Dylan Matthew is one of the best of what that sub-genre offers. It climbs 24-17.
As “Oxygen” departs from its #7 peak, Victor Perry’s latest solo single “Punching Bag” (above) is off to a great start, rising 27-20. And my other debut from two weeks ago, “don’t you wanna know” (below) by Syence and Britt Lari, is right behind, moving up 28-21.
The Highest Debut belongs to “The Edge” by Belgian producer NIVIRO and California singer/songwriter Harley Bird, and arrives at an impressive #22. Emotional lyrics + powerful vocal + intense synths and rhythms is always a package that will get attention from me, and “The Edge” has it all down pat.
Next and new at #24 is “Romance With A Memory” by Oliver Sim, who is a vocalist and bassist with British alternative rock favourite The xx. This is a funky, unusual and very Prince-worthy track that you need to hear. Its lyric video is a memorable but odd kettle of fish with some drag queens in bizarre costumes showcasing their dance moves.
Another intense and emotional dance track bows at #26 and it’s “Mind Of Mine” by Danish producer Henrikz featuring British singer/songwriter Danny Dearden. Danny previously charted last year with producer Bobby Harvey and “Tell Me” (#4).
Rounding out the debuts at #27 is “Afterglow” by Swedish dance legend Nicky Romero in collaboration with rising favourite, Israel-born NYC-based GATTUSO, and sung by Massachusetts’ representative on “American Song Contest”, Jared Lee. Nicky previously charted with ROZES on “Where Would We Be” in 2018 (#11), while Jared has been featured twice before, on Midnight Kids’ “Those Were The Days” (#5, 2019) and Autograf’s “Ain’t Deep Enough” (#3, 2020). You can check out Nicky and GATTUSO performing the song at Ultra Music Festival Miami, below.
View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!
Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! You can also follow me on Spotify at the following link: BILLCS Top 30 Songs.
You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features! Links to all stations appear later in this section in blue.
Radio GTA
Listen to The Big 20 from 10pm to Midnight EST on Wednesdays as “The Musicman” James Rogers and I bring you the latest in new songs. The show also repeats on Sunday mornings on Radio GTA at 2:00 AM EST, at 8pm EST on Sundays on Party Dog Radio, and then at 7:00 am EST Fridays on Unique Radio Australia!
On Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6pm EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix” six hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.
Halton Hills Online
“Your Weekend Music Mix” has a second home on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 8pm to Midnight EST! It’s a different mix from Radio GTA’s show, and like that one it is also commercial free, now brought to you by the Appalachian Pub & Eatery in Georgetown, Ontario! “The Big 20” also airs on this station at 6pm EST Saturdays.
I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm EST with my New Music Pick of the Week which debuts every week on “The 3D Variety Show” with “The Musicman” James Rogers, and I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments. A repeat of “The 3D Variety Show” now airs on Wednesdays at 7pm EST on Radio GTA.
My New Music Pick of the Week also now airs on:
Radio GTA Wednesdays at 11:00 pm EST, Saturdays after Midnight EST, and Sundays at 3 am EST
Halton Hills Online Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm EST, and Saturdays at 7pm EST
Mix88.ca‘s “Addictive Energy” show with Hunter Wilbur on Saturdays after 9pm EST
When I last wrote about the always interesting alt.rock indie singer KiNG MALA, it was for her single “Golden Retriever Boy”, a kiss off to certain types of men who have crossed her path the wrong way. Her new single “cult leader” has already amassed considerable attention on TikTok. That’s not surprising considering the impressive video (above) and the singer’s approach to confidence in the song’s lyrics. With the distorted melody and synths against a pounding beat, KiNG MALA compels you to be the “bad bitch” (as in her MALA name) when you want to be. For future consideration, I would love to hear KiNG MALA’s music set against a future bass backdrop. “cult leader” comes close to that in principle, but would need a bigger and more explosive synth arrangement. As is, “cult leader” is instantly memorable with its haunting melody and performance.
If you enjoy your pop music on the lighter, whimsical side on a regular basis or even in small doses, then meet SoCal indie trio Private Island and check out their latest single “Trippin'”. The band says that ““Trippin’, is about [lead singer] Christian’s sewage water leaking into his roommates room, which is directly underneath his own. Walking downstairs to see how he was doing, Christian finds him carefree, sitting at his desk with his shirt off, wearing a moisturizing clay face mask, as if nothing was wrong.” Oh, so you’re listening now? Glad I got your attention. “Trippin'” represents an accessible style of pop that was going out of vogue until big names like Harry Styles tapped back into it. Private Island have been around for a number of years in various incarnations, but this new trio version is tight and has a lot of promie with songs like “Trippin'”.
STEVE VOID and SHARON DOORSON, “Gypsy Woman (La Da Di)”
Through his Strange Fruits Music collective, label owner and electronic dance producer Steve Void nails a remake of Crystal Waters’ classic 90’s pop and dance hit “Gypsy Woman (La Da Di)” – I still have my original 12″ vinyl of it. Undeniably one of my own personal favourites of that era, I was a little hesistant about what to expect. But Steve found the right vocalist with former “The Voice of Holland” contestant Sharon Doorson, who connects well with the same vibe and vocal style of the original. The too brief 2:27 length is less to my liking, but the arrangement is a touch faster than the original, and best of all Steve and team do not mess with a good thing with the song’s overall highly recognizable sound, which should help make “Gypsy Woman” a go-to cover for clubs in the summer of ’22.
As regular readers of this blog know, I’ve been happy to be a frequent listener on the 7 year ride of pop/dance duo Sofi Tukker from the get-go with the Grammy-nominated “Drinkee”. Sofi Tukker recently released their sophomore album WET TENNIS, which follows 2018’s Treehouse, for which they also received a Grammy nomination. The album offers recent singles “Original Sin”, “Sun Came Up” (with John Summit), and “Mon Cheri” (with Amadou & Mariam), which reached #2 on my personal chart late last year. I’ve delved into the album to draw your attention to “Hold”, which is a collaboration with UK-US duo BOII. It’s a stylish, sophisticated dance tune, considerably different from their singles, and even more compelling thanks to downright swoon-worthy vocals by Sophie Hawley-Weld and BOII’s Adam Welsh. “Hold” is a song where you’ll want to cuddle up really close to a special someone, either on the dance floor or somewhere more private. It’s instantly one of my favourite Sofi Tukker songs.
At the end of 2021, Canadian production duo We Are Fury were dabbling with drum ‘n bass sounds in their song “Belong”. Since then, they continue to hone their skills in the future bass sub-genre with a new EP on the way called The Lost and The Damned. Their most recent single “Crown” will be included in that EP. The dark and intriguing song features a lead vocal by new Washington DC-based singer Brassie, with the chorus anchored by the familiar voice of California singer Kyle Reynolds, who you’ve already heard on songs by the likes of Griffyn, Said the Sky, and Two Friends, among others. Brassie’s vocal teases and entices you in, while Kyle sings about the focus of the story in “Crown”. That production and synth work is skilful, creative and playful, which makes “Crown” one of We Are Fury’s best singles to date. Check out the compelling video above – it looks like Joachim and Stuart of We Are Fury got to have the blindfolded roles throughout!
When I wrote about Natalie Shay’s “New Wave” last Fall, she sang of happy new experiences in romance. The versatile singer is back but this time has tackled the other end of the spectrum with a poignant ballad called “Two Sparks”. Yes it’s a breakup song, written about when those ones red hot fires of passion have extinguished, but an exceptionally lyrical one, and thanks to her fine vocal, it’s quite an easy listen. And “Two Sparks” isn’t a song intended to make you sad – it’s written in such a relatable way that you might find yourself singing along instead after a few listens. Fans of Halsey, Haim, and Taylor Swift will enjoy this one, as well as fans who generally appreciate good vocalists.
As fans of the talented singer, songwriter and producer already know, Frankmusik is currently re-recording the songs from his debut 2009 album Complete Me and releasing them as he finishes them. “Confusion Girl” was an unconventional electronic delight of its time and was my introduction to Frankmusik, peaking at #11 on my personal chart. He totally dispenses with the original arrangement and gives the excellent song a new lease on life as “Confusion Girl Completed”, now transformed into an undeniable pop-dance bop. The redux is representative of his best and most infectious songs and should get a whole new bunch of believers as a result. If you loved the original, you’ll love this one too, maybe even more.
BILLCSMUSIC BLOG 