There are lots of summery and positive vibes you’ll enjoy in “Rollercoaster” by @OMImusiconline

OMI, “Rollercoaster”

Jamaican singer/songwriter OMI experienced what many performers dream of six years ago.  His song “Cheerleader” was already catching on worldwide, when a remix by German producer Felix Jaehn gave it a huge lift, resulting in not only increased dance club play, but radio play around the world, reaching #1 in most countries.  It was inescapable and followed up by “Hula Hoop”.  Those songs allowed OMI (aka Omar Pasley) to experience additional success around the world with other dance songs and releases with artists like The Vamps, Shaggy, and Bob Sinclar.  “Rollercoaster” (co-written by Canadian singer/songwriter Craig Smart) really would have been best released in the Spring for play all summer long, but we’ll have to enjoy him bringing the heat and positive vibes again, in this song about having a special person drop into your life and be continually amazed how they stick with you through high’s and low’s.  It’s guaranteed to put a big smile on your face and make your body move and groove.  No doubt about it, with its many memorable hooks, OMI has one very cool “Rollercoaster” ride in store for you!

Be sure to put French producer @iamWizzay on your radar with “Jealous” from his new EP “Who I Am?”

WIZZAY, “Jealous”

After getting my attention not long ago with the earworm “Hooked” (featuring Canadian singer Rachel Woznow), 18 year old French electronic dance producer Wizzay is back with an immensely well-rounded 5 song EP called “Who I Am?” for Tipsy Records.  It collects together his three previous singles, including “Hooked”, and adds two new songs.  One of those is the highlight of the EP for me, and that’s “Jealous”.  It’s really strong on melody and creates a beautiful build up in just under the first minute before it busts loose as a progressive-sounding trance-influenced dance track.  It’s also carried by a potent and affecting male vocal that will quickly get under your skin.  The vocalist isn’t credited and I can’t reveal him – let’s just say he is currently represented on my personal chart in one form or another, and has appeared on it several times.  Kudos to Wizzay for a consistently enjoyable EP – I know we’ll be hearing much more from him!

Bitterly called out: “Fucking To Forget” is new from Dutch producer @theLaurentius and US singer/songwriter @TylerShamy

LAURENTIUS and TYLER SHAMY, “Fucking To Forget”

Talk about a bitter call out after a relationship is done!  Many of us have been there – when you thought you had something good, only to find that the other party thinks it’s better with someone else.  Hence “Fucking To Forget” – making yourself feel better that you’ll still be in that person’s mind when they’re, ahem, going at it.  It’s a terrific but blunt song co-written by the artists, Dutch producer Laurentius (aka Lars Beerda), about whom you’ve read in this blog space recently with his work with Victor Perry on “Stay The Night”, and L.A.-based singer/songwriter Tyler Shamy, who is primarily known as a voice artist and has written hundreds of songs for TV and commercial placements.  His vocal is spot-on, and Laurentius adds somewhat of a tropical flavour to the proceedings which makes the bitter pill go down easier.  NSFR (not safe for radio haha), but club DJ’s will enjoy this one.

“Set Me Free” is your ultra-slick end of 2020 Eurohouse anthem by @OliverHeldens and @PartyPupils with vocals by @MAXmusic

OLIVER HELDENS & PARTY PUPILS and MAX, “Set Me Free”

The music business sometimes finds the unlikeliest people making a collaboration that comes out slicker and better than you might expect.  The careers of Oliver Heldens and MAX have been made up of many of such serendipitous events!  Within a year of releasing his own music as a teenager, the Dutch producer’s “Gecko (Overdrive)” (featuring Becky Hill) soared to #1 in the UK.  And that was a liftoff no one could expect – collaborations with the best of the dance music biz followed, along with numerous electronic dance hits and formidable gigs around the world.  MAX’s travels have taken him from modeling and acting, through to being a go-to voice in the dance music world and finding a huge fan base in South Korea (as well as connecting to BTS!), all while making his own music either solo or with his best buddy Ryan in Party Pupils.  So, all of these forces converge to make the heavenly and anthemic “Set Me Free”.  The energetic Party Pupils vibe and MAX’s resilient voice highlight and compliment Oliver’s snazzy production.  “Set Me Free” is one that you will play on repeat and is a great end-of-year anthem through which we can say good riddance to 2020.

Nashville’s @thisisMokita returns acoustically with “sleepwalking” featuring Mike Kinsella of @mybandOwen

MOKITA and MIKE KINSELLA, “sleepwalking”

As you may have read numerous times in this blog over the last few years, Mokita (aka John-Luke Carter) is a singer/songwriter/producer from Nashville who uses songwriting to help figure out things that he has observed or encountered.  His latest single, “sleepwalking”, is an acoustic collaboration with Mike Kinsella of the veteran alt.rock groups American Football and Owen.  While you can hear tinges of country and folk styles in this one, it’s actually well-done acoustic and lyrical pop.  “sleepwalking” is about being on one side of a relationship where you know you are just passing through.  The other party knows it too, but you’re waiting for that person to snap you out of it, which isn’t going to happen, so self-realization invariably must take hold.  Mokita echoes performers like Jackson Browne and The Eagles in his vocal in “sleepwalking”, which helps make what could be a heady subject sound very refreshing.

Meet alt.pop newcomer @Hogerofficial with “Same Mistakes”

HOGER, “Same Mistakes”

Hoger is a new bedroom singer/songwriter/musician who took a lot of learning into his own hands a few years ago, and started self-producing his own music last year.  Concurrently, he has also started his own song publishing company for his own music and that of others.  Although his bio doesn’t say where he’s from, I would gather that it’s England.  His latest single is a grower called “Same Mistakes”.  And it’s a grower because you need to set aside the time to get to know the story of the song.  “Same Mistakes” is about knowing that you keep getting into toxic relationships – and continue letting them happen.  This is applicable to other events in our lives, but those come without the fatal flaw – that you continue to think you’re in love.  Hoger has beautiful quiet tones to his voice, but when the song comes to a head, his tone is sharper and raw.  However it all suits “Same Mistakes” quite well – spend some time with it and you will be rewarded.

“Like Gold” is the alluring new release by @LoudLuxury & @DJFrankWalker with vocal by @StephenPuth

LOUD LUXURY & FRANK WALKER and STEPHEN PUTH, “Like Gold”

I’ve got to admit, I’ve definitely taken a liking to what they called themselves on Instagram as a “new boy band”.  Canadians Loud Luxury collaborate this time with Toronto’s Frank Walker and Puth the younger (Stephen) for a darker deep house release called “Like Gold”.  It’s a welcome change for Andrew and Joe from Loud Luxury after a number of duly successful house tracks like “Body” and “Aftertaste”, and Frank Walker continues with his successes following his concurrently charting release with Steve Aoki called “Imagine”.  After having some of his recent singles remixed for clubs, it’s great to hear Stephen Puth’s voice in the electronic dance setting proper.  It totally suits the alluring, mysterious vibe of “Like Gold”, probably Loud Luxury’s darkest sounding club-oriented song since their cover of “Fill Me In” from a few years back.  “Like Gold” does not disappoint for fans of any of these increasingly accomplished performers.

Canada’s @WeAreFurymusic bring a potent @Synymata remix to “Don’t Know Why” with vocal by @NDanyka

WE ARE FURY and DANYKA NADEAU, “Don’t Know Why” (Synymata remix)

Rising Canadian production duo We Are Fury continue to bring the goods, this time with a remix of “Don’t Know Why”, a track from their recent album Duality which features talented Toronto singer/co-writer Danyka Nadeau.  Milwaukee producer/remixer Synymata takes a very good song on its own and elevates it in a potent future bass remix.  This remix makes the song larger and more emotional at times, separating out the lovely flow of the original into segments punctuated by some formidable synth work.  Future bass and progressive electronica enthusiasts will be completely in their element, and those who have enjoyed We Are Fury’s album will be keen on this one. “Don’t Know Why”, as remixed, will sound great in big venues and could work well in a video game soundtrack too.

Toronto’s @CrashAdamsmusic switches it up with kind and gentle rocker “Delicate”

CRASH ADAMS, “Delicate”

While Toronto duo Crash Adams continue to make buzzworthy moves with fun videos and unpredictable cameos by that red couch in the artwork above throughout the city, they are on their game in terms of great songs too.  “Delicate” is the latest of these, and it trades more good timey fare for a kind and gentle rocker.  For yes, men cry, have feelings, and can be hurt easily – there are those who could also be self-described as “Delicate”.  And chalk this one up for Crash Adams for being able to convey a sensitive message in a positive way in these times when machismo and brawn often call the shots.  Don’t get me wrong – “Delicate” still rocks out as a bouncy, upbeat, tightly played track.  That these guys have been able to mesh everything together into one tidy, enjoyable and meaningful package makes “Delicate” a winner.

More cool new alt.rock from England’s Beware The Bear with @SeanSmithsolo, “We Will Survive”

BEWARE THE BEAR and SEAN SMITH, “We Will Survive”

“We Will Survive” is the title track of the 5 song EP by British alt.rock group Beware The Bear and singer Sean Smith, whom many of you know from this blog from his other wonderful work in a dance/pop setting.  Following the propulsive “Wishing On The Water” (which I wrote about recently, also featured in the EP), “We Will Survive” is much needed encouraging reinforcement in these strange times when it feels like things won’t get any better.  Its catchy “yeah”(x7)  hook and Sean’s vibrant vocal highlight a well-played, refreshing release that will appeal to those who like artists from Harry Styles through to Foster The People.