New Music Super Mega Post!

It’s been a while since us here at Our Muchness Guide got a chance to sit down and write our thoughts on all the new music that has appeared on the scene recently. So today is a New Music Mega Post listen to our favourite songs that have come out in the past three weeks. So without further ado, let’s get right into the music!

For those who prefer to head straight to the playlist, please click here.

Remnants – Afterbliss

The first song on the list is by the band Afterbliss. These guys are insanely talented and hail from three different countries: Romania, Scotland and Ireland. The band formed thanks to a board.ie forum and spent their first 18 months as a band writing and recording demos. At the end of last year they finally made their way to a studio and began recording entire songs! ‘Remnants’ was the first song I heard from the band and honestly I’ve been missing out! So here is your call to give Afterbliss a listen. Afterbliss has truly carved their own style in comparison to the rest of the Irish music scene as, ‘Remnants’ shows a merge of different genre styles paired with catchy guitar moments with infectious lyrics and sound.

Move On From Me – Beth Usher

The debut single by Beth Usher is our next Homegrown Hero on the list! Niamh had the pleasure of becoming an acquaintance of Beth’s thanks to Ruthanne, a fellow Irish singer-songwriter. During the entire lockdown, Beth treated her Instagram followers to covers of some of her favourite songs! Fast Forward to June 25th and Beth released her debut single ‘Move On From Me’. It’s a solid debut from Beth, who’s enchanting vocals capture the story behind the lyrics perfectly! Beth studied Sound Engineering in College and also produces all her own music. We love to see an artist killing it in all aspects of their own music making! We look forward to seeing what Beth does next!

061 – Denise Chaila

Next up on our list is another artist that we are proud to call a Homegrown Hero and by gosh are we proud that this woman is one of our own! Denise Chaila is an artist that you need to listen to as she has truly broken down music genres and boundaries by creating music that can only truly be described as being in the Denise Chaila genre. ‘061’ is her newest single which has us trying to keep up with this talented rapper while bopping around the place. With each release, Denise Chaila has gone from strength to strength with ‘061’ being no different. Definitely one of Niamh’s favourite Irish rap artists who she cannot wait to see live once her health allows her out to a gig! 

Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran

The song we were all waiting for is up next! After a long break, Ed Sheeran is back with ‘Bad Habits’. This song has been incredibly controversial between fans and non fans alike. But we are loving this new sound from an incredible artist! Niamh would also like to point out that no matter how much she adores the song, her dad will always be Ed’s number one fan! ‘Bad Habits’ is such a bop, that you can’t help but dance along to and I cannot wait to dance along to this one live! Also ‘Bad Habits’? Currently my sleeping pattern vs messaging back friends while unaware if I am awake or asleep!

Dream On – Fifi Rong

The artist’s who’s voice is still haunting us since listening to their song for the very first time is Fifi Rong. The Beijing born London based artist will truly blow you away with her insane voices and overall sound. ‘Dream On’ is such an alluring sounding song that wouldn’t sound out of place from a movie soundtrack! Her use of meshing a number of music genres and music influences from different countries has resulted in a mesmerising sound that is truly her own. ‘Dream On’ is inspired by a dreamscape Fifi had which tells the story of a mythical heroine’s desires within her heart. We look forward to seeing what direction Fifi’s music takes from here.

Expensive Sounds For Nice People – Felix Cartal

Next up we have a fantastic album from Canadian DJ and electronic dance music producer; Felix Cartal! The album consists of sixteen songs that are all absolute bops! ‘Expensive Sounds For Nice People’ will have you dancing from start to finish, great for those of us who still cannot make it to a nightclub yet! My personal favourites include ‘Harmony’, ‘Too Late’ and ‘500 Days’. Although there seems to be recurring themes in a number of the songs on the album, each song is unique in terms of their beat and overall sound! One aspect of Felix’s music I love is the fact the lyrics and songs themselves are rather emotional but, the over sound of his music is chill and primarily upbeat.

Summer’s Not Ready (feat. INNA and Timmy Trumpet) – Flo Rida

Flo Rida, INNA and Timmy Trumpet have tried to corner the market on the song of the summer and they succeeded. The song has all the right pieces to make this song one of the play it loud tracks for the summer but maybe not on radio. It’s not exactly PG but that doesn’t make it a bad song. It’ll make you want to dance and it’s easy to pick up the lyrics and sing along. Also, considering how the lyrics describe summer, it definitely suits the season, we can all get some rest when summer ends.

Sober – Gavin James

It has been a hot minute since this homegrown hero released music that was not a collaboration! Ladies and gentlemen: Gavin James is back! ‘Sober’ tells the story of the realization that the person you are in love with doesn’t love you as much as you love them! ‘Sober’ shows Gavin’s incredible voice as the instruments take a back seat when he is singing. It is also one of those voices that once you hear it once you’ll know a Gavin James song a mile away! One thing I love about Gavin is how emotional and brilliant his performance sounds in recordings is how he performs it live! For this reason, we’d highly recommend listening back to Gavin’s live session where he sang ‘Sober’ on TodayFM, it can be found on their website.

Wrecked – Imagine Dragons

The only way to describe Imagine Dragons’ song, ‘Wrecked’, is one laden with grief and loss. ‘Wrecked’ is another preview from the upcoming album Mercury – Act 1 and was co-written by Dan Reynolds after he lost his sister-in-law. The single is a blunt, honest account of the emotions dealt with after a sudden loss and, with so much emphasis placed on the vocals, the lyrics can really convey the emotions captured in this track while it also hints at trying to move forward after such a tough loss.

September – James Arthur

What a beautiful song ‘September’ is. This song is essentially a wish to start living life, family and all, with the love of your life and if it doesn’t scream wedding song at you, I don’t know what will. The song literally takes the listener through the relationship from the beginning and, despite the upsets and setbacks, this is the person that is his endgame in a song that is just so loving and emotional. Arthur himself said that the track is “about being a massive f*ck up but being with the perfect human being who sticks with you.” Can I just say: #Goals

I Want Love – Jessie J

Jessie J has reappeared after 3 years with ‘I Want Love’ which is a kind of blend of gospel, pop and a little rock that asks for the one thing everyone wants: love. There are a lot of different influences that could be included in this track’s sound but what really matters is Jessie’s vocals! My god can she sing! And she shows it on this track. It is such a powerful vocal performance and a great track to dance to, so if this is a sign of the songs to come from Jessie, the future looks very bright.

Remember This – Jonas Brothers

The Jonas Brothers have released a positive, powerhouse anthem on the world for the Tokyo Olympics which also fits perfectly into your road trip playlists. The song is lyrically amazing which is no surprise coming from the Jo Bros and the harmonies in the chorus are really stunning. The song is an ode to the Jonas Brothers’ fans but also to the good times and memories made in life. The Jo Bros always manage to deliver when it comes to new music and ‘Remember This’ is definitely going to be one of their most memorable releases.

Born This Way: The Tenth Anniversary – Lady Gaga

Born This Way is an album celebrating being the very truest form of yourself and, ten years on, it is very much an album of self love and loaded with anthems. This album is still as iconic as it was ten years ago and links up nicely with Gaga’s most recent album, Chromatica. To celebrate the tenth anniversary, Lady Gaga re-released the album with 6 reimagined versions of some of the album’s most iconic tracks by artists like Kylie Minogue, Ben Platt, and Years & Years.

Psycho- Maisie Peters

Has anyone else been listening to ‘Psycho’ by Maisie Peters since it dropped? No, just me? Okay! If you haven’t heard it yet, make sure you give it a listen because, this is the song that you need to turn up and just sing along like nobody’s watching! If you are not familiar with Maisie Peters, she is a twenty-one year old English singer-songwriter. She has insane talent and we are looking forward to hearing her debut album ‘You Signed Up For This’ which is out on August 27th! If ‘Psycho’ is anything to go by, we are in for a real treat when the album drops!

Jordi – Maroon 5

Maroon 5 have titled their seventh studio album after the nickname given to their late manager, Jordan Feldstein, who died in 2017. The album included features from Megan Thee Stallion, H.E.R. and Stevie Nicks and this is the first album from the band since the departure of bassist Mickey Madden. Personally, I feel the album as a whole is neither a serious and political statement nor a light and breezy effort but could use a bit more pop to make it perfect but otherwise it was a solid effort from Maroon 5.

Shockwave – Marshmello

Shockwave has an almost classic Disney-esque opening found at the start of ‘Fairytale’ but it is a return to Marshmello’s classic electronic style. The 12 track album even says hi to the haters as the voiceover in ‘Supernovacane’ dubs Marshmello “the most overrated electronic artist by the way.” The album includes appearances from TroyBoi, Megan Thee Stallion and Juicy J and just proves Marshmello’s versatility as a producer and steps away from the more pop influenced collaborations that Marshmello has been part of recently.

Dumb Love – Mimi Webb

Mimi Webb is back with a new single ‘Dumb Love’ and you all know Niamh is blasting this one at every opportunity around the house and at work! ‘Dumb Love’ is Mimi’s second single of 2021 and is looking well on it’s way to hitting high on the charts following in the successful footsteps of ‘Good Without’. ‘Dumb Love’ tells the love story between her and her current boyfriend. The story itself though is one that many people will be able to relate to with Mimi’s vocals being at the forefront of the song and blending perfectly with the music. Coinciding with the release of ‘Dumb Love,’ Mimi announced her first tour! Tour dates include Dublin, London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. We’ve got our tickets for Dublin which we cannot wait for as the tour has sold out! Mimi is already a rising star and she’s only going to get bigger and better!

Self – Robert Grace ft. Emma Steinbakken

Robert Grace is back with another belter of a song but, this time, he is joined by the talented Emma Steinbakken. Since the moment I heard the sneak peak of ‘Self’ on TikTok, I knew this song was going to be incredibly special and would surpass all of Robert’s previous releases to be crowned my favourite song by him. Is it another song that I feel personally victimized in recent weeks? Yes, yes it is. But, those are honestly the best songs that have come out in recent months. Although Robert Grace is one of our own, another Homegrown hero, Emma Steinbakken is a Norwegian singer that I can’t believe I haven’t heard of her before now! A big shout out to Robert Grace for introducing me to Emma’s incredible voice and talent.

Don’t Ask Me What I’m At – Rowlette

Another Homegrown Artist is next and let me introduce you to Rowlette. Rowlette is a singer, songwriter hailing from county Mayo and when I say I adored her voice from the very first listen to her song ‘December’ with Craig Cooney towards the end of last year, I truly mean it! ‘Don’t Ask Me What I’m At’ is her new release that came out last Friday and I’ve honestly had it on repeat on numerous occasions since! Her voice is stunning, ‘Don’t Ask Me What I’m At’ adds to her repertoire of Indie Pop bops! Our hopes for Rowlette for the remainder of 2021 is that more Irish music listeners find her music! She is one of the Irish Artists we would urge everyone to keep an ear out for! Watch us be front row when Rowlette announces a live gig!

Guess That’s Love – Ryan Mack

Tunnels – SAIV’N

SAIV’N is a new Homegrown Hero and their new release Tunnels is a fusion of folk and electronic that really highlights the internal struggle to see the positives and to escape negativity. Even though the track was written before the pandemic it really has become very appropriate. Honestly, I adore the mellow quality to the track and vocals that is so perfectly complemented by the more electronic aspects of the production. A definite addition to my gaming playlist.

He Loves Me, But… – Sofia Carson

In comparison to her other releases, ‘He Loves Me, But…’ is a chilled out laid back bop that grows on you as you listen but it isn’t any less catchy than previous releases. Carson has stated that the track is for anyone who has ever heard the phrase ‘I love you but…’ This track is about being aware that the other half isn’t all in and being told it’s best for you if the relationship ends. Personally, I’m really enjoying Sofia Carson’s latest releases which seem more personal and emotionally based.

Summon Our Love – TGC

In case you haven’t heard of TGC before, let me introduce this stunning Norwegian/English duo. TGC stands for The Green Children. ‘Summon Our Love’ was the first song I heard from the duo and trust me when I say I am loving their sound! TGC describe their music as being “ethereal music inspired by nature, life and daydreaming”. I haven’t been this excited for this genre of music since Emilie Autumn’s earlier music! ‘Summon Our Love’ has incredibly chill Summer vibes which add to the overall theme of love throughout the song. Keep in ear out for the clever lyric choices in this one paired with the incredible vocals. Their LP ‘Parallels’ dropped today and I am in love with this entire LP. Make sure you take a listen to the entire LP as it is magic and every song is unique and fun to listen to!

Never Ending (On Your Side) [True Love Live] – The Coronas

One band we are missing a lot in the past year is The Coronas. Us here at Our Muchness Guide have seen the guys live at least once a year for the past number of years. June 18th saw The Coronas release ‘Never Ending (On Your Side) [True Love Live]’ and if you haven’t already guessed it is my favourite song from this era of The Coronas music! Until we are back in the same room dancing to ‘Never Ending,’ I’ll just be listening to this whenever I miss live gigs and The Coronas in general. Make sure you give this one a listen and check out one of our joint favourite Homegrown Heroes.

Cloudy Day – Tones and I

Tones and I have released a single that can only be described as uplifting and positive. “Look up into the sky, find the sun on a cloudy day” is just the kind of lyrics to enjoy as the world moves hopefully forward. Tones and I has created a track that is a perfect salute to overcoming the darkest and hardest moments of life and continuing forward positively after overcoming hard times herself in the last year. ‘Cloudy Day’ was the first glimmer of happiness for Tones and I and what a glimmer it is.

If I Could See You Again – Yiruma

One Artist that may surprise many of our readers that is included on our list is Yiruma. Despite never learning to play the piano, Niamh is an avid listener of classical and new classical music with Yiruma being her favourite composer to date. In celebration of 20 years since his debut album, Yiruma is releasing a new album entitled ‘Solo’ where you can find this rendition of ‘If I Could See You Again’. The piece tells the story of what you would tell your younger self if you could go back to the past and meet yourself. It’s one of my favourite pieces by Yiruma and this rerecording is simply magnificent!

The only way to describe Imagine Dragons’ song, ‘Wrecked’, is one laden with grief and loss. ‘Wrecked’ is another preview from the upcoming album Mercury – Act 1 and was co-written by Dan Reynolds after he lost his sister-in-law. The single is a blunt, honest account of the emotions dealt with after a sudden loss and, with so much emphasis placed on the vocals, the lyrics can really convey the emotions captured in this track while it also hints at trying to move forward after such a tough loss.