In a month in which I celebrated my 25th birthday, Bastille’s line from their newest tune survivin’ summed up perfectly not just the month, but the year so far. As COVID-19 continues to be an obstacle in everyone’s lives, having a quieter birthday with just those in my ‘bubble’ was strange and different to say the least. I still had a lovely day and have a lot to be grateful for, but it does feel like we’re all living in limbo a little bit, right? Bastille are all about apocalyptic metaphors and imagery, but in their new track they keep it simple – ‘What can I say? I’m survivin’’. Hit the nail on the head.
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Sam Smith – Diamonds
In preparation for their long-awaited third LP that dropped at the very very end of October, Sam Smith released the banging track Diamonds at the end of last month. Smith’s vocals on here are as velvety and effortless as ever, with club-like elements which allows Sam to do what they do best – a fusion of heartbreak and dancing! To me, Diamonds reminds us all that they are very much still on the pop music map, and we should expect big things from their new album Love Goes, out now.
Miley Cyrus – Heart Of Glass
Perhaps an obvious choice for the month, but I couldn’t not put Miley Cyrus’ incredible cover of Goldie’s Heart Of Glass in this month’s list. After performing it for the iHeartRadio Music Festival, by popular demand it was released officially, and it’s impressive to hear how much Miley’s voice, attitude and musical style has developed and matured since she first came onto the scene as Hannah Montana. Her new album Plastic Hearts is dropping next month, featuring a host of new tracks, covers and collaborations. Get ready, she is coming.
Sea Girls – Moving On
I last reviewed Sea Girls in May, before their debut LP Open Up Your Head had been released to the world. After dropping in August and grabbing the Number 3 spot in the UK Albums Chart, I’ve finally got round to listening properly, and am particularly fond of this month’s add, Moving On, the final track on the album. The song is about what the name suggests, moving on from a relationship, moving on in life, and allowing that to propel you into what you do next. The final line on the whole album is ‘Do you wanna get started?’ showing that Sea Girls really are just beginning.
LARWOOD & KOH – Prodigal Son
Back in April, I discussed LARWOOD & KOH’s debut track Wrong, while they continued developing and producing their first EP. Well the EP (entitled Score) is available everywhere now, and this month I shine a spotlight on my favourite track from the record, Prodigal Son. The song feels like something fresh, new and exciting; it blends together so many different elements of genres and styles, tied up with an incredibly catchy hook, and the result is LARWOOD & KOH – a brand full of mainstream potential as they continue to create. Stream Score now! (photo Harry Elletson)
Ruel – Painkiller
Aged just eighteen, Ruel is potentially the youngest addition to my playlists to date, with his track Painkiller. Despite his age, his accolades and accomplishments are already impressive, as not only has he toured with Khalid and had a top five EP in Australia, he also became the youngest ever Breakthrough Artist at the ARIA Awards in 2018. But is all this deserving? My answer is yes: he certainly has a unique voice and style, one that feels like it would compliment the other huge male artists around at the moment. At the end of the month he dropped a new EP Bright Lights, Red Eyes, so if like the sound of Ruel, there’s plenty of his new music to discover now.
*Special Mention – Lana Del Rey*
This month Lana Del Rey featured twice in my playlist. After purchasing her multi-platinum album Born To Die on vinyl, an album I used to replay countless times growing up, the closing track on the standard edition This Is What Makes Us Girls makes it in to October as a nice dash of nostalgia. She also teamed up on the remix of American singer-songwriter Matt Maeson’s 2018 song Hallucinogenics, which dropped at the end of last month. This is one of my favourites in the playlist, starting as what seems like an easy-going romantic duet, but evolving into a powerful anthemic tour-de-force.
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