Why artists are looking beyond streaming to get their music heard
Musicians have struggled over the past couple of decades, first with rampant piracy in the early MP3 and file-sharing era around the turn of the millennium, then with the shift to subscription-based streaming services, which brought concerns about per-play payouts and discoverability.
In this context, it’s not difficult to appreciate why artists are incentivized to turn their attention to other mediums as a means of getting their music heard and building an audience that can make this a viable career as opposed to just a passion.
Music analysis: Jhené Aiko denies new song is about Big Sean amid fan speculation
Jhené Aiko has shut down rumours that a song on her new album takes aim at ex partner Big Sean, after fans online connected the lyrics to their decade long relationship.
Aiko released her fourth studio album, “Westside Whimsy”, on Friday, September 11, through Def Jam Recordings.
It is her first full length project in six years, following 2020’s “Chilombo”, writes Music News Blitz’s Likhanye Lolo.
The 20 track album features Kendrick Lamar, marking a reunion between the two artists after more than a decade, alongside Ab Soul, Larry June, Tyga and OHMA.
Music analysis: Why Miley Cyrus dropped her surname before her new album
Miley Cyrus has stepped into a new era, this time going simply by “Miley,” writes Music News Blitz’s Likhanye Lolo.
The star has not explained the change herself, although its timing has prompted speculation.
In late August, Miley removed “Cyrus” from her Instagram, website and branding, appearing simply as “Miley” across her platforms.
Music analysis: Taylor Swift explains the double meaning behind ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’
Taylor Swift has opened up about the meaning behind “I Knew It, I Knew You”, revealing how the Toy Story 5 track tells two stories at once.
The nostalgic country song was written from the perspective of Jessie, the beloved cowgirl from the Pixar franchise.
However, its lyrics are also intended to remind listeners of childhood friendships, young love and the people who can still feel familiar after years apart, writes Music News Blitz’s Anna Ferraz.
Music analysis: Cleo Sol releases new album ‘Gentlewoman’
Cleo Sol’s Gentlewoman brings together 15 tracks of soul, difficult family conversations, love, faith and knowing when to put yourself first.
Why Taking Time Away From Music Doesn't Have to Mean the End of an Artist's Career
There’s a misconception that being a musician is somehow an easy career path to walk, at least compared with people working normal 9-to-5 jobs.
The idea is that you’re able to swan around in the day, play a gig in the evening, and maybe spend some time jamming and coming up with new song ideas, or sleeping on the tour bus while someone else does all the legwork.
The reality is, of course, the polar opposite, and musicians at every point on the spectrum from local unsigned bands to global superstars have seriously packed schedules and a lot of hard graft to get done each day.
Music analysis: An artist to watch - Portraits of Tracy
This Louisiana-raised singer-songwriter released their newest project, an EP called ‘Q: From Where Do Our Primal Instincts Originate From? A: MTV!’ at the end of July.
It is a project that defies genres and demonstrates that you can't predict what she will release, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
Music analysis: Natanya - A feline’s rise to stardom
To make noise in the oversaturated music industry, an artist has to bring something unique and fresh to the table.
One artist who has demonstrated this is Natanya, a singer-songwriter from London who is defining a new pop sound, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
Karol G holds nothing back on new album with Drake and Bruno Mars
Karol G has spent years filling stadiums with songs that get everyone dancing. On her new album, she is showing a more personal side of herself.
Released on Friday, August 7, No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto is the Colombian superstar's 14-track sixth studio album.
The album features artists such as Drake, Bruno Mars, Judeline, Rusowsky and Cigarettes After Sex frontman Greg Gonzalez.
Translated to ‘I Don't Regret Feeling So Much,’ the album stretches Karol G's sound across emotional ballads, dreamy pop, reggaeton, electronic music and Afrobeats.
There is still plenty to dance to, but this time the party comes with tears, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
The King of Soul: Sam Cooke’s Granddaughters are carrying on his legacy with their upcoming debut album ‘The Womack Sisters’
Los Angeles-based Soul and R&B trio, The Womack Sisters release their debut album on Friday, August 14, writes Music News Blitz’s Gabrielle Wilkinson.
The sisters, Zeimani, Kucha and BG Womack, are set to breathe soul back into the 21st century with old-school melodies interwoven with a fast-paced modern twist in their self-titled debut album, The Womack Sisters.
Their single, “If I Let You,” has already set the debut up for success, with the track going viral online, earning praise from high-profile musicians such as Pharrell Williams and SZA.
Album review - Therapy at the Club by Flo
In this current era of nostalgia-baiting and revivals of the past, when looking among the crowd, Flo have perfected the method of keeping it current and modern.
On August 7, they released their long-awaited sophomore album, THERAPY AT THE CLUB, to much praise and showcased their evolution, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
Album review - ‘Blue Island’ by Ravyn Lenae
On August 7, Ravyn Lenae released her third album, Blue Island, named after a small town in Illinois just south of Chicago, her hometown.
The 14-track album demonstrates Lenae’s versatility and rejection of fitting in the box that Black women are expected to fit in, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
Music analysis: The summer concept in K-pop - ‘Velvet Summer’ by Red Velvet
Seasonal concepts have always been huge in K-pop, with it formally beginning in 1999 with SM Entertainment releasing ‘Christmas in SMTown.’
This led agencies to create holiday compilation albums with their signed artists until the shift in the next millennium, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
Music analysis: The rise of AI in music - Artistic repression or innovation?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is radically reshaping the music industry, testing the traditional conventions of music production, composition, and the listening experience, writes Music News Blitz’s Emily Hodson.
Artists are faced with a trade-off between human-led processes of writing lyrics, recording and editing and a technological, highly productive alternative.
However, musicians such as SZA are calling for other artists to boycott the use of AI, raising questions as to whether it should be welcomed as an opportunity for evolution or feared as a threat to creativity.
Music analysis - An African Pop princess, utilising the revival of the 00s - ‘A*POP’- Tyla
Tyla, an artist who has proven her success as a global sensation, released her highly anticipated sophomore album, A*POP.
The album utilises a blend of Pop, Rnb and South African music to create the unique sound she is famed for, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
Music analysis: Dark Pop reimagined - ‘Petal’ by Ariana Grande
On July 31, Ariana Grande released her anticipated album, Petal, to the public, with many fans awaiting her return to popstardom after Wicked: For Good, writes Music News Blitz’s Brianna Ngambi.
This era began with the release of ‘hate that i made you love me’ in June, which has become one of my favourite singles she has ever dropped.
It encompasses what I believe Grande wanted to explore in this album, the realm of Dark Pop.
This feels like her way of addressing how she is learning to heal and stay resilient while experiencing the pressure of being a global sensation, as there is a melancholic tone in this album.
To me, this is what makes the album feel authentic and gives us the truth of being under the spotlight.
Music news: Gracie Abrams confronts herself on “Daughter From Hell”
Every Gracie Abrams album has searched for answers. On Daughter From Hell, the questions finally turn inward, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Across 16 tracks, Abrams shifts her focus from failed relationships to the person left standing after they end.
Family, self-reflection and the uncertainty of adulthood take centre stage, making Daughter From Hell her most introspective work yet.
Music analysis: Panchiko's mystery that made millions listen
Imagine burning a few CDs with your friends as teenagers, handing them out to people around Nottingham, getting rejected by record labels, and quietly moving on with life.
And then, twenty years later, strangers on the internet track you down because one of those CDs has become one of the biggest mysteries in online music history.
It sounds like the plot of a film, but for British indie band Panchiko, it became reality, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Music analysis: The soundtrack behind Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and why it was outstanding
Collaborating with Nolan for a third film after Tenet (2020) and Oppenheimer (2023), Ludwig Göransson was tasked with creating the score for the Greek epic The Odyssey, writes Music News Blitz's Gabriel Mills.
Based on the 3,000-year-old tale by Homer, Christopher Nolan adapted it for the big screen in the distinctly captivating and surreal way that only he can.
Music analysis: Inside the world of Japan’s genre-blurring duo Ziproom
Sometimes you don’t need to understand the language of a song to catch your attention when the flow and vibes are just right, writes Music News Blitz’s Victoria Bruwer.
Kobe-based hip-hop duo, Ziproom, has quietly built a devoted following by making music that feels more like an atmosphere than a performance.