Fantasia gets a little help from her friends (namely Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott), England sends over Laura Mvula to serenade the U.S. and more!
Laura Mvula, Sing to the Moon
Laura Mvula bares her soul from across the pond. Sing to the Moon is a collection of love songs courtesy of the British, classically trained 26-year-old. The project drops digitally today (and physically on May 14). There’s a soulful nasal quality to Mvula’s voice that draws comparison to Amy Winehouse, and from the sound of her music, the emotion she evokes has the potential to impact pop culture just as much as iconic songstresses of the past. Mvula’s songs radiate joy, pain and the highs and lows of love when it’s good, bad and unrequited. Despite her young age, there’s an analog quality to Mvula’s music that’s haunting and ethereal.
Listen to her project here.
Fantasia ft. Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott, “Without Me”
Fantasia is about that life on “Without Me.” The heavy bass line and sinister keyboard chords serve as the backdrop for Fanny’s cautionary tale about what happens to lovers who start acting brand new on her.
Fantasia sings, “What would you be without me?/So what you’re blowing up just a little/Been knowing you a little/Don’t get a finger in the middle/’Cause lil’ n!;;a, you will never be without me” as a warning shot.
Kelly Rowland offers vocal assistance on the track, singing a verse that backs up what Fantasia already said, and then Missy drops the bold rhymes. “Without Me” is a girl-power anthem letting folks know they can do bad all by themselves.
Listen here.
Gary Clark Jr., iTunes Sessions
Our modern day blues/funk man just dropped iTunes Sessions, a compilation of songs recorded live at the iconic Capitol Studios in Hollywood. The digital album features nine live performances, including classic covers like “Ain’t Messin’ Round,” “Oh Pretty Woman” and more. Basically, if you liked Blak and Blu (Clark’s first major studio album from last year), then you can get down with this.
Available on iTunes.
muGz ft. Uness, “Through Your Eyes”
Montreal native muGz is beginning to make noise north of the border, after paving his way on the mixtape and Internet circuit, and it’s starting to trickle down to the US. He was the first rapper from Quebec and one of a handful of Canadian MCs to have his video for “Lonely Girl” premiere on BET’s 106 & Park. Today, the 24-year-old rapper brings us “Through Your Eyes,” the latest single from his 7-track G.O.D. EP, which drops on May 29. It’s a tale about how love can be lost during the pursuit of fame. His lyrics come across as a chapter from his diary. (There goes that storytelling thing again.) Check it out for yourself though, he’s definitely worth adding to your radar.
Watch the video here.
