Built around a smooth groove and effortlessly soulful vocals, ‘heartbeat.‘ balances warmth with emotional tension. While Cherise’s voice remains beautifully controlled throughout, moments of frustration occasionally break through the surface, hinting at the anger beneath the song’s polished exterior. A welcome saxophone adds further richness to the arrangement, while the track’s closing moments showcase a series of stunning high notes that leave a lasting impression long after the song has faded out.

Speaking about the track, Cherise explains: “In such relationships, there’s usually a thin line between love and hate that keeps the emotional cycle going between two people. I wanted to highlight that it’s not often one-sided.”

The post Cherise Michelle blends soul and subtle fury on new single ‘heartbeat.’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Built around a funky bassline, bright guitars and subtle brass flourishes, ‘It’s Not Me. (Don’t Worry, Darling)’ is packed with groove from start to finish. While the lyrics tackle themes of resentment and self-preservation, the song never feels weighed down by them. Instead, Nia channels those emotions into a confident, feel-good anthem, delivering every line with charisma, sass and unmistakable self-assurance. It’s the kind of track that invites you onto the dancefloor while reminding you to put yourself first.

Speaking about the single, Nia says: “There’s frustration in the lyrics, but there’s also humour, confidence, and a sense of release. One thing about me, I’ll write something deep but it’s always from a place of processed emotions and wanting people to leave feeling uplifted rather than stuck in sadness.”

The post Nia Chennai delivers a sassy slice of R&B on ‘It’s Not Me. (Don’t Worry, Darling)’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Built around irresistible grooves and retro-inspired production, ‘Fever Dream’ lives up to its name. Warm 80s synth textures intertwine with Liv East’s tender vocals to create a hazy, hypnotic atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. Sensual and effortlessly smooth, the track drifts along with a confidence that is impossible to resist, while its accompanying visuals perfectly complement the song’s seductive, vintage-inspired aesthetic.

Speaking about the forthcoming album, Liv East says: “This moment feels like the perfect culmination of years of work, years of creating, years of slowly inching closer to myself sonically and artistically. I’ve always found myself slipping between genres, not out of not knowing myself, but out of never feeling the need to be anything other than what I am. So I decided to create my own genre: ‘FUNKSOULSEX.’”

The post Liv East captivates with seductive new single ‘Fever Dream’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Produced by Dani alongside co-producers Vooo and Omari Jazz, ‘Angel’ was created using all live instruments, including vintage Rhodes and modular synthesisers. Embracing Dani’s love and passion for analogue techniques, this creative process pours a timelessness into the record, reminiscent of the Quiet Storm radio format of the 70s which also gained popularity as a subgenre of R&B for its smooth jazz-influenced style. With LA currently experiencing a resurgence of its jazz scene, ‘Angel’ straddles the future of the genre while paying homage to its past.

A psychedelic offering layered with stunning harmonies and retro-futurist synths, the track oozes dreaminess and freneticism in the way real love can feel, when one is truly seen and loved through someone else’s eyes. A reimagination of the traditional love song, it tells the story from the angel’s point of view, exploring the tension between being idealized by a partner and feeling unable to live up to that image.This trippy atmosphere is felt in the accompanying music video, which follows Dani navigating the city in angel form.

Αs Dani explains, “I wrote ‘Angel’ about the terrifying feeling of being loved and being known. I wanted to explore the idea that being loved requires being known, and that when someone really, truly sees you, it can be scary and exciting in equal measure.”

The post Dani Offline spreads her wings on new single ‘Angel’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

There’s a particular kind of learning that only arrives in hindsight. ‘Too Soon’ captures the reality of a ‘situationship’ and the consequences of saying “I love you” before you’ve really reckoned with what it means. Infectious and unflinching in equal measure, the track lands somewhere between a confession and a revelation, wrapped in the kind of production that feels like it was plucked straight from a 2002 Billboard chart.

Produced by Narrm local and mainstay of the jazz-soul scene exploding out of the south, Akey Amy, the track pulses with melodic swagger and a Latin breakdown, nodding to the era of Samantha Mumba and Christina Aguilera.

The post Shewita introduces herself with debut single ‘Too Soon’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Across ‘limerence,’ the young vocalist unpacks the quiet spiral of love, searching for something genuine within the complex spaces of vulnerability and self-doubt. Gliding across sleek, hazy R&B textures, mellow drum breaks, and a rolling bass line cutting through the tension, jite’s warm, sun-kissed vocals feel close and confessional, dripping with melodic intimacy as she explores a universal longing that gradually intensifies the deeper she pleads.

Speaking on the record, jite explains: “This one is for the girls who have a bad habit of deep rumination! I wrote this song about how it feels to question love. You spend so much time with a person and give so much of yourself to them, but can’t help but wonder if it’s genuinely you that they are in love with, or the feeling of just having someone.”

She adds: “I know limerence is such a huge buzzword right now, but the title actually came as an afterthought. I was in the studio with Charlotte Reed (the producer) and as I was preparing to write the second verse and trying to find a word to fit the rhyme scheme, I realized not only that limerence rhymed but also was a word that defined what the whole song was essentially about.”

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An instant classic, ‘The Deal’ is the moment in the upcoming Strange World EP where St. Panther stops dedicating themselves to the fast-moving world for just a moment, to reassess how that might’ve hurt something more tender and closer to home. Accompanying the single, St. Panther releases a mesmerizing and meditative live performance video of ‘The Deal,’ featuring various long-time collaborators including the upcoming EP’s co-producer, McClenney (H.E.R., Khalid, Jamila Woods).

On the new single, St. Panther said: “Now I’m not sure if it’s always right to, but I tend to put music where prolonged silences live. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to say what sometimes only music can, but in this case I wish someone had known me better and wanted to write a song like Dido’s ‘White Flag’ shortly afterward, a song that said – if nothing else – my love was true.”

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The album’s title, Au (the chemical symbol for gold) doesn’t just stand for value; it’s a pledge to stay golden in a world that often tries to dull your shine. Peyton began writing the music about her experiences and relationships as she entered her mid-twenties.

Au features co-production and instrumentation from Om’Mas Keith (Frank Ocean, John Legend, Jay-Z), along with guests Brian Alexander Morgan, Didda Joe and Sunni Colón. It follows her debut PSA, and her past collaborations with Steve Lacy, MadeinTYO and Sango. Peyton recently opened for Macy Gray in Houston and will announce more US shows soon!

We had a chat with Peyton all about the making of Au. Read the Q&A below.

Hi Peyton! How are you? What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?

“Honestly, I am feeling powerful. I start my day by saying a quick prayer, asking God to show me how great life can get, positive self-talk, going to the gym and working my day job, dreaming about traveling everywhere, and plotting on how I can meet Peypals worldwide. On a day I have free, I love to spend time with family and close friends. I do take time to spend alone, because self-reflection and quality time with self is how I learn myself more. Balance is very important for me.”

Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. You have just released your new album Au. Please tell us about the themes you’ve explored on the record, what it means to you and what you hope fans take away from it.

“Au is about self-realization, acceptance of self and the world around me with grace, integrity and finding peace and the humor in what life has to offer. The title comes from the chemical symbol for gold, which felt fitting because this album is about being yourself with acceptance, gratitude, and self-love, which are principles that I believe are golden. The themes move between love, trials w/ lovers and friends, resilience, duality, and healing. It is me processing life over the past few years and sharing the message that emerged from taking a step back and realizing that although my experience is unique to me, but the situations I had faced were things anyone of any age or gender can relate to. I want my listeners to take away that they are already golden, already whole, even through the challenges.”

Please take us through your creative process for Au. Did you do anything different this time around compared with PSA? You worked with producer Shafiq Husayn on the project. What was that experience like and what have you learned from it/him?

“The process for Au was different in that I opened my eyes to freedom in trusting my artistic expression the first time. With PSA, I was very restrictive, overthought the process and because of this, I wasn’t able to capture the heart and essence of who I was. With Au, (with Shafiq’s help) I learned how to go with my gut and let the music write itself. Working with Shafiq Husayn was such a blessing. He has this way of creating environments where you feel safe to be vulnerable and try new things. I learned a lot about patience from him—letting a song breathe, trusting silence, and knowing that sometimes less really is more. He also encouraged me to dig deeper into my voice, not just technically, but emotionally.”

What was your favourite part of making Au? Did you face any challenges? How did you overcome them?

“My favorite part was hearing the songs evolve from small seeds into full compositions. Listening back on the first demos and then the very last master is completely mind blowing and almost hilarious. Just like our lives, with time and genuinity, something special can be born. There were no challenges making this album. The only thing considered is maybe the stubbornness of trusting the process, but I look at that more as a great lesson. I overcame it by leaning on my collaborators, praying, and reminding myself to enjoy the process instead of having doubts.”

Finally, what’s next for you? Do you have any plans for any shows? Are you working on further new music? Anything else you want to share?

“I am definitely planning shows around the release of Au because I cannot wait to share this music live with people. Performing has always been where the music feels most alive. I’m so excited to expand on this world I’ve created and to see how it evolves over time with my listeners. I want to continue building community with my Peypals, especially in my hometown of Houston, and keep expanding the spaces where people can experience my music.”

The post Getting To Know… Peyton appeared first on She Makes Music.

Peyton’s latest track ‘Answers’ was written after a man she connected with revealed he was married. Instead of shaming him, Peyton chose to take the conversation deeper. She asked him: “Are you sure you want to go this route? Because once you do, anything can happen”. She also questions her own position, asking herself “do I even want to be involved in something like this?”

After a period of personal change as she entered her mid-twenties, Peyton began writing about her experiences and relationships from a place of peace. For Au (the chemical symbol for gold) and her new track ‘Answers’, Peyton pledges to stay golden in a world that often tries to dull your shine. “I believe in taking the high road, in being golden.”

The post Peyton looks for ‘Answers’ on new track appeared first on She Makes Music.

Au (the chemical symbol for gold) doesn’t just stand for value; it’s a pledge to stay golden in a world that often tries to dull your shine. As Peyton entered her mid-twenties, she began writing about her experiences and relationships from a place of peace. “I’m not someone who believes in hurting [people] back,” she says. “I believe in taking the high road, in being golden.”

On Au, Peyton navigates betrayal, confusion, and disappointment. Her new track ‘Not Your Girl’ is a reclamation of power in the wake of being gaslit and cheated on, not by dramatizing pain but by calling it plainly: “If I was really your girl, you’d never treat me this way.” The song follows her single “Red Flags” and comes with a video which follows Peyton through Houston with a man she realizes isn’t capable of meeting her standards.

“I used to think I had to beg to be loved,” Peyton says. “Now I know that real love, romantic or not, feels natural and freeing. You don’t have to force it, and you definitely don’t have to shrink for it.” Being honest with yourself may be painful, but it’s also the most liberating thing you can do.

Au features co-production and instrumentation across the record from Om’Mas Keith (Frank Ocean, John Legend, Jay-Z), along with guests including Brian Alexander Morgan, Didda Joe and Sunni Colon. The album follows Peyton’s debut PSA in 2021, and her past collaborations with Steve Lacy, MadeinTYO and Sango. Her music has also featured on the TV shows Insecure, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Generations and Everything is Trash.

Au:

1. Eye Love (feat. Brian Alexander Morgan)
2. Answers
3. Genesis
4. Red Flags
5. I Can’t Stay Away (feat. Didda Joe)
6. New Leaves
7. Hard To Say
8. Love Your Signs
9. Fly High
10. Not Your Girl
11. Get Out Of Your Hair (feat. Sunni Colon)

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