Crafted during a time of profound personal turmoil, the single speaks out on behalf of self-worth and not seeking validation from external sources. It’s an incredibly relevant topic given the rise of image-based influencers, and SABINA has approached it in a broadly accessible, musically timeless fashion, effectively presenting a classic power-ballad with a stylish twist of modern contemplation.

PopSongwriterSoul Pop

The humble strum of an acoustic guitar, the breathy warmth of an intimate, melodic folk-pop vocal, subtle synths in the distance – Italian artist Alaïs reflects with sophistication and respect, on the highs and lows of learning to love yourself.

Indie PopSongwriter

Sometimes a song just intrigues you enough with its sense of character and unexpected story that you can’t help but grow to love it. French trio WOooodz seem to have mastered that quality here, blending the mildly unremarkable with the outright unpredictably powerful, for an evocative and catchy indie hit with a clear sense of conceptual relevance.

Pop RockSongwriter

Perhaps his first masterpiece, Leaving feels like a structurally knowledgeable yet still intriguingly alternative indie treasure of a track. I’ve mentioned The Eels previously in terms of that vocal rasp and warmth, the joyful twinkle of the instrumentation, but from a songwriting perspective Marshall Gray falls somewhere between the likes of the nineties emo artists and the more edgy realism of bands like Radiohead and REM.

Alt PopFolk PopIndie PopPop RockSongwriter