Nikol Star has a sound that feels relevant to today’s world of hip hop and RnB crossovers, but it’s also a sound and style that could well build up a collection of songs easily recognisable as unique and loaded with specific personality. You know the tone once you’ve heard it, and that makes a big difference.
USA
Exazter makes a name for himself within a few short minutes as this single kicks into gear. When Bullseye drops in, the ride sets off in a fast and furious manner.
Leading with crisp and clean, professional production, the track flawlessly balances soulful vocals and effective melodies with the pure energy and vibrancy of a dance backdrop.
What begins as a dream, leads through these high-energy moments of never giving up, to ultimately end up at a stage in which it’s no longer a dream but a reality. It’s inspiring, everything from the title to the bounce of the hook to the very concept running throughout.
“Follow your heart and instinct. Master your instrument and hone the craft of songwriting. Play live as much as possible. Accept that failure, many times over, is an inevitable event on the path to success. Solve problems rather than savor them.”
Fusing the thick fuzz of distorted EDM with a somewhat more dreamlike, softly synth-soaked ambient top layer, Overkill progresses through its various stages with absolute power and confidence.
Despite the personal nature of the story-line – there’s plenty to connect with; it feels perfectly designed to motivate and energize, to remind any listener that things can and will happen if you keep looking ahead and keep working towards it.
There’s a certain quality that occasionally emerges in a rock vocal where the artist genuinely and thoroughly submits to the performance – bidding farewell to concerns or audience reception, diving head-first into the moment and letting it guide the sound of their voice with whatever levels of passion and intensity the song in hand draws from them. This was the first thing to strike me about the sound of The Infection.
“City of God is my favorite movie, I feel like I related to a couple of the characters coming from the background I’m from. When I heard that beat, it gave me that dark story-telling feel.”
Better Than You speaks on moving forwards and not looking back. There’s a sense of accomplishment in the lyrics and indeed in Angelle’s delivery of them. That vocal has believable swagger about it, meandering effortlessly through these notes but also hitting with impact rather than simply and softly whispering the ideas.
To hear this fusion of influences is massively refreshing right now. Louie Lahana is undoubtedly talented, freely creative, provocatively thoughtful, and immensely interesting.
The flow during the verses never fails to impress, the rhythm of that outpouring is on point at every step, and the lyrics that come with it seek to equally represent the go your own way aura that is the intention of the track.