Consider yourself introduced to Chinese-Indian singer/songwriter insha who shines on her gorgeous debut single ‘she’s watching’ which dropped towards the end of last year. A slow burning slice of bedroom pop, ‘she’s watching’ sees  insha’s sweet and soothing tones glide across the relaxing piano melodies before the instrumentation blossoms into subtle electronics for the track’s climax. Enjoy the single here and keep an eye out for more from this promising artist this year.

London based KG and New Jersey based UNiiQU3 team up on fiery double-single ‘B2B / Black Roses’ released via Jamz Supernova’s Future Bounce label. Opening with ‘B2B’, a rhythmic culmination of sizzling club beats that straddle the sultry stratosphere with UNiiQU3’s infectious vocals, the release is topped off with the spacial atmospherics of ‘Black Roses’, another blistering cut from the two producers. Dive into ‘B2B / Black Roses’ here, they’re a blast from start to finish.

French/Venezuelan composer, singer and pianist La Chica shares an intense and striking new single ‘La Loba’, the title-track from her newly released album. The single  serves as an audio/visual reinterpretation of a Mexican folklore tale of the same name by writer Clarissa Pinkola Estés in her text ‘Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype’. Accompanied by an equally bold and theatrical music video directed by Marion Castéra, the piano-led song tells the story about “recreating life and rekindling a woman’s spirit, fighting against patriarchal forces”. Check out ‘La Loba’ and it’s stunning visual accompaniment here and be sure to give the rest of the album a spin too.

Sydney-based artist Young Franco links up with COLORS alumni and Miami rapper Denzel Curry and Pell on groovy new single ‘Fallin Apart’. Driven by an infectious beat that features a refreshing sample of Steve Monite’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, the track is an instant hit that is only heightened by Curry’s playful delivery and witty wordplay whilst New Orleans bred, Jackson-based Pell rounds out the track with his own sharp verse. Dive into ‘Fallin Apart’ here, it’s an absolute bop from start to finish.

Brooklyn based artist Linda Diaz (who recently won NPR’s 2020 Tiny Desk Contest) and Danish producer/singer Marie Dahlstrom team up with Elijah Fox and Aligo on ‘Good Thing’. A sensational slice of R&B-tinged pop, the track sees all four artists work their magic over a shimmering beat penned by Elijah Fox as Diaz and Dahlstrom’s gorgeous tones blend together wonderfully before Aligo lays down a slick verse of his own. Check out the brilliant collaboration here.

Peruvian label Kebrada unveil their glittering and hypnotic debut compilation titled ‘Discos en 3/Cuartos’ curated by DENGUE DENGUE DENGUE. Featuring a dazzling array of electronic and club cuts by the likes of Siete Catorce, Funeral, DJ Python, Nick León, Lila Tirando A Violeta and more, the ten-track project is one of the most cutting edge and impressive bodies of work you’ll hear this year. Stream ‘Discos en 3/Cuartos’ here, it’s an absolute blast from start to finish.

London based singer-songwriter/producer Ari PenSmith and L.A. based artist Jonah Christian team up for sensational new single ‘City Girl’. Having lent their expertise to tracks by the likes of Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and KAYTRANADA as well as COLORS alumni GoldLink and Mahalia, the pair step into the spotlight with a vibrant and atmospheric cut that blends together 90’s afrobeat, reggae, and dancehall. Dive into the gorgeous track which is out via Soulection here; it’s a blast from start to finish!

Mumbai based producer Dropped Out releases ‘ihatewhenihurtyou’, a gorgeous collaboration with St. Louis, Missouri based singer/songwriter Ramya Pothuri. Opening with soft piano chords and Pothuri’s sweet sounding vocals, the track is taken to new heights as Dropped Out introduces more layers of instrumentation. Before you know it, the song explodes with vibrant electronics that embody a sense of euphoria. Dive into ‘ihatewhenihurtyou’ here, it’s a stunner!

British producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist SG Lewis teams up with Robyn and Channel Tres on club-ready ‘Impact’. Serving as the follow up to ‘Chemicals’ which was released in April, ‘Impact’ sees a scintillating electronic beat dripping with groove provide the perfect backdrop for Channel Tres and Robyn to work their magic. Check out the anthemic single here, it’s a stomper from start to finish.

UK based electronic duo Disclosure teams up with COLORS alumni Fatoumata Diawara on superb new single ‘Douha (Mali Mali)’. Lifted from their forthcoming new album ‘ENERGY’ (the follow up to 2015’s ‘Caracal’), the track encompasses Diawara’s infectious energetic vocals over a spirited club beat that’s sure to get you moving .Check out the tantalising single and its Mahaneela-directed music video here and keep an eye out for ‘ENERGY’ which drops August 28th.

Los Angeles based production duo DJDS (Sam Griesemer and Jerome Potter) team up with Toronto based Tory Lanez and Lagos’ Rema on uplifting new single ‘Simple Things’. Encompassing DJDS’ signature sample-driven instrumentation, the track is heightened further by the charismatic tones of Tory Lanez and Rema who revel about the simple things in life. Check out the brilliant new single and it’s playful lyric video here.

Enigmatic group SAULT follow up 2019’s ‘5’ and ‘7’ albums with another stellar project in the form of ‘UNTITLED (Black Is)’. The empowering and utterly captivating record, which features a collaboration with COLORS alumni Michael Kiwanuka, boasts twenty spellbinding cuts that wonderfully showcase SAULT’s poignant songwriting and vibrant atmospherics. With ‘UNTITLED (Black Is)’, SAULT continues to show why they’re one of the most innovative and exciting acts around in music today.

Nigeria based afrobeats singer Tenny Eddy teams up with Swedish act Mwuana on irresistible new single ‘Komaro’ which is produced by lordofdabeat. Serving as the perfect introduction to the pair’s collaborative endeavors, ‘Komaro’ is a blissfully vibrant and energetic cut that will get you moving from the moment you hit play. Check it out here and keep an eye out for the pair’s forthcoming debut EP which is out later this year.

Cross-disciplinary creative studio Chroma curate and present ‘Source of Nurture’, a music fund-raising compilation album “in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, Undocumented and Immigrant communities, and Essential Workers“. Featuring contributions from the likes of COLORS alumni Kelsey Lu and Charlotte Dos Santos as well as Zsela, Lafawndah, Asmara, Kelela and more, the mixtape encompasses sounds that are as diverse as their creators – but are united in their expression of equality and power.

London-based singer, songwriter and producer Shygirl shares collaboration with Arca in the form of new single ‘unconditional’; the proceeds of which will be donated to Black Lives Matter and Inquest UK. Released as a Bandcamp exclusive, the single encompasses a sparse electronic instrumentation penned by Arca whilst Shygirl’s hypnotic and emotive vocals convey a pain that is currently permeating throughout the globe. Check out the song, which was released in light of the #BlackLivesMatter protests here.

South African artist Yannick Ilunga aka Petite Noir teams up with American producer Kingdom on new double single ‘CoeurWorld’; Noir’s first release since 2018’s ‘La Maison Noir / The Black House’ EP. Kingdom lays down explosive bass heavy beats on ‘Alive’ and ‘Through The Bad Times’ as Ilunga’s rich vocals pierce through the soundscapes as his words empower and console. Check out the project, which is “dedicated to sending love out to the world during these trying times” here.

Global collective Her Songs share ‘If We Try’, a sparkling new R&B cut taken from their forthcoming new EP titled ‘Toronto Vol. 1’. With members dotted around the world (Denmark, England, New Zealand and the USA), the group meet up in different cities to record their music, and as the title to their next project suggests, the forthcoming collection of songs were recorded in Toronto. On ‘If We Try’, we hear London based Emmavie and Marie Dahlstrom lend their delectable harmonized voices over a late-90’s R&B inspired beat.

After seven years, Scottish producer Hudson Mohawke and Canadian artist Lunice make their long-awaited return as TNGHT with the release of their superb new EP ‘II’. Featuring the previously released singles ‘Serpent’, ‘Dollaz’ and most recently the bombastic and utterly intoxicating ‘First Body’, the eight-track EP is an absolute blast. The second half of the project is just as revitalising and charming as the first with the duo’s playful instrumentation impressing on tracks like ‘What_It_Is’ and ‘I’m In A Hole’.

Indian sitarist and artist Anoushka Shankar teams up with French-Cuban sisters Ibeyi on the gentle yet empowering ‘Lovable’. Opening with the heartwarming strums of Shankar’s sitar, the track melts your heart as the trio’s tranquil voices harmonise to perfection before sharp electronics enter the mix. The healing words uttered wonderfully complement the serenity in the production, check out the track here.

Tel Aviv based DORJ and Zurich based Melodiesinfonie team up on their spellbinding collaborative project ‘MUAR’. Featuring the previously released singles ‘Margish’, ‘Shabur’ and ‘Alamaim’, ‘MUAR’ is a collection of eleven songs that is brought to life by groovy guitars, gentle keys and DORJ’s impeccable voice.