Tunes I'm currently loving // 2021 // Volume 7

1. Watergate - Maid Of Orleans (The Battle II)
2. DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ feat Delilah Brao, Luke Markinson & Anyelisax - Try Not To Be Afraid
3. Avi + Nat - Lost In Paradise
4. Clara Rubensson - Love In Siberia
5. Steps - Take Me For A Ride
6. MØ - Kindness
7. Maisie Peters - Psycho
8. Pink Pantheress - Just For Me
9. Anne-Marie & Little Mix - Kiss My (Uh Oh)
10. The Kiffness - Numnum Cat
11. Anne-Marie - Better Not Together
12. Camila Cabello - Don't Go Yet
13. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
14. Vanilla Ninja - No Regrets
15. CHVRCHES - Good Girls
16. Martin & Eric feat Thelma - Colours
17. Billie Eilish - Your Power
18. Sofia Monroy - Sweet Temptation
19. Sirusho feat RedOne - Let It Out
20. Shakira - Don't Wait Up

Tunes I'm currently loving // 2021 // Volume 6

1. thisisNAMASTE - I Like Your Face
2. Te quiero Euridice - Un Segreto Tra Di Noi
3. Jo O'Meara - On The Surface
4. Wolf Alice - How Can I Make It OK?
5. beabadoobee - Animal Noises
6. easy life - music to walk home to
7. Tatiana Grindenko - COME IN / II. MOVEMENT
8. CHVRCHES feat Robert Smith - How Not To Drown
9. Becky Hill & David Guetta - Remember
10. Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits
11. Nora En Pure - Aquatic
12. Zupermaria - Dans Med Mig
13. Annie feat Jake Shears - Neon Lights
14. IDER - Bored
15. Janie Bay - Sweef
16. Vanilla Ninja - Gotta Get It Right
17. Mabel - Let Them Know
18. Emma feat Loredana Bertè - Che Sogno Incredibile
19. Anna Bettz & Eiffel 65 - Black And White
20. Gigi D'Agostino & Luca Noise - The Love Do Do (Lento Violento & Astro Musico Mix)

Tunes I'm currently loving // 2021 // Volume 5

1. Self Esteem - I Do This All The Time
2. Hooverphonic - The Wrong Place
3. Delta Goodrem - Everyone's Famous
4. dodie - When
5. Måneskin - Zitti E Buoni
6. Delta Goodrem - Play
7. Giordana Angi feat Loredana Bertè - Tuttapposto
8. Bad Boy Chiller Crew - Don't You Worry About Me
9. Gina G - Higher Than Love
10. Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u
11. Self Esteem - Monster
12. dodie - Sorry
13. Galantis, David Guetta & Little Mix - Heartbreak Anthem
14. Måneskin - I Wanna Be Your Slave
15. Hooverphonic - Hidden Stories
16. Agnes - 24 Hours
17. girl in red - I'll Call You Mine
18. P!nk - All I Know So Far
19. Electric Youth - Modern Fears (Pilotpriest Come True Version)
20. The Eves - Brand New Day

Tunes I'm currently loving // 2021 // Volume 4

1. Leonie Meijer - Take Me Back To Forgiveness
2. Delta Goodrem - All Of My Friends
3. Alba August - Killing Time
4. Miss Li - The Manual
5. Texas - Mr Haze
6. Ashe & FINNEAS - Till Forever Falls Apart
7. Dornrosen - Rehgehegesong
8. Jessie Ware - Please
9. Marta Sango - ¿Qué Más Quieres De Mí?
10. PIMLICO - Revolve
11. Pamela Myburgh - In The Words (Of Satan) Part 2
12. Montaigne - Technicolour
13. dodie - I Kissed Someone (It Wasn't You)
14. The Prototypes feat LOWES - Reason
15. Senhit feat Flo Rida - Adrenalina
16. York - Everything Changes
17. Olivia Rodrigo - deja vu
18. Smith & Burrows - Buccaneer Rum Jum
19. Years & Years - Starstruck
20. Naive Super - Nothing But Moon Love

Tunes I'm currently loving // 2021 // Volume 3

1. ishi vu - This Is Your Life
2. Hello Saferide - Anna
3. ASHS - Don't Call Me
4. Tusse - Voices
5. Destiny - Je Me Casse
6. James Newman - Embers
7. Maite Kelly - Von Mal Zu Mal
8. Daði Freyr - 10 Years
9. Carrie Underwood feat CeCe Winans - Great Is Thy Faithfulness
10. Delta Goodrem - Billionaire
11. Mette - Petrified
12. Loreen - Sötvattentårar
13. june - Something To Lose
14. Lana Del Rey - Dark But Just A Game
15. Sheppard - Animals
16. Molly Burman - Fool Me With Flattery
17. Ella Henderson & Tom Grennan - Let's Go Home Together
18. Danny Saucedo - Dandi Dansa
19. Arvingarna - Tänker Inte Alls Gå Hem
20. Jeangu Macrooy - Birth Of A New Age

Review: Sasha Jay - Reflect (EP)

Just over a year ago, Brighton-based singer-songwriter Sasha Jay released her debut EP, 'Learning By Experience'. She follows that release with another four-track EP, 'Reflect', which lives up to its title by finding Sasha in a reflective mood and really showing the progression she has made in the last year, both in terms of her personal growth and musically. The production and musical experimentation here shows a step up from Sasha's debut EP, introducing more instrumentation, exploring new genres and pursuing a more contemporary yet often mellower sound.

Lyrically Sasha is as strong as ever here, her words being her biggest strong point as an artist as she tells personal stories from the heart, in her unique but always thought-provoking and emotionally-charged way.

The EP kicks off with 'Where Did You Go?', an analytical tale that sees Sasha look at her past and to her family to better understand her present and "where things went all so wrong". Musically the song builds as it goes along while the backing vocals elevate Sasha's heartfelt lead vocal on the chorus.

Next up is a darker track, 'Alone', which draws on a particularly difficult personal experience. You can hear Sasha's anger on this song, particularly on the rapped verses and bridge which are accompanied by almost early Linkin Park style nu-metal piano chords, drums and backing synths.

Sasha sounds moments away from launching into Evanescence style belting here but keeps things restrained as she continues to detail her deepest thoughts: "take away all the bad, make me strong again, I can't carry on this way anymore". This is a powerful song and perhaps also the one with the most commercial potential, to the point you can imagine hearing crowds singing it at a festival.

Released as a single in October, 'Let Go' is the third track on this EP, and marks another musical right turn. The tropical steel pan backing of the verses, the vocal layering and the generally more chilled vibe compared to the previous track highlights Sasha's musical growth and exploration. Her crisp and distinct vocal is at its most controlled but also technically strongest on this song as she sings about the difficulty of having to let somebody go.

As the EP comes to its conclusion on the title track, 'Reflect', it becomes clear that the running order of the collection has been carefully curated to take the listener on a journey. Opening with stirring synths, the song sees Sasha rapping the social commentary of the verses as she also looks back over the last few years of her life and her actions, as well as those of the people around her, questioning whether they are as happy as they might seem on the face of it. "Scrolling screens from social media is now a daily addiction, comparisons of others depicting the perfect life, but what do we really want, is that what we really want, what we see in front of our eyes?".

As Sasha considers what she has achieved at the age of 29, she is cautiously optimistic about the future: "I know deep down that I'm halfway up the mountain, even when I feel like I haven't quite approached it", and ultimately ponders that as a society we tend to reflect more on the negatives of life rather than focusing on the positives. Following a diverting musical switch up in the instrumental middle-eight, the brooding synths return as Sasha closes out the EP. "What do I really want, is that what I really want?" she asks, ending on a question to both leave the listener wanting more and hoping that Sasha finds her answers.

The 'Reflect' EP is available to stream and download now. Listen on Spotify below:

Tunes I'm currently loving // 2021 // Volume 2

1. Charlotte Perrelli - Still Young
2. Dotter - Little Tot
3. Elena Tsagrinou - El Diablo
4. Dua Lipa - We're Good
5. Clara Klingenström - Behöver Inte Dig Idag
6. Solå - Last Lines
7. Eva Rydberg & Ewa Roos - Rena Rama Ding Dong
8. TIX - Fallen Angel
9. Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez feat Kathryn Hahn - Agatha All Along
10. Jessica Andersson - Horizon
11. David Scott - Aurora
12. Erika Vikman - Syntisten Pöytä
13. Sofia Källgren - Handen På Hjärtat
14. Lesley Roy - Maps
15. Rita Ora & Imanbek - Bang Bang
16. Joel Corry, Raye & David Guetta - Bed
17. Haim feat Thundercat - 3am
18. Kyle Deutsch X Shona SA - Home
19. The Mamas - In The Middle
20. Eric Saade - Every Minute