Super Fresh Music Finds: February 2021

The month isn’t over yet, and we serve you some of the hottest new music that you’ll want to add to your February 2021 playlist. From pop, to rock, to hip-hop, and blues, we have some of the best, new picks from some up-and-coming artists you need to know about.

MAY-A, “Time I Love to Waste”

At just 19, the Sydney-based, rising, queer pop artist MAY-A keeps the hits coming with the new single, “Time I Love To Waste.” The uptempo track brings her energetic youth to the forefront and is a great addition to any summer anthems playlist. “Time I Love to Waste” is part two of the story of a blossoming relationship which picks up where her breakout, 2020 single, “Apricots,” left off. With a catchy hook and an infectious melody, MAY-A explores the evolution of desire, from infatuation into hopefulness, in her fun, new music release.

Tyler Holmes  “Confuse Me”

Unlike any other release before, the new album from Tyler Holmes is surfacing with the most vulnerable piece of art they’ve ever released. Based on a traumatic event that Holmes, alongside tourmates, experienced on their last night in Puerto Rico, this work was created as a document of that personal recovery from violence and healing from PTSD.

“If the record is soft, or soothing, it is so because I needed to tell the story that way to make it palatable to process for myself,” Holmes explains. “I needed to channel brutality through a healing lens to be able to recount the experience.”

Diving into deep thoughts of violent and chaotic concepts, Nightmare in Paradise is complex and nuanced, while remaining refined and inventive. Self-described as an “adult-contemporary” album, the lead single “Confuse Me” is a reflective and minimalist pop track that showcases their hybridization of electronic, folk, and R&B genres with a modern, Black classical appeal.

Madame Mayhem  “Cruel Heart”

Get ready for your brand-new, favorite banger with major lead vocals and some serious guitar work. The new single from the Manhattan-based, singer-songwriter Madame Mayhem was co-written by with Keith Wallen, of Breaking Benjamin, and produced and bass-tracked by Johnny K, who has worked with Disturbed, Sevendust, and Megadeath.

“I remember listening to this demo on my way home after we finished writing and just getting so excited to share it. I have been patiently waiting for the right moment to release this single and I think now is as good a time as any! This song is near and dear to my heart, and I am excited for the world to hear it,” says Madame Mayhem in a press release.

For those who yearn for electric catharsis via loud guitars, driving rhythms, hypnotic hooks, and the strength of shared experience look no further. Fury, energetic, angsty: Madame Mayhem brings a mood that is wrapped in melody and driven forward with urgency.

Raye, Rudimental “Regardless”

British singer-songwriter Raye has combined forces with British bass and drum band, Rudimental, and produced your new weekend repeat track, “Regardless.” The song is featured on her recently released mini-album Euphoric Sad Songs, and the new music video features Raye having a fun and flirty night out with friends, trying to distract herself from going through the motions of a failed relationship.

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Cassandra Jenkins “Ambiguous Norway”

NYC musician and artist Cassandra Jenkins has just released her new album, An Overview on Phenomenal Nature, along with her fourth single and video, “Ambiguous Norway.” The new music features the ease in which Jenkins’ voice floats amid sensuous chamber pop arrangements and raw-edged drums, delivering a soothing experience. While the track is speaking of a lover she can’t let go of, the airy, serene sounds of Jenkins’ whisper-singing allows the listener to take an internalized journey of reflection and acceptance.

nothing,nowhere. “Upside Down”

The emo-pop artist nothing,nowhere. has released a new album, Trauma Factory, featuring the latest single “Upside Down,” a catchy track that explores an unhealthy relationships, channeling lost love and the inability to accept that painful, new circumastances.

nothing,nowhere. summarizes Trauma Factory as “an accumulation of songs written during a confusing time. It is about accepting the present and following your true north through the pain and suffering of human life,” nothing,nowhere. says. He adds, “I wanted to make an album that was truly genreless, and inspire others to challenge themselves artistically. I believe the most inspiring art is unpredictable and unrestrictive. To me, that’s what Trauma Factory is.”

Victory Brooks “Blood On My Prada”

The modern-fusion track by Russian-born, American pop-rap singer-songwriter Victory Brooks provides a party vibe with pop twists and dark lyrical undertones, all showcasing the highs and the lows that go into being in love. Against the upbeat melody, Victory sings of a twisted, unresolved romance.

Embracing her rock roots, Brooks surprises listeners with catchy guitar riffs, and an edgy, hot chorus. The toxic relationship is explained through a punchy rhythm, hypnotic vocals, and crisp hi-hats pulsing through the song.

Originally discovered as a rock guitar virtuoso, she’s developed her sound that fits well into the versatile, hip-hop genre. Her music reflects a wide range of stylistic influences, including pop-leaning, dreamy vocals, and genre-blending instrumentations sprinkled throughout with starkly unapologetic lyrics.