From big pop albums courtesy of the likes of Charli XCX, to the commencement of new eras for many of our favourite artists, so far, March has been an exciting month for us music lovers. Whether you need some new music in your life or need a reminder of the releases from the past month, look no further, as we have all the March music highlights you need!
Shenseea- ALPHA (Album)
March saw Shenseea release her debut album, ‘ALPHA’, a record bursting with vibrant elements of dancehall music. From features with Megan Thee Stallion, Tyga, 21 Savage and Sean Paul, this is a debut to remember. Our standout tracks on the album are; ‘Target’ (with Tyga), ‘Can’t Anymore’, ‘Lick’ (with Megan Thee Stallion) and ‘Lying If I Call It Love’ (feat Sean Paul).
Pip Millet – Ride With Me
Released on March 3rd, ‘Ride With Me’ is Pip’s first release of 2022, and it’s safe to say she is off to a strong start. The track is full of soulful, R&B richness, which we can’t help but love. A highlight of ‘Ride With Me’ is the luscious chorus, which is stacked with heavenly harmonies in contrast to the groovy bassline and R&B rhythm. Visually, ‘Ride With Me’ brought us a different angle of Pip, with a flying car and the London skyline taking centre stage.
Beckah Amani – Lebeka Leka
Bringing us a delicate and sentimental sound this month was Beckah Amani with her single ‘Lebeka Leka’. The track is based around the notion of letting go, in which Beckah said;
“My mum calls me Lebeka because that’s how you pronounce my given name Rebeca in my language Kirundi, she always says ‘lebeka leka’ which means ‘Rebeca, let go’. I was particularly thinking about fear, how we often get so caught up in it that it kind of distorts everything that we want.”
Furthering the sentimental value of the track, Beckah filmed the music video on her rural family farm based in Mount Tamborine, QLD.
Rachel Chinouri – All I Ever Asked
If there is any song to get us ready for summer, this is the one. Complete with infectious vocal phrases, harmonies and guitar motifs, we can already see this being blasted on a chilled out summer’s day. It seems it’s not just us loving Rachel’s sound, as over 70 thousand TikTok users have made a video with ‘All I Ever Asked’ in the past month. Rachel is an artist we look forward to listening to and watching grow in 2022!
Coi Leray, Nicki Minaj – Blick Blick
If you’re looking for something sassier to get you feeling yourself this spring, we’ve got you! Coming as the latest big collab amongst two incredible women in rap, ‘Blick Blick’ has got everything you could desire in a hype track; Clever lyricism, female empowerment, a bopping beat and a catchy hook.
Normani – Fair
This month, Normani let down her guard and showed us her vulnerable side with ‘Fair’. Lyrically, this track is slightly different to what we are used to from Normani, as she voices the hurt of watching an ex move on whilst she is still caught up in heartbreak.
“You carry her and all I carry are burdens
Time for me ain’t working
I know heartbreak ain’t perfect, but
Is it fair that you moved on?”
Sonically, Normani is also pushing boundaries, using autotune voice effects and light instrumentation to let her vocals shine. With her album expected in the next few months, we are excited to see where Normani’s sound will next take us.
Charli XCX – Crash (album)
Exploding with nostalgic samples, retro instrumentation and catchy hooks, ‘Crash’ may be our go-to pop album for the foreseeable future. Aesthetically, this era has been one of Charli’s most endearing and cohesive, with exciting visual content to match the vibrant pop sound she’s releasing. Our favourite album tracks are; ‘Beg For You’ (feat. Rina Sawayama), ‘Used To Know Me’, ‘Good Ones’ and ‘Baby’.
Mahalia – Whatever Simon Says
Tired of doing what people tell you? Mahalia has a song made for you! ‘Simon Says’ takes us on the raw journey of Mahalia putting herself first and doing exactly what she wants.
“I’ve never been the kind of girl to welcome your interest
I heard that you like a little black dress so I wear red”
‘Simon Says’ is classic Mahalia; laid back, soulful R&B that speaks to your soul.
Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa – Sweetest Pie
Coming as perhaps the most surprising collab of the month – ‘Sweetest Pie’ has had us dancing the past couple of weeks away. Merging Dua’s classic 80s pop rejuvenated sound with Meg’s sassy signature flow took us to pop heaven, and was matched with other-worldly visuals which we were obsessed with!
Tiana Major9 – On God!
Featured as part of Tiana’s latest four-track EP ‘Fool Me Once’, ‘On God!’ is our standout song from the stellar lineup. With uplifting lyrics and glorious harmonies at the forefront of the track, we can’t help but feel an instant sense of relief when listening to Tiana’s beautiful composition.
Dave – Starlight
If you’re a Tiktok lover, chances are you’ll be familiar with ‘Starlight’ as the song has been used in over 150 thousand videos this month. Tiktok trends aside, this track once again proves that Dave is in his own lane. With a hauntingly stunning sample of ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ used throughout, Dave matches his flow to compliment the iconic melody, with inspirational lyrics that accentuate the sample’s original message.
Rosalia – MOTOMAMI (Album)
Before the release of ‘MOTOMAMI’, Rosalia has released hit after hit, with the likes of ‘SAOKO’, ‘LA FAMA’ (with The Weeknd) and ‘CHICKEN TERIYAKI’ scoring big numbers on streaming platforms. ‘MOTOMAMI’ is a multi-dimensional album that incorporates various soundscapes, making it an incredibly versatile and unique body of work to listen to. From high energy tracks that explore reggaeton beats and staccato vocal phrases, to delicate ballads that truly put Rosalia’s captivating voice and heritage in the driving seat.
Voir’s favourite tracks from ‘MOTOMAMI’; ‘CANDY’, ‘SAOKO’, ‘SAKURA’ and ‘LA FAMA’
Princess Nokia – No Effort
Delivering unapologetic energy in its purest form, Princess Nokia is showing us how to love yourself with ‘No Effort’. In a 90s aesthetic style video, Princess Nokia delivers bars on the subject of enjoying a low maintenance life, with one of the song’s stand out lines exclaiming “ponytail, ripped jeans, no effort.” We can’t wait to see what Princess Nokia has got up her sleeve for the rest of this era!
Joyce Wrice, KAYTRANADA – Iced Tea
Blending smooth R&B with sassy production courtesy of KAYTRANADA creates the unique and inviting sound of ‘Iced Tea’. We have been obsessed with this track over the past few days, and we are striving to achieve Joyce’s confidence that is embedded in the track’s lyrics;
“Feel good when you livin’ like me
Can’t f*ck with a woman like me”
Mabel, Jax Jones, Galantis – Good Luck
We are entering the time of year when the UK’s biggest dance producers come out in full force to team up with pop powerhouses. Kicking off summer dance anthems this year is Mabel, joining forces with Jax Jones and Galantis to wish an ex-lover ‘Good Luck’ on finding a love like theirs. If you’re after a feel-good track to add some energy to your playlist – this is the one for you!
Words By Nadia Clasper
Graphic: Gerasim Kutsarov
