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Often times growing up as a female can be challenging in many ways. One of the most common experiences many of us have is not knowing our value because we’ve been taught to never feel good about ourselves. We aren’t good enough, pretty enough, or thin enough. As we get older, we have to learn our worth and be able to recognize when people aren’t treating us the way we deserve to be treated. “Pick Me Girl” dives into this subject and beautifully shows us that it’s not okay to be complacent with being treated like trash. Beth sings, “Why’d I have to beg to be your world”, to tell us that sometimes we have to walk away from people who aren’t giving us what we deserve. "Pick Me Girl” starts off with soft guitar followed by Beth’s equally soft and smooth vocals. This song keeps a moderate tempo throughout to achieve sounding calm and easy-going. Beth has a very relaxed voice that can be perceived as sounding sad as she sings about self-worth and a little bit of heartbreak. Overall, the song has a very chill vibe– which makes it great to really focus on the lyrics and the meaning of the song. This latest single is perfect to listen to when you’re in your feels about a relationship or when you simply need a reminder that you deserve the absolute best and nothing less! Beth has been releasing music since 2018 and has multiple singles and 1 EP out. Beth brilliantly combines honesty with catchy, relaxed melodies to masterfully create indie pop jams. If you like Julia Michaels and Phoebe Bridgers, you’ll love Beth Duck’s music. Her songs often times reveal the hard truth, which makes her music relatable to all kinds of listeners. Life is difficult to navigate and Beth Duck’s music is what you should listen to when you’re struggling the most. If you liked “Pick Me Girl”, check out another one of her singles, “CHILL” for a similar vibe. We can’t wait for more tunes by Beth! Written By Emily Hancock FOLLOW BETH DUCK:

We all have good days and bad days. On a good day, you find a wrinkled $20 bill in your jean pocket, or your Amazon Prime package may show up early. On a bad day, you oversleep and end up spilling your Grande Starbucks coffee all over those important sales reports. It doesn’t matter what happens on those bad days. Rather, the way you handle those unfortunate situations is more important. Before I listened to Beck Pete’s song “Romantic,” I thought it was going to be a love song about a person. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the song is actually about romanticizing life and taking its obstacles in stride. Even though this song has a calm mood, it still starts off strong with a rich, velvety piano solo. The richness of this solo only intensifies when Pete starts singing with an equally rich and velvety voice. After the third verse, the tempo has a moment where it slows down, imitating a floating feeling. Throughout the song, Pete has addressed many unfortunate circumstances which include a car wreck and a broken heart. This change in tempo is a moment of reflection. It is valuable to reflect on your life during those not-so-perfect days because it can make you more appreciative of all the good times. If you liked “Romantic”, Pete previously recorded a cover of the Sixpence None the Richer song, “Kiss Me.” She takes the upbeat pop tune and makes it her own by transforming it into a slow ballad-like song. Besides her vocals, the only other instrument Pete uses is a ukulele. Therefore, the listener gets the honor of hearing even more richness in her voice. Additionally, if you want to hear a different side of Pete, you should check out another one of her original songs called “Gently Break it.” Pete strays away from the calmness in “Romantic” and reflects on love using a melody with a much more gritter sound. She is a woman of many hats! Written By Kelli Dixon FOLLOW BECK PETE

Incredible vocals. Captivating lyrics. Compelling beat. Estella Dawn’s latest single, “Buzzcut” has it all. “Buzzcut” features lyrics talking about how females typically change their personality to fit in to appeal to a man in a relationship. However, Estella flips the narrative and encourages women to keep their own unique flare and stay true to themselves. This jam gives women all the power with lyrics like “I’ll mold you into what I like.” This uplifting song is perfect to listen to when you need a little self confidence boost! You can’t help but feel like a girl-boss when you hear this tune. Estella aims to impress with her single as she starts off singing incredibly high notes. Her singing is all the more stunning as she explores a wide vocal range throughout the song showing off her natural talent. Her vocals are easily the best part of this song–Estella simply has a phenomenal voice. Moving deeper into the tune comes a fantastic little guitar solo. Who doesn’t love a guitar moment? Combining these elements with the catchy beat from the shaker and drum-set, this song really is a gem in the world of pop. “Buzzcut” is the first single from her upcoming full-length album that is set to be released later this year. Estella has released 17 singles since 2020. This highly anticipated album combines live musical arrangements, relatable lyrics, and incredible vocals. If you like artists like Taylor Swift and SIA, Estella Dawn is definitely someone to check out. Estella is one to remember as her time in the spotlight is coming up fast! Written By Emily Hancock FOLLOW ESTELLA DAWN:

Q: Congratulations on the release of “Don’t Text Me”! What is the story behind this track? The Anahit: The story behind this track is that someone in the past really played with my heart and I was naive and stupid enough to believe this person. I wrote this song as a reply or a letter to him. Q: Why did you decide on “The Anahit” as the name for your band? The Anahit: Anahit is the goddess of wisdom, water and fertility in the Armenian mythology. I chose this name years ago because I have Armenian roots and I thought having a name with a strong meaning would be really amazing for this project. Q: Does one person usually take on the songwriting or is it more collaborative? The Anahit: Yes, usually I am the one writing the lyrics and vocal melody (and sometimes chord progression). The instrumental parts and beat are written together as a band. Q: How do you all handle disagreements amongst the band? I’m sure it could get hard sometimes! The Anahit: Luckily we never get in huge fights, because we are all really careful with our words. If we have a problem or we are against something we like to have calm and respectful conversations and arguments even. We are always nice but also honest to each other and this helps us avoiding big unnecessary fights. Also what I think is amazing, that musically speaking we never really disagree, it feels like we are always on the same page which is an incredible thing. Q: Is there one live performance of yours that sticks out as your favorite? The Anahit: Yes!! We had an arena show supporting a well-known and popular Hungarian rap artist. We had the honour of playing in front of 12.000-15.000 people. It was breathtaking!:) Q: What is one thing you all hope to achieve together musically? The Anahit: We'd like our music to be heard all over the world:) Written By Sarah Curry FOLLOW THE ANAHIT:

“How are you not freaking out?” begins tenderly before suddenly delving into wild and fuller production. Issac sings intimately about reaching a fork in the road and being forced to make decisions in your life. It’s about how most people don’t really know what they’re doing, and “How are you not freaking out?” The world is so large, and you are so small, and all these decisions have the ability to impact your life in irreversible ways, “How are you not freaking out?” The drums pulsate underneath the melody while the guitar riffs start out almost melancholically before lifting to a more grandiose tone, adding drums, synths, and more elements to widen the soundscape. Co-written with Orla Garland, the song’s lyrics are startlingly poetic and broad, allowing the audience to fill in their own fears and worries for interpretation. This song is a release of catharsis, a release of frustration and tension built up in your life. This release helps you center on what’s important, yourself and your wants and needs. Born into a deeply artistic family, Greta Issac learned to appreciate music and the fine arts at a young age. As a musician, she’s interested in exploring vulnerability and the explosion of emotions, to look at how music can highlight and enhance these hidden emotions so others won’t have to feel so alone. “How are you not freaking out” is only one song of many to come where Issac will explore the depths of human emotions with carefully crafted lyrics and powerful soundscapes. Written By Megan Cao FOLLOW GRETA:

Just Be Yourself . This is a phrase we hear from a young age, and it seems easy to do. After all, everyone has unique characteristics that deserve to be shown off! However, as we grow up, we can make the mistake of sacrificing who we are to please people. We should never do this, and it can be a hard lesson to learn. However, in his song, “Not This Time,” Ben Ellis softens the blow by reflecting on his experiences in a defiant and inspirational pop tune. The song starts out with a soft ukulele solo that makes you wish you were laying on a lounge chair on a sandy beach. The melody is interrupted by a bold bass line as Ellis sings, “you wanna tear me down and leave me hanging.” It keeps repeating as he sings other inspirational lyrics such as “I won’t take my advice from someone who’s dead inside.” The loudness is significant because it fits in perfectly with the theme of the song. At first, Ellis stayed quiet in an attempt to please people. The sudden loudness is a signal that he is done sitting on the sidelines and will not let those people’s opinions have a hold on him. The bass line is also an excellent musical representation of a human yelling. We yell to expel negative emotions, and that is exactly what Ellis is doing in this song. Ben Ellis is a Wales native who took up singing at a young age. He is currently studying music in London. During the worldwide pandemic, all the time spent stuck in the house gave him ample time to write music. He wrote music by himself and participated in Zoom songwriting sessions with other artists. “Not This Time” is his first single. Ellis hit the ground running, and I can’t wait to hear what else he has in store! Written By Kelli Dixon FOLLOW BEN ELLIS

“Like I Did” is a pensive song that reflects on the end of a relationship, looking at mistakes that he made. Guthy’s voice is soulful and honest, intimately acknowledging his mistakes while he reexamines his relationship. As he struggles to get used to being without his partner, Guthy wonders about the reason for the breakup, looking at that even though his partner might not be happy with him anymore, “at least [he] did”. At least he did bring them happiness, at least he did bring them comfort, at least he did assuage their fears. Despite the hurt and confusion around the breakup, he understands that if his partner wants to move on, if his partner doesn’t feel the same way anymore, at least he did. At least he tried and did his best. Guthy’s sorrowful voice and lyrics bring his listeners on the journey of his self-reflection around his relationship. His raspy voice carries a hint of pain, a well of regret and hopelessness. To know that despite all the good times, he can’t provide happiness anymore. With the low amount of production, Guthy’s voice sounds intimate, mature, and emotional. It touches the audience in different ways from his previous music, showing his rawness of emotion. Jackson Guthy started from humble beginnings, starting piano at age four and began writing songs at age seven. Opening with One Direction for Big Time Rush in 2012, he continued releasing music until 2014, when he joined a band called North of Nine. Now, “Like I Did” is the first music he’s released in two years, but there’s a lot more to come. Perhaps calling upon his influences and experiences in North of Nine, I’m eager to see the direction that his sound travels. Written By Megan Cao FOLLOW JACKSON:

Are you indecisive? Do you procrastinate when you know you shouldn’t? Are you afraid of commitment? Alright, enough with the callouts. ‘La La La’ by Nyman and RAENE expresses the combined thrill and dread of getting exactly what you want. When the fear outweighs the desire, you might battle your constricting throat just to get the words out. Your mind may wander as you “replay every mistake” to try to return to your comfort zone. “I’ve been here before; holding on to something that I thought I needed, but do I believe it?” This feel-good anthem is perfect for you overthinkers out there! RAENE’s sweet and rich vocals immerse you in the beauty of indecision. You get a heartfelt narrative of self-doubt where she knows she’s strong enough to commit, but she’s also hesitant about releasing the fear surrounding it. “The noise gets so loud as I try to reclaim the moment; hold me til I know for sure.” (Quick sidebar: Wow. That flawlessly explains the feeling I get every time my anxiety's gotten the best of me.) There’s a clever contrast between the second-guessing in the lyrics and the brighter pop production by Nyman. It creates this charismatic, ear-pleasing sound that’s like free therapy for your mind. It’s simply superb! Nyman is a Swedish singer-songwriter and producer who’s committed to featuring unique sounds on his songs. He frequently collaborates with like-minded artists to create commercial successes, all while staying independent. RAENE is a UK singer/songwriter who was listed on BBC Introducing’s ‘Top 25 Most Played Artists of 2020.’ Her pop/R&B style features catchy and emotive lyrics that have propelled her to over 2 million streams across all her collaborations. Combining Nyman’s Swedish pop sensibilities with RAENE’s luscious vocals, the pairing of these two artists is picture perfect! Go stream ‘La La La’ and sing your heart out! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW NYMAN: FOLLOW RAENE:

Q: “Get Back in the Groove” is such a feel-good song! What did the writing process look like for this track? Niki: Thank you! I wrote it when I was in a bit of a funk and wanted to make myself feel better. I wanted to recreate the warmth and nostalgia I feel when I listen to the music I grew up with so I started with the bassline and built it up musically from there. With the lyrics, I really wanted them to be a subtle reminder that we need to be gentle with ourselves. I wrote the song shortly after New Year's in 2021, and I'm guilty of always putting so much pressure on myself as if there is a magic reset button on January 1st, when the reality is sometimes it just takes some time to get back into the swing of things, and that's okay, too. Now that I'm sharing it and it's out there, I just hope it makes people feel good and gives them a bit of a boost! Q: When did you start making your own music? Niki: I was always making up songs as a kid running 'round the backyard but I was probably 11 or 12 when I got the writing bug. Q: What song are you most proud of from your complete discography? Niki: Oooh that's a great question. Probably "Fall Back Into You." I feel like it currently best represents my brain and artistry and a shift in trusting my own instincts and ears. A lot of work went into it and I feel confident in saying it makes me proud. My favourite, though, is "The Last Night (Dancing With You)." Q: Is there any album you think is the perfect “no-skip” record, front to back? Niki: That's such a tough one because I'm SUCH an album person and I have sooo many faves, but no skip? Tricky. I'd have to say Carole King's "Tapestry" or Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours." Q: If you could meet any artist in the world, dead or alive, who would you pick and why? Niki: Probably Celine Dion. She is a good part of the reason why I started singing and I'd love to thank her. Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Niki: Remember the "why." It can be really easy to get caught up in the noise but whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, I come back to why I do this and how much I love music... It grounds me and encourages me to keep going. Written By Sarah Curry FOLLOW NIKI:

Need a breakout anthem? Maybe you feel stuck in a thought pattern, a relationship, or a situation that simply doesn’t work anymore. Well, do I have the song for you! It’s called ‘10,000 Dominos (My Best Friend’s Breakup Song)’ by Tanners. As the parentheses imply, this song takes the perspective of one of the artist’s best friends, who wrote an emotion-filled letter to her ex. Within the lyrics are sobering realizations about growing up and out of who you used to be. That includes the roles you played in other people’s stories. It's so relatable that she essentially reads your mind! Click here to listen to '10,000 Dominos (My Best Friend's Breakup Song)'! “I used to wear you like a trophy, 3rd place unsatisfied; I’ve been counting on you to confuse cruelty and love in me.” People-pleasers, this you? Tanners graciously reflects on the experiences in her friend’s relationship and locks on to why it no longer works. It took a mental toll and created a box that was incredibly difficult to leave. Into that, Tanners seamlessly inserts her own emotions, creating an even more compelling narrative. You get these elegant vocals from Tanners that are beautifully layered to create intimacy. Otherworldly synths give the song a dreamy vibe. In the end, the best friend sends their ex off with a hint of thankfulness for their relationship. That’s inspiring in itself! Tanners (Tanner Peterson) is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter who produces her own psych-pop creations. Her music combines otherworldly sounds with infectious pop hooks. Her work has received support from major music outlets such as FADER and Rolling Stone. When it comes to her live performances, she’s showcased her high-flying energy all over NYC. Her latest release ‘10,000 Dominos (My Best Friend’s Breakup Song)’ is nothing short of a masterpiece. I can’t wait to see what Tanners gives us next! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW TANNERS:

Have you ever had trouble saying no? Like your intuition is warning you of imminent danger, but you’re afraid of what they’re going to think of you? ‘Body Says’ by Salt Ashes is a fantastic dance-pop track that will have you setting clear boundaries and calling out the people who’ve mistreated you. Especially if they’re men. “Take your hands off me; I’m not your property, I’m leaving.” Ladies, this is your time to harness your power and let them know, in the sassiest demeanor, how badly they eff'd up! “Don’t blame your anatomy, don’t blame the science.” Ashes makes it incredibly clear that there’s no excuses allowed! To improve your stance even further, funky synths and catchy lyrics rush you to the dance floor, where you’ll put on the best performance of your life. Ashes speaks for you when she repeatedly says “I don’t give a damn!” Her confident, sassy vocals send anyone who dares to oppose you to oblivion. They’re not in charge here. You are! Take the irresistible energy Ashes give you in this song and LIVE in it! Veiga Sanchez is the mastermind behind Salt Ashes. The UK artist has been releasing music since 2014. From the start of her career, her music has consistently ranked high on the dance charts for both Billboard and Music Week. Her signature sound is derived from dark synth-pop melodies infused with energetic electronic beats. ‘Body Says’ comes off Ashes’s beautiful sophomore album ‘Killing My Mind’, which features more hard-hitting messages and inspiring tunes. She’s a superstar in her own right. Go listen to her music ASAP! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW SALT:

Imagine that you are in a futuristic world in a flying convertible. The planets and stars align as you zoom by at lightning speed with all of your friends before the big party Saturday night. That's how much energy RIP Youth's newly released song "Midnight Hour" can bring to the club, the dance floor AND even the first listen. This dude is a party animals around the clock as the themes include the ideals of having a good time and becoming a totally different person by night when life is not taken seriously. The midnight train is one hell of a ride! This groovy nu-wave-pop mix really shows off the DJ duo's ability to create music that can control a crowd and keep them hyped up before and after the midnight hours of the party. The multi-tracking of the vocals on the chorus over the spacey, chilly chords coming from the instrumentation meshes so well together and creates an almost harmonic wavelength. I think that the song has amazing range in both the vocals and the actual structure of the song since multiple things are always going on at once. Just like if you are at an underground rave with flashing lights and intense dancing! RIP Youth is an Australian-American DJ/songwriter that is made up by the superb talent of James Maas. They have quite a reputation with producing for various Australian artists in the pop sphere including their first hit "You Love" and fun songs like "It's A Vibe" enabling them to gain more popularity in the production landscape. Go give him a shot! Written By Miles Tutor FOLLOW RIP YOUTH: