Singles Roundup #7: Diversify your playlist with these latest tracks

Nishit Singh who goes by the monicker This is Cosmos is an electronic artist with his latest release Looking Back. The track features a Miami based vocalist – Joey Diggs Junior who sets a chill vibe with Singh’s beats. This track focuses on self-introspection, and on figuring out how to move forward by accounting for everything in the past. This track is for anyone who is confused and trying to clear their minds and be able to talk to themselves.

Oceans Within is a Bangalore- based ambient rock band and they recently released their debut single Svalbard. The track is a deeply dynamic post-rock influenced instrumental with soaring melody lines, intimate yet lush piano soundscapes, and powerful guitars and synths. The song revolves around the ideas of inevitability and helplessness during this pandemic as one watches on but cannot do anything to help.

Delhi-based electronic artist Mohan Kumar who goes by the moniker Hautewulf released his latest single Cravings which is part of his album Addiction, to be released soon. The track features an intimate melancholic piano and synth which gives off motivating and inspiring vibes. With this track, Kumar tries to create awareness to the substance-based addiction, drug abuse, and the mental health issues cause by it.

Naveen Kumar is a Delhi-based poet who pens down his observations which are mostly socio-political and weaves it through his music in the form of hip hop, yet his music is not restricted to a single genre. His latest lo-fi hip hop track Kho Gaya is a chill track which gives soothing vibes. The track talks about the individual’s fight with themselves and the norms of the society and also talks about isolation and the constant chaos within your own self.

Mumbai-based rapper Ayaan Sawant released his debut single Poindexter. Through this song, Ayaan talks about his story along with an animated video to compliment the track. The song is about self- acceptance, self-confidence, and rebellion against judgement towards what is considered to happiness, and being happy in one’s own self.

Delhi-based hip hop artist and rapper Madara is known for bluntly speaking about social, contemporary issues and the despondent realities of the society. He aims for people to believe in hip hop as a medium of social activism and expression. This can also be seen in his latest single Aatmnirbhar Majdoor? which talks about the on-going migrant labour crisis in the country.

Bangalore-based singer-songwriter and rapper Kevin Joseph who goes by the alias Kjo recently released his latest single Callin’. Kevin is credited for a new hip-hop culture which has started to become increasingly popular in his city. This latest track features chill, relaxed beats with rap verses for the entire song.

Chennai- based music producer Ashwin Iyer released his latest alternative track Branches. The song is about a person coming up close with his insecurities. It’s about self-pity and blaming ourselves for everything around us that is going wrong, complaining constantly about how one can’t keep hiding behind somebody else’s mask and can’t be somebody else. The guitar solo at the end of the song is definitely the highlight to look out for!

Originally from Guwahati, Arham Fulfagar who now is based out of Mumbai recently released his latest single Victim In Love. This acoustic track features Arham’s heartfelt vocals with soothing strumming, making the song in line with the feelings which have been conveyed by Arham via his track.

Derrick D’souza, a Pune-based singer-songwriter released his debut single Trickster which is a humorous take on karma and reflects his underlying nature of turning a negative situation into a positive one. The track has a whimsical, melodious hook, paired with clean vocals, and a groovy beat. The artwork is about a trickster with a charming and idolised personality who feeds people false promises and appears larger than life.

Bangalore-based alt-rock singer-songwriter Gabriel Daniel released a 2-track EP of which the single A Lack Thereof is a part of. The EP is named Definiens which means ‘something that defines.’ A Lack Thereof wrestles with the feeling of lacking in one’s life and goes from doubt to hope to dismissal. This self-produced track also features certain rock parts besides Daniel’s soothing vocals.

This bi-lingual track in Hindi and English, Breakfast in Bed is a soothing combination of different genres such as experimental, hip hop, RnB, and electronica. The track is inspired by the city of Mumbai and is packed with both ‘loud’ and ‘quiet’ moments reflecting the experiences of many Mumbaikars with the occasional ‘busyness’ and the constant noise of pre-lockdown Mumbai with a minimal Hindi rap verse and vibrant electronic sounds.

Gin City, a Mumbai-based four-piece rock act released their third single Old and New. This song consists of a catchy tune, drums, and an exciting guitar solo towards the end. The track talks about the recurring issues in life and the stress that comes with it, and the constant displeasure with self-worth, or a dysfunctional family.

Vishal, who goes by the alias Mission: Recovery/MNR is a rapper who uses his music as a tool to face the issues he lives with. His latest song Wish I Knew is a melodious English rap. His music revolves around mental health, introspection, and upliftment.

Loose Puppets is a three-piece progressive/ alternative rock band based out Chandigarh and New Delhi. They released their debut single House on Fire on the day of the summer solstice. The song starts with calm, almost eerie, haunting vocals which are observed almost throughout the song, and later on, eventually, you can feel the drums kick in and a haunting thumping bassline brings the song to an end.