Glacia – Who Will Save Us?
Glacia's 'Who Will Save Us?' is a compelling slice of alternative R&B from Copenhagen, a rallying cry that turns advocacy into something you can't stop listening to.
Glacia opens with a question that demands an answer. 'Who Will Save Us?' builds from sparse, aching R&B into something far bigger, layered with world music textures and a vocal that carries real weight. The production stays open, giving the message room to land, and the hook circles back with purpose. It's protest music that works because it never forgets to be a song first. The cross-continental collaboration shows: there's a warmth to the sound that feels distinctly South African, even as the arrangement stays clean and contemporary. Striking alternative R&B, urgent and beautifully realised.
Glacia is originally from South Africa and now based in Copenhagen, crafting this one from her home studio with her Johannesburg-based producer. She's an artist who uses her platform for something, and 'Who Will Save Us?' is the first single from an upcoming EP focused on gender-based violence awareness, with follow-up 'Biza Amagama Abo' arriving on October 23rd. Her previous album 'The Cosmic Experience' explored Nordic cinematic soundscapes, but this is a different gear entirely. We'll be watching closely for the full EP, cos this one hits hard.
Tara Van – I'm A Vine
Tara Van's 'I'm A Vine' is a warm, reaching piece of neo-soul from Toronto, a brass-wrapped embrace that lets the light in.
Tara Van opens 'I'm A Vine' with a question about growth, and a whole song, filled with sunshine, unfolds from there. The production is lush but never crowded, horns from Tom Moffatt lifting the melody while Alex St Kitts holds the low end steady. There's a Motown thread running through it, but the writing stays personal, rooted in the messy work of asking for help and finding your way around the obstacles. It's genuinely great, and the chorus lands like an affirmation you actually believe. Gorgeous contemporary soul, tender and defiant.
Tara Van is a Toronto singer-songwriter, back with us again after 'Miles On It' only a few weeks ago. She came up through choral music and open mics, found her people in art school, and has been chasing a neo-soul sound ever since her 2023 debut album 'RISE'. Her latest EP, also called 'Miles On It', drops October 16th through her ongoing work with Mark Calderone. You can catch her live at Birdhaus on October 21st. A beauty this one.
Drea Dominique – Roll
Drea Dominique's 'Roll' is stunning indie R&B from Los Angeles, honest and magnetic in all the right ways.
Drea Dominique knows how to build a mood. 'Roll' opens low and warm, her vocal sitting right in the pocket of a production that never overplays its hand. The track lives in its groove, letting the R&B textures breathe while the melody winds through with real intent. There's a confidence here that feels earned, each phrase landing exactly where it should. The whole thing moves like late-night conversation, close and patient, with just enough edge to keep you leaning in. Sultry R&B songwriting, intimate and completely assured.
Drea Dominique is an independent R&B artist based in Los Angeles, running her own indie label and building something genuinely global. Her listeners span Tokyo, São Paulo, London and Athens, and she's picked up US radio play on WXIR Rochester along the way. 'Roll' is part of her Romantic Tragedies era, and it's easy to hear why a 52.8K-follower Japanese playlist added her. She went from Bad Girls Club Season 9 to CEO, and the music backs up the story. It's honestly great, and a real highlight this October.
Jamythyst – Reruns
Jamythyst's 'Reruns' is a gorgeous piece of alternative R&B from NYC, 90s-soaked synths and analog warmth wrapped around a restless heart
Jamythyst wants someone to give her a reason to leave the house. 'Reruns' sits in that hazy mid-tempo pocket where 90s R&B meets modern bedroom production, the synths soft and slightly smeared, the drum machines clicking along with analog grit. The track captures the feeling of watching the same shows, walking the same routes, hoping for a text that changes the evening. There's longing here, but it never tips into sadness. The vocal floats through the arrangement, easy but present, and when the hook lands it stays with you longer than you'd expect. Lovely indie R&B, wistful and warm.
Jamythyst is Amy Paige Tratenberg, a Jersey City artist who writes, records and produces everything in her apartment. She's a 90s kid at heart, and that shows: her influences run from Janet Jackson and Prince through to Lady Gaga and Robyn, and the music sits comfortably in that lineage without ever feeling like pastiche. 'Reruns' is out now through Hitmint Music. A proper gem this one, and we're excited to hear more.