If you’ve been following us for a while now, you would know that we create special weekly playlists on Spotify with new tunes from Eurovision and National final stars, along with some old favourites. The year is coming to an end, and we’ve discovered an incredible amount of new music that has broadened our horizons, so today we’re taking 10 new releases that we’ve been loving and sharing them with you!
Anton Hagman – My Baby
We’ve really come to love Swedish newcomer Anton Hagman, who was brought to our attention through Melodifestivalen 2017, where he beat Loreen in the Second Chance round duel. Although a shock at the time, as time progresses, we’ve been really getting into his music. Anton released an EP earlier this year titled From Now On, and especially loved the single Somebody to Love. Just recently, he’s released two new tracks under the title Studio Outtakes 1, and out of the two singles, we’re really loving the song My Baby, which still has the pop undertones of his previous music, but with a more chilled out vibe. So much to love about this.
Francesca Michielin – Io non abito al mare
After her Eurovision appearance at Eurovision 2016, and an album to go with it, Francesca Michielin was pretty quiet on the music front. It wasn’t until a few months back that we heard some new music, but she was back with an edgier look and sound which was displayed through the song Vulcano, which was one of our previous 10 Top Tunes. Francesca is back with another single titled Io non abito al mare, which is more mellow than Vulcano, but still slightly more edgy than the peachy pop sound she featured through her 2016 album and Eurovision entry No Degree of Separation. We’re excited to see where Francesca is heading with this style.
Emmelie De Forest – Sanctuary
Former Eurovision winner Emmelie de Forest found immediate success after her win back in 2013 with an album and a string of singles, but a few years after her win, Emmelie went all quiet on us. The creative process never stopped, with Emmelie turning to crowd funding to help create and publish her new music. After a few months of waiting, we finally got a single release. The song is called Sanctuary, and it’s more alternative and grown up compared to some of her previous releases. It’s a promising start to the new chapter of her music career, and we can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeve.
Basim – Aji Aji
He swept us off our feet in 2014 as the Danish Eurovision representative with the catchy number Cliché Love Song, and it seems to be a recurring theme in this post, but Basim was nowhere to be seen for a few years. It wasn’t until earlier this year that we finally heard a peep from the Danish artist, with the release of the song Comme Ci Comme Ça which was a complete change in style from his previous songs. His latest release Aji Aji follows in the same stream, with a very distinct return to his Moroccan ethnic roots through an incredible modern and catchy beat matched with a Middle Eastern sound, and the blending of languages. Both his 2017 releases have been incredibly successful in Denmark, so this style is certainly working for him.
Molly Sterling – Plain Static
Former Irish representative Molly Sterling is finally serving up some incredible music in the form of her follow up single Plain Static. Although there was a whole lot of silence between her Eurovision entry and this single, the wait was certainly worth it, with Plain Static featuring her incredibly raw and unique vocals, at times parallel to the incoherency of Loreen’s signature mumbles. It’s dark, edgy and mysterious, and we just want more of this.
OG3NE – But I Do
We’ve gone down the alternative path so far in this 10 Top Tunes, but we need to get back to the catchy pop, and of course that means talking about OG3NE’s new song, which is pop music at its best. The song, which is called But I Do, features their signature harmonies backed by a catchy beat, especially through the chorus. The star of the song is certainly their vocals, which are really out of this world and although they don’t want to care about the subject of their lyrics, we totally care about where their musical career is heading, especially if it’s going to be at this high quality.
Elhaida Dani – Më Mbaj
She was the Albanian Eurovision entry with huge potential, and although things didn’t go to plan, Elhaida Dani is continuing to prove her talent with some recent releases including this track, Më Mbaj. The song features Elhaida’s smooth and mature vocals which shine through what would otherwise be quite a simple track. Although the beat isn’t revolutionary by any means, the addition of a slight ethnic flair throughout the song gives it a memorable touch.
Darin – Tvillingen
We’ve heard some of the best new releases, but we’ve also got a few new albums to discuss, including the newest release from Swedish superstar Darin. At the end of November, he released his new, and hotly anticipated album Tvillingen. We’re pretty happy to see it’s a Swedish language album since we heard his single Ja må du leva which has been one of our favourite tracks of 2017. This album feels more mature than his previous which was definitely more mainstream pop dance style, whereas the style on this album feels more folky and relaxed.
Guy Sebastian – Conscious
We’ve already featured Guy Sebastian’s new album in a post of its own, but we just can’t get enough of this incredible Aussie artist. He’s always been in our periphery ever since his win of the debut season of Australian idol all those years ago, but he has truly found his style through this album Conscious. It’s soulful, it’s groovy and has this relaxed feel about it with songs such as Vesuvius and Stay In Bed prime examples, and the previously released single High On Me demonstrating that he hasn’t strayed too far from the pop sound. This is a must listen.
Loreen – Ride
This could be one of the most anticipated albums of 2017, with former Eurovision winner Loreen finally dropping her new album upon the change of record company. She was finally granted the creative control that she had wanted since the release of her 2013 album Heal, and it’s clear to see that through this new album she definitely wanted to pursue a different sound. Gone is the dance pop Loreen, with her new sound raw and alternative. Although we do miss her iconic pop dance sound, we’ve really welcomed the change in direction since the release of her tune ’71 Charger which is up there with some of our favourite releases of 2017.
