Chicago’s own Gayun Cannon makes her Lyrical Lemonade debut with an excellent song titled “My Negro Baby.” The track is off her equally impressive EP titled Brown Sugar Baby, which contains five other fantastic songs. I chose this particular record as a standout because it has everything to offer musically. From the vocals to the production and instrumentation, the execution is beautifully met on all fronts. For starters, Gayun’s voice is delicate but also emphatic from a lyrical assessment. Each word is romantically sung with a touch of sultriness through a genuine Black woman’s perspective. “My Negro Baby” is like an emotional canvas that Cannon paints via her own unique  expression. Not to mention, the unmentioned identity of the ‘negro baby’ adds a layer of ambiguity only known personally by the beloved pair. Given that Gayun Cannon is a multi-instrumentalist, the assortment of sounds throughout the track serve as the painting’s colors to finalize the masterpiece. An epic electric guitar, shakers, an electronic keyboard, drum percussion and of course an appealing melody all seamlessly mesh with the artist’s affectionate voice to create one masterful offering. Listen to “My Negro Baby” off Gayun Cannon’s new EP Brown Sugar Baby below!

“To me, ‘Cloud 9’ means otherworldly. It is another realm and frequency where everything is possible. “Cloud 9” is my world, lifestyle and I want to take my listeners there. I want them to dream away with the help of sweet melodies and sounds. I want them to recharge whenever they experience the project. It’s truly an elevation of what I want to pursue musically, and I want to bring my listeners in on the journey I’m on. It’s a cohesive EP with different sides of me as an artist” – Nápoles  Stockholm, Sweden based artist Nápoles makes her Lyrical Lemonade debut with a stunning new EP titled Cloud 9. With six breathtaking songs each record provides its own heavenly listening experience. The production is predominantly ambient and/or dreamy with a few modern hip-hop and R&B elements, such as the incorporation of 808s on “Know My Place.” Nápoles’ vocals are luscious; the lyrics are organically refined to seamlessly blend with the background music. As a Ladieslovehiphop member, she does her collective proud by integrating her soulful qualities to create a versatile record. Cloud 9 provides tastes of R&B, hip-hop, soul and jazz, but no matter the association an atmospheric joy is …

Prince George’s County, Maryland based artist redveil returns to Lyrical Lemonade with a brand new banger titled “04.” Accompanied with a Tyler Shuler directed music video, the creative inspiration thematically pays homage to some iconic 2004 moments such as Kanye West’s “All Falls Down.” Moreover, the reoccurring VHS camcorder adds a nostalgic feel visually, while sonically the soulful, sample-filled production smoothly contrasts with Redveil’s modern arsenal of flows. At just seventeen years of age, redeveil has already made a name for himself, which is all the more impressive considering he hasn’t reached his peak yet! Watch the official music video for “04” below!  

Chicago’s own Jean Deaux returns to Lyrical Lemonade with a stunning new EP titled Most Wanted. With eight songs total, Deaux in my opinion has delivered her best work so far sonically. From the opener to the final track, the project flows seamlessly thanks to the well-timed transitions and A1 record mixing. Jean’s vocals sound as crisp as ever; her all-around skillset creates a versatile offering with R&B, hip-hop, and borderline trap influences. As for personal favorites, “Stay Down” is one of the most impressive songs I’ve heard all year; all musical aspects are executed with a quality of finesse as if to illustrate the unmatched flare of her artistry & persona. “ChopNScrew” featuring Ambré is another standout; it flows like a Pinkpantheress single with a slower tempo for a more mature (albeit enthralling) atmosphere. Not only is Jean Deaux the ‘most wanted,’ but after delivering an EP of this considerable quality, she’ll be among the most-listened to artists on my radar for the foreseeable future. Have a listen below!

“I’ve spent almost a whole year on this one perfecting and crafting… carving a space for my music to live and thrive. This is me placing my flag in the ground, claiming my territory and shouting as loud as I can put to the world. It’s a statement, one that’s been backed up with two years of blood sweat and tears” – Dowtown Kayoto  Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe native / Hull, England based artist Downtown Kayoto makes his Lyrical Lemonade debut with a fantastic debut EP titled NAVIG8. As someone that loves to blur genres, Kayoto executes every single experimental attempt. The six-track project incorporates sounds of indie, alternative, hip-hop, R&B, rock and more, which makes it a real disservice to apply an individual label. No matter the pre-dominant vibe each song is layered with relatable emotions; be them relating to love, hardship or life in general. The title track, “NAVIG8” is accompanied with a Louis Lincoln-Bottcher directed visual, which cinematically explores Dowtown Kayoto’s ambiguity of where to navigate next. As for my personal favorite, “Levi’s 501” is an absolute banger; it’s a fused indie-rock record that would probably sound even better live. Overall, I couldn’t speak about this EP with …

“I went to London to finish songs I had started virtually with Sega Bodega. We made this song there in studio, working together in person for the first time. It’s a love letter. I was dancing around alone a lot during this time, wanting to be around people, I wanted to make what I could dance to. I was very inspired by the change in environment after so much time stationary, a time of anxiety and longing. When I got back to my flat from the studio that night, I danced around to our demo and felt so excited for the first time in a long time. I want to share that feeling” – Donna Missal Central Jersey, New Jersey artist Donna Missal makes her Lyrical Lemonade debut with a romantic single titled “(to me) your face is love.” Accompanied by a Rodrigo Inada directed music video, the visuals bring the heartfelt lyrics to life while portraying an assortment of vivid  emotions felt by the artist. Produced by UK producer Sega Bodega, sonically the track employs a fascinating mixture of racy house production with Missal’s gentle alt-indie vocals. Despite the song’s upbeat qualities, Donna sings at her own comfortable pace; each …

Chicago talent Ebony Loren returns to Lyrical Lemonade with a gorgeously heartfelt new single titled “Retrograde.” Produced by Ethan Deetz, the track’s silky-soft melody meshes seamlessly with Loren’s tranquilly angelic vocals. The lyrics reflect a tarnished love that was once strong as Ebony philosophically comes to the conclusion that “things come and go with the passage of time.” The chorus is smooth enough to put listeners in a trance; each word is tragically yet so beautifully sung before the record’s guitar-led conclusion. Ebony Loren may only have singles out at the moment, but she’s already proven how exceptional she is as an artist. Whenever a project of hers is released, it’s unquestionable that it’ll be one you can’t forget. Listen to “Retrograde” below!

“I know I’m not the special type, never really worth the hype, never worth the time at all, hard for me to sleep at night…” – Tullis Phoenix, Arizona based artist Tullis returns to Lyrical Lemonade with “Synecdoche,” which is the smooth opener off his new four-track EP The Space Between. The entire project was produced by Roddy, which contains a sonically appealing palette for a multi-genre listening experience. I chose the intro as the standout record because it brilliantly sets the tone for the next three songs. Moreover, Tullis pours the entirety of his emotions on the musical canvas; namely indecisive meditations on romance. For example, the contradictory words “when it’s all said and done I don’t need you” don’t align with “I can’t get your attention,” which serves as a fascinating exploration into the psyche of the burdened artist. Stylistically Tullis begins and ends with his softest singing voice with a tied rap verse in the middle. The rap portion is the most expressive whereas the singing is more meditative, as Tullis initially ponders before confessing a number of hard truths about himself. Moreover, the ambient, somewhat melancholy instrumental brings Tullis center stage as the listener is solely …