Incredible British Talent: Lemar

I’ve been a fan of Lemar ever since he first came onto the music scene numerous years ago, his voice is just incredible and I have thoroughly enjoyed each album he has released since bursting onto the scene and showcasing that we really do have some amazing artists here in the UK.

So the fact we are due to get something new this year is very exciting news, even if it is a Greatest Hits album, no doubt there will be something new on there alongside many of the amazing songs he has released over the years.

Although I am a little late in posting Lemar’s latest music video for you, followed by a video where Lemar talks on his upcoming project. This single is all set to make an appearance on his upcoming ‘The Hits’ album, which you can pre order via clicking here.

Lemar – The Way Love Goes

Lemar Talks ‘The Hits’

From The Soul: Melanie Fiona

Despite being sick and locked in her apartment because of that, the incredible Melanie Fiona still manages to blow many other artists out of the water with her version of ‘Redemption Song (A Song For Haiti)’, performed to help raise awareness on raising more funds and help the people who’re currently suffering in Haiti If at all possible, you can help by making a donation (however small) via clicking here.

Melanie, who was unwell when she recorded this, still manages to showcase to you how a song should be performed and you can check out the rather amazing version below.

Melanie Fiona – Redemption Song (A Song For Haiti)

Future Star: Jeanette Berry

I have had the pleasure of being introduced to this very talented artist through SoulUK, so for that I would like to say thankyou.

This year is shaping up to be a great year for music, as music comes in all directions whether it is from the more established artists or the less well known, who still struggle to make their art heard within the industry and that is where this artist comes in. Jeanette Berry is not a well known artist, infact, I hadn’t heard of her or her music until SoulUK featured her work. She is definitely an artist worth checking out and you can do so by clicking here.

In the meantime, you can listen to some of the material from her latest EP below. Enjoy!

Paying Tribute To Teddy Pendergrass: Tyrese

I’ve been a fan of Tyrese for quite some time now, this guy certainly knows how to sing and you are familiar with his solo work, you’ll know that too. I was very disappointed that the TGT work Tyrese was a part of alongside Ginuwine and Tank never materialised, but I guess schedules were far too busy for collaborations to progress into a full scale tour and album.

In the meantime, the video I’m including within this post is lovely in the sense that you get to see how close Teddy and Tyrese actually were before Teddy’s tragic passing, Tyrese even took to the stage to perform ‘Come On And Go With Me’. Such a wonderful performance and tribute, you can check it out for yourself below. I would also like to thank SoulBounce for the heads up on this video.

Tyrese – Come On And Go With Me (Live On Lopez Tonight)

Screwed Over By The Majors: Terri Walker

It is common knowledge to the many Terri Walker fans around that her talent was treated badly by the record labels she was signed to, infact she was an artist with so much potential within music and suffered with her labels not promoting her talent right, much to the disappointment of her fans who knew she deserved much better. Needless to say, Terri hasn’t been heard of for a while, which is a shame, as she really does have so much to offer the industry and with the right record label who know how to handle this artist and appreciate her talent for what it is, without feeling the need to water her down to blend into the industry, then she could be a huge star.

Here are a few songs for you to check out from this amazing talent, people are certainly missing out on a fantastic artist.

Terri Walker – Love Fool

Terri Walker – This Is My Time

Terri Walker – I Am

A Bright Future: Raff

Now this is an artist I have mentioned a few times on this site, especially as he boasts more talent than the majority of people in the limelight within music. It’s about time he gained full credit for his obvious gift in music. I could listen to Raff’s voice all day, he really is that good. This year should be great for Raff, as I know he has been doing a few live events recently, even if they are all the way in London, no doubt they will have been amazing. This guy always seems to put on such a great show for those who do see him. I think Raff also mentioned to me that he is currently working on new material, so be sure to keep your ears open for more amazing songs from Raff soon, it’ll be well worth the wait.

In the meantime, here is a rather nice live performance from a few years ago that Raff himself pointed out me where he at first sings his amazing song, ‘Gambler’, which just so happens to be one of my favourite songs by the man himself. Enjoy!

Raff – Early Live Performance

So Much To Offer Music: Green Tea

I’ve been a fan of this artist’s work since first hearing of her and I have certainly not been left disappointed with the more I hear from her, it’s just a shame that artists like Green Tea aren’t well known within the music industry. She really is a breath of fresh air within the music industry, when the majority of other artists are too busy churning out sounds you’ve heard time and time again by various other names within the industry, originality is sometimes lacking. Then comes along a rather talented artist like Green Tea (and many others) and you are left wondering where they have been after all of this time, when you have been left bored with the same old sounds coming established names within the industry.

Already with two other project to her name, Green Tea is blessing us all with the rather amazing ‘Beautiful Weirdo: Mixtape’ which is a delight to listen to from beginning to finish and therefore proving that Soul is still pretty much visible within music, which is definitely music to my ears.

Well the great news is that Green Tea has a new project out, in the form of her ‘Beautiful Weirdo: Mixtape’, you can get a feel for the rather amazing new project by listening to it for yourself below, then show your support for this artist by purchasing the project via clicking here.

The Future Is Bright: Rox

Rox is an artist I have been watching closely for some time now; everything that has come from her Myspace recently has left me wanting to hear more. It has definitely been worth the wait and now it seems a new video has surfaced from the very talented lady herself, thanks to SoulUK for the heads up on this new video.

Rox has recently been listed as artist to watch this year, they are not wrong, she certainly has what it takes to be a huge star within music.

Here is the latest video to come from this very talented artist; you can check it out for yourself below.

Rox – My Baby Left Me

Absent Within Music, Until Now: Craig David

Now I adored Craig David’s debut album, ‘Born To Do It’, I thought it was amazing and definitely made me a fan of this guy. His second album ‘Slicker Than Your Average’ was good as well. But his third album, ‘The Story Goes...’ was a bit of a miss for me, it had a couple of great songs on there, but the rest weren’t the Craig I’d seen live and came to love. His next album, ‘Trust Me’, was definitely not to my taste and made me even more wary on hearing new material from an artist I had respected for such a long time. So, when I heard that Craig was coming back with a new album this year, I was left humming and ahhing over whether it will actually be any good, my tastes in music have certainly changed a lot over the past few years and that is quite evident. But surely someone who paved the way for many artists within the UK’s R&B scene over the past ten years could deliver something interesting? Something worth listening to? Something worth spending your money on? Well, we will see when the new album materialises, which is said to be sometime in the next couple or so months.

Now it seems that a new song has surfaced, I heard the snippet a while ago and thought it sounded very interesting, especially as it has a sample of a well known song I like in there. I quite like the song, maybe it’s because of the sample; I’m not sure yet after only hearing it a couple of times. We’ll see if this song remains one that I’ll play with other liked Craig David songs. But one thing is for sure, this guy certainly has delivered some amazing music within his career (even if my favourite album from him is his debut). I hope there is better to come with this new album. He certainly has the potential to deliver something amazing.

In the meantime, here is the latest music video from him for you to check out.

Craig David – One More Lie (Standing In The Shadows)

Legendary: Gil Scott-Heron

Thankyou to SoulCulture for the information that the legendary Gil Scott-Heron is returning with a new album, ‘I’m New Here’, which is expected to hit shops here in the UK on 8th February and on 9th February in the USA. No doubt it will be well worth checking out, as Gil Scott-Heron remains an artist who consistently puts out great music.

This year is definitely shaping up to be a fantastic year for album releases, what with new music from Corinne Bailey Rae; Jill Scott; etc.

Gil Scott-Heron’s new music video for the first single, ‘Me And The Devil’, is now online and available to view below. The first single is available from 22nd February and is well worth checking out. If you would like to hear or find out more on what’s coming from this artist, then you can do so by clicking here.

Gil Scott-Heron – Me And The Devil

Just Like A Star: Corinne Bailey Rae

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Corinne Bailey Rae’s music, I think she’s amazingly talented and I have been a huge fan of her work since before her debut album hit the shops. With Corinne’s second album’s release fastly approaching, I am very excited to hear something new from this very talented lady and going by the snippets that have surfaced online to preview the album; it looks like we will not be disappointed. But, did we really expect anything else from this very talented individual? I know that I didn’t.

Here is a recent interview Corinne did for Walmart where she discusses through her new project and her influences, a very interesting video. Corinne’s second album, ‘The Sea’, is due to hit stores here in the UK on 1st February and is well worth checking out.

Corinne Bailey Rae Walmart Soundcheck

Memory Lane: Rhianna (UK ARTIST)

Now some people will be thinking I’m referring to the popular singer with the same name, even though the spelling is slightly different many people still do not realise that in the UK we have an artist named Rhianna from Leeds and even though she hardly lit the charts alight with her unique sound, she is definitely a far superior artist in my opinion than the more commercially successful artist with the same name.

It’s such a shame that she hardly received any love within the industry, as she truly has bags of talent. The following videos will give you a little insight into how amazing this artist truly is; it would be lovely to see something new released from her.

Rhianna – Oh Baby




Rhianna – Word Love

A Real Talent Within Music: Dwele

I absolutely adore Dwele and have done for quite some time now, so when I see something surface, I’m there. It’s always nice to hear something from Dwele, whether old or new as you just know that it’ll be something truly special. He has a real tendency to continuously put out the goods within music; it’s just a shame that he doesn’t receive more love within the industry.

Infact, last year after numerous tributes to Michael Jackson surfaced, I think the best one I heard was from the one and only Dwele.

The amazing people at BamaLoveSoul have put their own compilation on Dwele together and it is definitely worth checking out.

Here is a little bit of information about the project from the kind people at BamaLoveSoul (followed by the tracklist and the link to the download):

Dwele's demo, which is also considered his first album, 1998's Rize, was sold out of the trunk of his car exuding the DIY ethic that is much more prevalent nowadays. Bubbling over with warm Rhodes, unconventional lyrics and soul, soul, soul it helped him score a deal with Virgin where he released his first studio album Subject in 2003. He's continued to release albums since then and has become an industry favorite.

In between recordings, he stayed in the studio banging out treats for his friends, fans and potential albums. A lot of these tracks have never seen an official release, yet they fell through the cracks and onto the computers of voracious listeners. We here at BamaLoveSoul feel as if these tracks should be heard and have selected several of these songs to create Keep RIZEing to the Top. Enter Keep RIZEing to the Top: a SELECTION of Unreleased Dwele Songs from his many unreleased projects.

1. J Finesse - For Dwele
2. Dwele - My People
3. Dwele - Suga Sweetumz
4. Dwele - Shoulda Known
5. Dwele - Find Me, Beep Me
6. Dwele - Lady Love
7. Dwele - The Fact Is
8. Dwele - The Simpleness of Passion
9. Dwele - Money Don't Mean a Thing (Atjazz Remix) *Bonus
10. Recloose - I Can't Take It feat Dwele *Bonus
11. Dwele - Limelight
12. Dwele - Is It Possible
13. Dwele - Cheap (Later Known as Brandi w/Slum Village)
14. Dwele - Fan2C Girl
15. Natasha Bedingfield - These Words (Dwele Remix) *Bonus
16. Dwele - Close To Me

DOWNLOAD

Hoping There’s Better Things To Come: Usher

As much as I like Usher, I really didn’t rate his last album that much. Infact, I think I only liked around three or four songs from the project, the rest were a little on the boring side. So when I heard (a while back now) that he was coming back with a new album, I was left hoping that this project would somehow be a lot better than his last.

Usher seems to create his best material when he’s been through the mill a bit with his personal life and a lot of things have been reported, how he separated from his wife, etc. Now I don’t really care for his private life (I prefer to focus on an artists music), I’m much more interested in the content of his material. When Usher is on top of his game, he really does deliver some amazing material, take his album ‘8701’, which is definitely my favourite of his and was full to bursting with amazing material. So with all of that said, I hope Usher’s upcoming project (and I hope all of it really hasn’t leaked and there will be some surprises on there) will be something worth buying.

Here is a song that has surfaced recently from Usher for you to listen to.

Usher – Slippin’

Serenading The Angels: Teddy Pendergrass (1950 – 2010)

Today came the sad news that the legendary Teddy Pendergrass has passed away, very sad news indeed, especially as Teddy has blessed us with some amazing music over the years whilst he was in the music industry. Such a sad day within Soul music, another amazing talent within music has truly been taken. R.I.P, Teddy. You will be missed.

Here is one of Teddy’s amazing songs, which just so happens to be one of my favourites.

Teddy Pendergrass – You’re My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration

Legendary: Queen

I’ve been a fan of this group for as long as I can remember, I was also very young when the news that the legendary Freddie Mercury had passed away, since then I have always loved this group and always will, they were just incredible when it came to delivering the best music. Freddie was taken far before his time; we can only imagine what their music would be like now if Freddie were still with us. No doubt their music would be just as epic as back then.

I’m not really into the latest material to come from Queen and Paul Rodgers, I know it’s very different and it’s not meant to replace the work that they did with Freddie, but I’ve never been able to get into the latest material. I will always adore the work that Queen did when Freddie was still with them. It’s hard to believe it’s been this long since he was taken away. He will always be remembered for the amazing input he had within music and all the work he left behind that his fans cherish.

The video I’m posting first happens to be one of my favourite songs from Queen, followed by the video for one of my absolute favourite Freddie Mercury collaborations.

Queen – I’m Going Slightly Mad




Freddie Mercury – Barcelona (Extended Version) (with Montserrat Caballe)

Future Stars: Blessed Voices

Now these guys have been on my musical radar for some time now and I often chat to one of the members (Meshach) on Twitter, who has today informed me that the guys are considering album material this year. This is very exciting news, as this group certainly have a lot to offer the music industry with their amazing harmonies.

Infact, I was also saying today that it’s such a shame that harmony groups aren’t in the spotlight anymore within music, especially as amazing harmonies within a group are so beautiful to listen to. This is certainly a group to keep your attention focused on, if you are interested in hearing more on this group, then you can do so by clicking here.

In the meantime, here is a video I was linked to that showcases the amazing vocals of this group.

Blessed Voices Performing Live

Talented: Keke Wyatt

Keke Wyatt is an artist I don’t really know much about, to be quite honest; I haven’t really listened to much of her material until I heard this one song, thanks to Jennifer who posted the video the other day. I actually quite like this song.

Now for those who like me do not know much on this artist, she has been doing her thing for quite some time and from what I’ve read, it has been quite a while since her last project, so fans of hers will definitely want to hear something new from this very talented artist. If her album sounds as strong as this song, then she certainly has the potential to create some waves within music.

In the meantime, here is her latest video.

Keke Wyatt – Who Knew?

2010 Will See New Album From Jill Scott

Finally, the news I have been waiting forever and a day to hear, that one of my favourite individuals within music is releasing a new project. Now Jill has obviously been very busy since her last studio album, what with the birth of her first child, working on the amazing TV series, ‘The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency’ and many other new projects she has under her belt for release. Jill is obviously doing very well for herself, which comes as no surprise really, especially as she really is one of the most talented individuals within the music industry.

On the subject of Jill’s upcoming album, I am very excited. This quite possibly could turn out to be the release of the year, Jill is always so consistent when it comes to delivering albums, she always knows how to pull out all the stops and give her fans something incredible within their collection. The new project should definitely be no different and will continue to highlight just why Jill remains one of the best talents within the industry.

Here is a little bit of information on the new project, which is apparently said to be titled, ‘The Light Of The Sun: Words and Sounds, Vol. 4’.

"Following up to 2007's Grammy nominated Gold certified album The Real Thing, Jill is currently in the studio recording her 5th album titled The Light Of The Sun. The album embarks Jill on a flurry of emotional poetry as both her career and personal life have skyrocketed with success in Hollywood and birth of first child. The album is expected to be a Spring/Summer 2010 release, just in time for Scott's return to the stage.

Returning to her first love, live performance, Scott will be a featured performer alongside her colleagues Sarah McLachlan, Mary J.Blige, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Colbie Caillat at the 2010 Lilith Fair Tour; a celebration of diverse female voices across all genres. Dates are still being confirmed and are updated on Lilith Fair."

Sources: The Urban Music Scene/PR News Wire

Effortless: Raheem DeVaughn

Raheem DeVaughn is a very talented individual, having released numerous mixtapes and with a new one out very soon via 368 Music Group, released on January 15th to be exact. You just know it will be something special, as it reels you in for Raheem’s latest album, ‘The Love & War Masterpeace’, which is due out this coming February.

For those of you who are not familiar with Raheem DeVaughn’s work, then I would strongly recommend you check out his debut album, ‘The Love Experience’, which is just incredible and definitely made me a fan of this individual, his voice, everything. He could sing absolutely anything and turn it into something truly sexy.

The recent song from Raheem to have surfaced online is a rework of a song from Trey Songz and it really didn’t take much for Raheem to flip it completely around and turn into something incredible, well worth listening to, which you can do so below.

Raheem DeVaughn – Re-Invented Sex

Setting A Standard: Szjerdene

Szjerdene is a name I have mentioned on the site before and a very talented individual she is too.

A while ago Szjerdene posted her new EP upon her site, which is an insight into her apparent upcoming full length album and it is definitely well worth checking out, as she showcases just why she happens to be one of the most talented people surfacing within music at the moment. I have also had the pleasure of interviewing this talented artist previously on Sexy Never Left; for which you can see the exclusive interview by clicking here.

With the standard of Szjerdene’s EP, you can definitely be assured that we will be hearing a lot more from this individual this coming year, as she continues to go from strength to strength and showcases exactly why she is one of the brightest artists in British music.

If you would like to find out more on this very talented artist, you can download Szjerdene’s free EP, ‘Collage: The Demo’, from her website (also leaving a comment for the lady herself).

The Southern Hummingbird Is Back: Tweet

Tweet has been completely off the musical radar for some time now, therefore I’ve recently been wondering when we will be hearing anything new from her. Well with that said, it seems that Tweet might actually release her eagerly awaited album at some point within this year, if the rumours are to be believed. I will be jumping for joy when it is released, as Tweet remains one of my favourite artists of the decade that has just gone by.

So it came as a delight that with all of that said, it now seems that something new has surfaced from Tweet, she must have been hearing the calls from her numerous fans out there to hear something new, the pining sounds across the globe for something new to be heard. Well, we have definitely not been left disappointed as her new song (which is now available on iTunes) picks up from where this talented lady last left us waiting to hear more. I definitely want to hear more of Tweet’s new music; it’s certainly been a long time since her last.

You can check the song out for yourself as it is available to listen to below and if you like what you hear, then it is available for download by clicking onto iTunes.

Tweet – Love Again

Gone, But Never Forgotten: Michael Jackson

It’s hard to believe that later this year it will be one year since the legendary Michael Jackson was taken away from us, it still only feels like yesterday that the news was broken on numerous news stations. Michael will never be forgotten within music; the legacy he has left behind is visible as tributes still flood in, even after the length of time he has been gone, you still find it hard to believe.

Michael had an amazing impact within music and influenced many artists within the industry today, some you can visibly see the influence for yourselves, others not so, but they were influenced by Michael all the same. It will definitely not be the same without him here, but rest assured, his music will live on forever.

Here is the latest music video that surfaced a while ago and it definitely brings a tear to your eye, such a fitting tribute video to the one and only, King of Pop.

Michael Jackson – This Is It

Future Star: Jessie

Jessie is an artist whose name is most definitely doing the rounds as one of the next big things within music and they are not wrong, especially when Jessie has a voice that could rival the likes of Christina Aguilera, etc.

Not much needs to be said, other than she is amazingly talented and has so much to offer the music industry. Hopefully bigger things are to come from this individual. But I shall let you guys see for yourselves with the following video, a video that showcases Jessie singing one of her songs, a song that definitely sounds great. This artist has so much potential. You can also check more out on her here.

Jessie Singing Mamas Knows Best

SEXY NEVER LEFT PRESENTS: Best Songs Of 2009

Last year was great for music, obviously not the commercialised variety, but the more underrated artists.

As previously mentioned, there really was a number of quality releases last year and not always from those individuals in the limelight. So, here are some (not all, as there are a lot more) of my favourite songs from the past year, they are obviously in no particular order:

Backstreet Boys – Undone

I’ve been a fan of these guys since they first came onto the music scene well over a decade ago and I have never stopped being a fan of them. So to hear that they were releasing another album, the follow up to 2007’s ‘Unbreakable’, I was twelve years old all over again. This song is most definitely the highlight on the album for me and showcases exactly why the Backstreet Boys have managed to last so long within music.

Corinne Bailey Rae – I’d Do It All Again

This song hasn’t been officially released yet, but the video for it has made it online, so it has only just made my list because of that fact.

I have been more than ready for Corinne’s new material for quite some time now, especially as she is one of my favourite artists. Having delivered on of the best albums of 2006, you just know that the upcoming project will be just as good and upon hearing this song, I am not disappointed. Yes, it is a very dark choice of song. But Corinne has been through such a lot over the past eighteen months or so and she always puts so much passion into her work, you are left wanting to hear more of her material.

Janelle Monáe – Come Alive (The War Of The Roses)

Janelle Monáe can do nothing wrong for me, I think she’s an amazing artist, I truly do. So when I heard this song, I was made up. It definitely gave me hope that she will one day release something soon, especially as it has been a while since her last project and I’m sure her many fans out there are hungry to hear something new from this artist, she certainly knows how to deliver something great.

This song definitely showcased that Janelle is an amazing talent within music, it’s just a shame she’s signed to Bad Boy, who have a tendency to drain an artist and place them on the backburner for the more commercial artists. Janelle is her own person and definitely deserves a better label that understands her creatively.

Jaspects – 2012 (feat. Janelle Monáe)

This song is what got me into Jaspects latest album, it’s not just the fact that the equally talented Janelle Monáe is on this song, but also the fact that it is such a great collaboration that oozes a variety of sounds. Definitely something very different and I like my music like that.

Joy Jones – Over

Joy Jones delivered one of the best albums of last year, easily one of the best albums. It really was that good from beginning to finish and although I loved the album as a whole, this song stood out for me. It’s just a shame that she’s so underrated, her debut album should be a lot more well known. An amazing artist.

Beverley Knight – Breakout

This is easily one of the best songs from Beverley’s latest album, which is well worth checking out if you haven’t already heard this project. Beverley’s latest album was featured on my best of 2009 album list, but this song in general was one of the best on the project, now I loved all of the album as Beverley certainly knows how to deliver something amazing within music, but this song was one of the first I played over and over. Well worth a listen.

Maxwell – Pretty Wings

Theoretically this song could have made a list like this over a year ago, as the snippet was leaked online and definitely caused a bit of a stir with fans like myself.

But seeing as the official release was on Maxwell’s latest album it has made my list of best songs of this year. From beginning to finish, this song just oozes beauty as it is delivered perfectly by the wonderful Maxwell. This is easily one of the best songs of this year, such a beautiful song.

Slum Village – Dope Man

Last year was a bad year for Slum Village as they lost one of their members, the incredibly talented Baatin, who will continue to be remembered for the great input he had within this group. It was definitely a great year for them musically, as at the tail end of 2009 they delivered their latest, ‘Villa Manifesto EP’, which is a great project and definitely showcase why Slum Village remain one of the best Hip Hip groups around. This song is taken from that very EP and is great.

Raff – Gambler

Raff came from nowhere for me and that was definitely a great thing, as this guy just oozes so much talent. ‘Gambler’ is not only a great song, it also happens to be well written. This song was definitely a highlight of 2009 for me.

Amerie – The Flowers

Easily one of the best songs from Amerie’s latest album, if not, the best. I love this song, it’s that amazing. Infact, I could easily listen to this song on repeat play, which is definitely a sign of a great song. I was looking forward to the latest album from Amerie and I was not left disappointed, this song just gets better with each play It’s just a shame that Amerie is still such an underrated artist within music.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So it's now 2010 (time has definitely flown by), I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year and as this is the start of the new year, you can be sure to expect the lowdown on some great artists within the industry, some who are talented and do receive a certain amount of love and others who are just as talented, but hardly receive any love. This site is about showcasing the talented artists out there and this year we are said to be expecting some amazing music from many talented artists, so we should have a lot to keep us busy.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year?