Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

East London born and bred singer, songwriter and DJ, Jack Fowler, has dropped his new single “Foolish” via Island Records. This hugely infectious feel-good, soon to be dance anthem, is also set to air on fashion brand, I Saw It First’s TV advert for the UK’s most talked about show this summer Love Island. Jack is of course one of the massively successful Love Island’s most popular and enduring stars and this single proves that he has so much more to offer.    “Foolish”, drenched in pure Ibiza vibes, couldn’t come at a more perfect time with the sun shining and the summer ready to finally kick in post lockdown. Speaking about the single Jack says: " I’ve always wanted to write and release music that's relatable as well as giving people summer vibes music that they can party to... having that mix of a serious subject while maintaining that upbeat feel-good factor. I hooked up with vocal coach Ali Tennant ( Jessie J, David Guetta, JLS ) and then recorded aro...

GRAMMY® Award-nominated diamond-certified Dallas, TX maverick  Post Malone  releases his brand new single entitled  "Motley Crew" . "Motley Crew" is the hugely acclaimed and much-loved artist's first new original music of the year and is the lead track from a companion project to a forthcoming documentary, coming soon. Once again, Post delivers the perfect anthem to rage to, living up to the title of "Motley Crew" like only he can.  Malone also released a video for the track directed by  Cole Bennett  and co-produced by  DreVision   Media . Shot at  Auto Club Speedway , the video features  NASCAR  stars  Denny Hamlin  and  Bubba Wallace . Other notable guest appearances include  Tommy Lee,   Big Sean, French Montana, Kerwin Frost, LoveLeo, SAINt JHN, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyga, Pressa, Trinidad James,  and  Tyla Yaweh .      Photo Credit: Adam DeGross TAP HER...

Ray Blk one of the realest, most challenging and important voices in music, dropped her brand new single “M.I.A.”, on July 6 th through Island Records and reveals the title “ACCESS DENIED” and date (September 17) of her long-awaited debut album. The single features exciting new US rising star Kaash Paige, who is signed to Def Jam US and managed by Roc Nation. Described by NME as “an R&B legend in the making”, Kaash Paige has worked with the likes of Travis Scott, Alicia Keys and Moneybagg Yo. Speaking about the inspiration behind the song Ray says: “ MIA is my summer anthem as we’re released from lockdown. It’s just about escaping, or being with someone who feels like an escape, like you’re on holiday and just at peace, away from the noise. After being in lockdown for so long and being overwhelmed or feeling low, I’m ready to be out with the people I love the most in our element with this playing in the background as the soundtrack to our summer.” The single launched...

Canadian pop songstress  JESSIA  released the official video to her latest single,  “I Should Quit” New York, NY on June 18 th 2021 – watch HERE . Directed by Nina Kramer, the carefree video highlights JESSIA’s struggle to accept her friends’ advice to stop making impulsive bad choices, while knowing that she should quit but in reality admits she has no intention of doing so. On the track, JESSIA says  “I’m really good at giving advice but not always good at taking it. I know what I SHOULD do but what’s the fun in always playing it safe? Sometimes you just need to fully accept that you are a hot mess.”  Recently, JESSIA   was featured as  Billboard Magazine’s  “ Chartbreaker ”  for the month of June. Her CRIA Gold-certified body acceptance anthem  “I’m not Pretty”  is currently Top 5 at Hot AC radio in Canada and features GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist Bebe Rexha on the official remix version of the track re...

Apple TV+ has announced “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything,” an immersive, new docuseries that will explore the musicians and soundtracks that shaped the culture and politics of 1971. Executive produced by Academy, BAFTA and Grammy Award winners Asif Kapadia (“Amy,” “Senna”) and James Gay-Rees (“Amy,” “Senna,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop”), the eight-part docuseries will premiere May 21 on Apple TV+. An immersive, deep-dive rich with archival footage and interviews, “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything,” will show how the musical icons of the time were influenced by the changing tides of history; and, in turn, how they used their music to inspire hope, change and the culture around them. The docuseries will examine the most iconic artists and songs that we still listen to 50 years later, including The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Joni Mitchell, Lou Reed and more. Hailing from Universal Music Group’s (UMG) Mercury Studios in as...

Acclaimed British singer and songwriter JP Cooper, whose debut album “Raised Under Grey Skies”, and huge global hit “September Song”, introduced an artist of great depth with a voice and songs to match, returns with the release on May 21 st of his new brand new Island Records single “Holy Water”. You can listen to the single > > HERE . “Holy Water” is a deeply personal song for Cooper which explores the idea of picking yourself up whenever you fall, a great lesson he learnt from his dad. Speaking about the inspiration behind the new song JP says: “ Holy Water is a song that was half finished for about 5 years. I was raised in a strong Catholic household so questioning yourself and your choices was a big part of what was going on in my mind, especially in my teens, early twenties. There were a lot of things I was doing that I probably shouldn’t have been doing given the way that I was raised. There were lots of parts of myself that I guess I was at war with. M...

UK visual artist Dreph has today unveiled a giant public mural in Brixton, London, as part of the global celebrations to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's timeless album, What's Going On The stunning 16-foot piece pays homage to the 40th anniversary of the 1981 Brixton Uprising – a watershed moment for race relations in the UK. Growing tensions around racial inequality erupted into violent clashes between the predominantly Black youth of Brixton and the Metropolitan police force. The uprising was sparked by the same police violence and injustice that Marvin Gaye sang about in What's Going On . The riots took place over three days, devastating the community and injuring over 300 people. Dreph's art represents the musical message of What's Going On , which still held its significance amongst police brutality and racial inequality in 1981 and continues to encourage today's social justice movement. The picket signs reference the ly...