There is a fresh update on the New Release Friday playlist. Below, you can read notes about ten of the songs we’ve selected this week.

---

Erika Tham – “Shhh”

Finding success as a teenage actress, Erika Tham is now pursuing her passion for music. She’s just released her second single, “Shhh”. This is an amazing R&B/pop track melding hard-hitting trap beats with a traditional Asian melody which rings throughout. Tham brings enough sultry energy to match her blunt lyrics. About “Shhh”, the young artist notes, “This song is honestly just the result of three friends talking shit and gassing each other up. My favorite line in the song is, ‘when you’ve got your mouth shut you’re flawless. Mortal men shouldn’t fuck with a goddess’“.

<<Find Erika Tham on Instagram>>

Khazali – “Passion Controller”

Emerging UK talent Khazali has just unveiled a new song, “Passion controller”. The funky pop cut is the second single being lifted from the artist’s upcoming EP, The Rush. That planned project is expected to arrive on March 11 via Kitsuné Musique. So infectious, “Passion Controller” carries an immersive bassline and invitingly smooth vocals and melodies.

<<Find Khazali on Instagram>>

Ella Rosa x Kevin George – “The Ick”

The rise and rise of British singer Ella Rosa continues as she delivers another great tune. The song is called “The Ick” and features a rap verse from Kevin George. It’s a captivating R&B-infused pop track that I just can’t get enough of. Each artist’s delivery is as effortless as the songwriting process. “‘The Ick’ was written about a feeling that Kevin George and I shared where we caught the ‘Ick’ for a partner. We both found it pretty funny that one little thing could turn someone off so quickly at the beginning of a friendship, relationship, partnership, etc,” comments Ella.

<<Find Ella Rosa and Kevin George on Instagram>>

Portair – “All the Things We’ve Never Done”

Portair has dropped another project. Out via Nettwerk Records, The Ice That Breaks EP is five tracks long. “All the Things We’ve Never Done” is one of the songs on it. As Portair indicates, “All the Things We’ve Never Done” represents the progress of attaining peace of mind. The Australian musician remarks: “I got into meditation pretty heavy this last year. My mind was so crazy all of the time. It’s not about quieting the mind but about being with it and observing it. It really brought me a lot of peace.”

<<Find Portair on Instagram>>

Ocie Elliott – “Coming Home”

On the back of a successful 2021, Canadian indie-folk duo Ocie Elliott enter the new year with beautiful new song. For the fans of the outfit, “Coming Home” feels as heartfelt and soothing as ever .”‘Coming Home’ arose as a riff and chorus-line that Sierra was working along with,” Jon Middleton says. “At first, we felt that perhaps the main phrase of the chorus was too direct and to the point but as the song evolved, and the verse lyrics came, we realized that it fit perfectly with the overall nature of the tune. This song is about the deep, spiritual feeling of having another’s whole being fill one’s own.”

<<Find Ocie Elliott on Instagram>>

Danyál – “Come On”

A talented singer and songwriter, Danyál is no stranger to songs-contest shows. He has graced the stage on platforms such as The Voice Germany (quarter finalist) and FM4/ORF1 protest song-contest (winner). Now, the German artist is building his own brand around his singing and writing abilities. Danyál has just released a new track named “Come On” via Global Rockstar. This is a rapturous soul/pop ballad about which he says: “‘Come on’ is about leaving everybody’s opinion behind and empowering yourself to take charge of your destiny. It’s a call for new beginnings and new fun filled chapters to be written.”

<<Find Danyál on Instagram>>

Greta Isaac – “NUH UH”

Following the singles “5’1” and “Pollyfilla”, UK pop songstress Greta Isaac‘s new offering is another one being taken from her upcoming EP, I Think You’d Hate It Here. Named “NUH UH”, it came alongside a creative visual. “NUH UH” is an electro pop anthem with a gritty edge. About it, Greta explains, “I wrote ‘NUH UH’ around the same time as ‘Polyfilla’ and ‘5’1’, although the tone and essence of this song could not be more different. ‘NUH UH’ is manic, delusional, desperate and super charged to the point where I don’t really feel like it’s me who’s singing it when I listen to it. Sonically it feels like the moment you have a ‘spark’ with someone – a spike in energy, your eyes blacken, your skin gets hot and sweaty. I see it in myself and people around me, it looks like we’re all turning into vampires, desperate for human connection and the feeling of being wanted by another person. It’s fascinating.”

<<Find Greta Isaac on Instagram>>

Cormac Looby – “Hard-wiring”

Cormac Looby is an Irish singer-songwriter currently based out of Galway city. The artist is working on his debut EP and has just unveiled the second single off of it. Calling it “Hard-wiring”, Looby crafted an upbeat yet touching pop-rock anthem. “Hard-wiring” finds him reflecting on why past relationships didn’t work. The track is characterized by honest and vulnerable lyrics, affecting vocals and a lively instrumentation filled with lovely trombones.

<<Find Cormac Looby on Instagram>>

Shontelle – “Be the One”

Barbadian singer Shontelle is back with another big tune. “Be the One” is an R&B/pop jam carrying Caribbean influences. It sounds so upbeat and will have you dancing along. The track was produced by Norwegian producers Henrik the Artist and Kim Ofstad and is taken from Shontelle’s forthcoming EP, Boomerang.

<<Find Shontelle on Instagram>>

MUVI – “Baby”

Out now via Chrome Music is the second single by Milan-based Italian artist MUVI. The song is called “Baby”. It is a rock piece about a toxic relationship. “The other person does not care about the pain he inflicts and therefore continues to do so because the narrator, and subject of the story, allows it. This song is a hymn to unhealthy love,” MUVI elaborates. The artist is working on an EP titled LINE-A.

<<Find MUVI on Instagram>>

---

Check out earlier New Release Friday roundups here.