I ADORE YOU (With J Balvin & Ellie Goulding) - HUGEL, J Balvin, Ellie Goulding, Topic, Arash, and Daecolm
About HUGEL
About Jazzy
Irish dance powerhouse Jazzy unites the Zambian-Scottish producer/DJ KILIMANJARO on afro house tune ‘No Bad Vibes’, out October 18th.
The anticipated collaboration has been teased in DJ sets and online by both artists and contrasts KILIMANJARO’s dark and moody production with Jazzy’s bright and uplifting vocals, as she captures the feeling of being lost in the moment at a rave.
Released via Polydor’s dance and electronic imprint Chaos, the addictive tune arrives in the midst of Jazzy’s second run of UK + Ireland tour dates, with forthcoming shows in Dublin, Belfast and London’s Electric Brixton next month.
‘No Bad Vibes’ comes accompanied by a stylish visual shot in Dublin, and follows Jazzy’s 3rd UK Top 10 single ‘Somedays’ (alongside Sonny Fodera and DOD) following ‘Giving Me’ in 2023 and ‘Make Me Feel Good’ (with Belters Only) in 2022. Jazzy’s previous single ‘Make Up’, has already racked up over 3 million streams on DSPs after being released this summer.
Jazzy has quickly asserted herself as the face of dance music in Ireland, and an international trailblazer for her homegrown scene. She is now the biggest Irish Female artist in the world on Spotify.
After breaking through last year with the phenomenal success of her ‘Constellations’ EP, she has racked up over 300 million streams globally.
Her debut single ‘Giving Me’ charted at number one in Ireland, making her the first Irish woman to top the charts in over 14 years. It reached number three in the UK Official Singles Chart, and was named 2023’s biggest debut release by the Official Charts Company. She was the first female Irish artist ever to hit number one on the Spotify Ireland Chart, and topped off the year as a 2023 Spotify EQUAL Ambassador. A global hit, the track has been certified platinum in the UK and diamond in Ireland.
As well as being nominated for BRIT and Ivor Novello Awards Jazzy has been tipped as a one to watch from MTV Push, Vevo #DSCVR, Capital FM, Soundcloud Ascending, Deezer, Amazon Breakthrough and RTÉ Breakthrough. Wonderland defined Jazzy as “a key figure in the Irish dance scene,” Music Week branded her “the new face of dance music” and Notion declared: “Jazzy is just getting started”.
Born in the UK with Zambian heritage, KILIMANJARO is known for his genre-bending blend of Afro-centric rhythms and Western elements as well as his high energy performances that have led to sold out club nights at legendary venues such as Phonox and Village Underground. This summer he released the ‘Yoruba Riddim’ EP with Melé via Warehouse Project’s new label, and his remix of Confidence Man’s ‘I CAN’T LOSE YOU’ is out now.
About Nicolina
Twenty-year-old Nicolina Bozzo is a singer-songwriter on the rise. Originally from the Toronto suburbs, her popular TikTok covers of emotional, soulful ballads lead to a stint on 2022’s American Idol. And when audiences hear her sing – those breathtaking high notes, rich tone, and controlled range – they are mesmerized by her talent and the sheer force of her voice. Her new single “Situations” (May 24, 2024) is bubbling summer hit about a “situationship”, which features Nicolina’s signature soaring vocals. With more new music on the horizon, along with a slate of electrifying live shows, audiences are ready for what’s next for this talented young artist.
About Meduza
MEDUZA have led the charge in returning house music to daytime radio across the globe with great success. In the space of the two years from 2019 they had become the biggest global streaming Italian artist in the history of music on both Spotify and Apple Music in Italy, a quite staggering achievement. Since 2019, the year where they released their debut record ‘Piece of Your Heart’, Meduza rapidly approach 20 billion cumulative streams across all releases, with multiple official chart top 10 hits across Europe, Number 1 Dance hits in the US, Multi diamond, platinum and gold certifications across the globe and even a GRAMMY nomination to boot, with no signs of slowing down. This has extended deeper into clubland, with the inception of their record label ‘AETERNA’, which they have used to great effect to channel their club focussed releases and champion artists and the music they love, already securing multiple Beatport top 10 records with only a few releases to date.
These headline successes are also bolstered by an impressive catalogue of handpicked remixes for the likes of MK, Supermode, Ed Sheeran and Faithless, displaying not only Meduza’s signature sound and energy, but also the raw ability to create a standout club releases whenever called upon.
Their talents don’t only extend to boosting new artists releases, Meduza are fast becoming a ‘must have’ for reinvigorating back catalogue. Their remix of Lifelike & Kris Menace’s Discopolis began the trend, now breezing past 10 million streams, supported by the likes of David Guetta, Lane 8, Nora En Pure, Miss Monique and Kream to name a few. Fast forward to 2022, and this success is multiplied many times over by their incredible remix of Supermode (Axwell & Steve Angello), ‘Tell Me Why’ which fast approaches 175 million Spotify streams, topped the Beatport top 100 chart, and was the biggest selling Melodic House & Techno track of the year with heavyweight support from ARTBAT, Alok, Vintage Culture, Diplo and more.
The touring diary for MEDUZA continues to display the insatiable demand for the hottest act in electronic music from the new Las Vegas residency with the TAO Group (Hakkasan, Omnia, Marquee), multiple main stage headline performances at the world’s biggest festivals around the globe, rolling out their headline live show ‘Odizzea’, selling out Avant Gardner New York, Here @ Outernet London and Green Valley Brazil and rolling out their new club concept with James Hype ‘Our House’, selling out The Brooklyn Mirage, a full summer residency at Hi Ibiza and and exclusive ADE show at Hembrugterrein Amsterdam. With promises to expand the show to festivals and beyond in the future, Meduza continue to be the benchmark for dance music, globally.
About Sebastian Gaskin
How does an emotional aftermath evolve into a creative epiphany? For award-winning Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter and producer Sebastian Gaskin, first, he gets comfortable with the outcome, then gets to work sculpting their experience into a song. It’s the mark of an artist unafraid to look deeply into themselves— through the process, he creates a sonic offering designed to embrace our many broken pieces, all the while reminding us that love and vulnerability are acts of resistance.
Growing up in Tataskweyak Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba in the early 2000s, Gaskin’s mother kept the radio dialled to country stations and his grandmother, a respected community leader, belted out Southern gospel classics. Gaskin’s cousin introduced him to Metallica’s iconic sound and heavy riffs, which influenced him to pick up a guitar for the first time. As a teenager, he found endless inspiration sifting through music forums on Tumblr, wandering down rabbit holes of British indie rock, or becoming enchanted with Chief Keef’s 808s.
Intentionally genre amorphous, Gaskin’s music is grounded in bold intuition and gut instinct. At once, conjuring the timeless spirit of Bill Withers and the musical virtuosity of John Mayer, with the mischievous wordplay of Post Malone and Pro Era. A dynamic producer and arranger, Gaskin’s ear for collaboration has led him to work with Evan Miles (dvsn, renforshort) and Milano (Icona Pop) to reimagine the potential of each genre he explores. He has performed at venues and festival stages around the world, supporting artists ranging from Common, T-Pain, and others. His forthcoming debut album will be released on the Indigenous-owned music company, Ishkōdé Records and Universal Music Canada.
About Nelly Furtado
With over 20 billion streams, 35 million albums sold worldwide, and multiple #1 hit singles, Nelly Furtado is an undisputed icon whose innovative songwriting shaped an era and transformed pop music. Her unique “Nelly sound” has earned her Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, 10 JUNO Awards, Multi-Platinum certifications, and millions of fans around the world. Effortlessly maintaining her place at the forefront of culture, the multi-talented musician and songwriter has landed three #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, five within the top ten, has charted #1 on the US Latin Billboard chart, and has sold-out arenas around the world. Since teasing her new album over the past year, her ever-growing global fan base has been glued to her socials, buzzing with anticipation, as she shares glimpses into collaborative studio sessions that last from sunset to sunrise. Inspired by an “inner-revolution”, Nelly Furtado has been drawn to the studio, prolifically creating some of her most personal and innovative music to date, sure to dominate the charts and further cement her superstardom.
About King Cruff
Canadian-Jamaican artist King Cruff (Solomon Marley-Spence) was born with the talents of songwriting and performance in his blood. An introspective storyteller, he sees his songs as think pieces set to ‘punky’ rhythms. Drawing on his audio engineering background, the versatile King Cruff fuses genres across the diaspora including hip-hop, Afrobeats, dancehall, and reggae.
While reggae royalty is in his blood, King Cruff’s rapid flow and patois-laced lyrical style reveals the influence hip-hop lyricists such as Andre 3000 and Kendrick Lamar have had on him choosing to carve his own path as an MC.
The 26-year-old artist is a natural-born performer who has spent the past year on stages in Canada, the US, and Jamaica for cultural events like the Tuff Gong Takeover in New York alongside Skip Marley, Toronto’s Caribana, Afro Carib Fest, School Night, Bastid’s BBQ Jamaica, Bastid’s BBQ Toronto, Flavours & Vibes, on tour with DillanPonders, and at both the LA and Toronto opening nights of the Bob Marley One Love Experience. King Cruff recently made his debut at HISTORY in front of a sold-out crowd opening for Damian Marley and Stephen Marley on their Traffic Jam Tour, shared Jamaican stages with Buju Banton, Runkus, Julian Marley, YG Marley and Lauryn Hill, and was named the Reggae/Afro Beats Artiste of the Year at the 2023/2024 Essence and Culture Awards.
About Jonas Blue
About Jonas Blue Jonas Blue has an impeccable track record for working with all-star talent, and ‘Mountains’ is no different, teaming up with Galantis, led by Christian Karlsson (aka Bloodshy), with nearly 7 billion global streams and a Grammy nomination under his belt, and rising star Zoe Wees, who has shot to fame with her powerhouse vocals, most recently on the hit feature ‘Never Be Lonely’ with Jax Jones.
‘Mountains’ serves as the follow up single to Jonas’ previous single, ‘Rest Of My Life’ with Sam Feldt under the collaborative project Endless Summer, as well as the 2023 hit ‘Crying On The Dancefloor’, which has achieved over 100 million streams to date – not to mention recent remix work for Ariana Grande and Gregory Porter.
Jonas Blue’s career has so far been astounding. Having been certified platinum over 130 times around the globe, he has amassed an army of instantly recognisable hit singles, such as ‘Fast Car’, ‘Perfect Strangers’, ‘Mama’, ‘Alien’ with Sabrina Carpenter, ‘By Your Side’ with RAYE, and ‘Back & Forth’ with MK and Becky Hill. He also boasts production credits on smash hit global singles including Ava Max’s ‘My Head & My Heart’. With over 20 billion global streams and over 92 million single sales, Jonas Blue is a certified DJ and pop powerhouse.
Jonas Blue, Galantis and Zoe Wees have set the tone for summer 2024 with their towering club banger ‘Mountains’, out now on Positiva/EMI.
About Johnny Orlando
Today, after much anticipation, singer-songwriter and international pop star Johnny Orlando drops latest single “Wait For You” via Universal Music Canada/Republic Records. For the track, Orlando teamed up with multi-platinum producers, Banx & Ranx (Dua Lipa, Preston Pablo, Rêve). Alongside the release of “Wait For You” is the accompanying music video also out today.
“Wait For You” echoes Orlando’s knack for depicting relatable moments through his thoughtful wordplay. Imbued with infectious melody and chords, Orlando croons about a yearning to be present for a loved one. He sings, “I’ll be counting the days/no matter how long it takes/I will wait for you.”
About Dillon Francis
Superstar producer, songwriter, and DJ Dillon Francis’ new album This Mixtape Is Fire TOO is out today via Astralwerks—listen/download here. The video for album standout “LA On Acid,” a collaboration with Good Times Ahead, is out today. Directed by Parker Seaman, the video stars “Euphoria”’s Chloe Cherry, Eric Wareheim, “Righteous Gemstones”’ Tony Cavalero and Diplo on the bad trip from hell.
“Doing acid with Diplo is the best decision I never made in my life,” says Dillon—watch the video here. Of the album, Dillon gravely notes: “It’s fire.”
Dillon’s L.A. takeover, a trio of very special shows this weekend, is underway. Following alter ego DJ Hanzel last night at The Roxy, Dillon will play a rare Moombahton set at The Mayan tonight and throw a marquee Dillon Francis and Friends show at The Shrine tomorrow, December 2, with NITTI, Joey Valence & Brae, BYNX, and more.
A spiritual sequel to Dillon’s 2015 breakout project This Mixtape Is Fire, TOO features collaborations with longtime friends, dance titans and breaking new stars. Ahead of release, Dillon shared singles “On a Trip” with Marten Hørger, “I’m My Only Friend” with Arden Jones, “buttons!” with Knock2, “Free” with Alesso and Clementine Douglas, “Pretty People” featuring rising Turkish star INJI, “Don’t Let Me Let Go” with Illenium and EVAN GIIA—which went #1 at U.S. Dance Radio and was later remixed by Zomboy—and “Goodies”—which was later remixed by Knock2.
This Mixtape Is Fire TOO is the long-awaited sequel to 2015’s This Mixtape Is Fire, a Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart #1 that found Dillon giving the moombahton genre a much-needed rejuvenation via collaborations with some of the biggest names in the game—Skrillex, Kygo, Calvin Harris, Bro
Safari, Chromeo, and more.
Dillon Francis has been making waves in dance music and beyond for more than a decade, bursting on to the scene in the early 2010s with a series of underground hits. He’s released a number of widely acclaimed full-length projects, including the 2014 major label debut Money Sucks, Friends Rule, 2015’s This Mixtape Is Fire, 2018’s WUT WUT—a Spanish-language LP featuring some of the biggest names in Latin music, the 2019 mixtape Magic Is Real and Happy Machine in 2021. Dillon continues to tour the world over and, beyond music, has starred in the Funny Or Die series “Like and Subscribe” and Viceland’s “What Would Diplo Do?” with additional projects in development.
About Ice Spice
“Pretty Girl (with Rema)” comes days after the Bronx-born Ice Spicewas announced as the season premiere musical guest on Saturday Night Live, won Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards and Best New Artist at the 2023 Video Music Awards, graced the cover of Variety magazine and added “Deli” as her 3rd RIAA-Certified Gold single with (the other two are “Munch (Feelin’ You)” and “In Ha Mood.” “Boys a Liar Part 2” with Pink Pantheress is certified platinum). Another week in the life of 23-year-old Ice Spice.
The collaboration with Rema — the recipient of MTV’s 2023 Video Music Award for Best Afrobeats — follows back-to-back smash collaborations with rap trailblazer Nicki Minaj, including “Princess Diana (with Nicki Minaj)” and “Barbie World (with Aqua)”, which marked the biggest female hip-hop debut of 2023 and broke Whitney Houston’s 31-year record for biggest jump to #1 in Billboard Rhythmic radio history. Further aligning herself with her music idols, Ice recently showed up on a remix of Taylor Swift’s track “Karma”, which reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and then Ice performed live alongside the icon at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
All these back-to-back hits – which have all reached the Top 10 of the Billboard charts – have made Ice Spice, the artist with the most Hot 100 Top 5 singles in 2023. This meteoric rise is actually as organic as they come, as the fan-dubbed ‘Princess Diana’ connects with her audience, dismisses noise, stays the boss of her own destiny and continues to focus on her songwriting and manifestations.
Not only has Ice Spice made waves on the charts, but she has also broken records on socials. Last month, it was announced that she achieved the biggest streaming debut for a female rapper on Spotify. The Bronx rapper surpassed a record previously held by Nicki Minaj. “Karma,” on Taylor Swift’s deluxe album, garnered an impressive 5.036 million streams in its first day. This propelled it to No. 5 on the global Spotify chart. This is the biggest streaming debut for a woman rapper in global Spotify history for her “Karma” collaboration with Taylor Swift.
This success should come as no surprise, as Ice Spice’s debut EP “Like..?” (10K Projects/Capitol) boasts nearly 2.5 Billion combined global streams and is packed with viral hits that earned universal acclaim and spots on countless “Best Song of the Year” lists from the likes of The New York Times, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR and The Washington Post among others. These accomplishments have put Ice on the cover of Billboard’s 40 Under 40 Issue, Teen Vogue and Paper Magazine, and the aforementioned Variety. Critics and fans alike love her funny bad-ass lyrics, her deep voice and her laissez fair delivery.
Last year saw Ice Spice establish herself as one of the most notable names in the rap game. The New Year’s, 2000, baby came out of 2022 as TikTok’s #1 Emerging Artist of the Year, Vevo’s 2023 DSCVR Artist to Watch, Shazam’s Top 2023 Artist Prediction, Billboard’s Hip Hop Rookie of the month and rounded out 2022 as BET’s Amplified Artist of the month.
Ice Spice’s road to stardom accelerated with “Munch,” but she’s been buzzing in NYC for a long time. At age seven she was writing poetry and freestyling, and from there she first gained attention with “No Clarity,” a bite-sized banger that decries the lack of communication in a relationship, and the soul-sampling “Name Of Love,” which Ebro featured as his “discovery of the day” on Apple Music Radio.
This Fall, catch her on the Scarlet Tour with Doja Cat. As the past year has been monumental for Ice, she revealed to Variety that she has no place to slow down anytime soon.
About Rêve
When Canadian singer, songwriter, and pop music breakout Rêve (born Briannah Donolo) burst onto the scene with 2021 standout “CTRL + ALT + DEL” – a track so immediate and singular that it’s arrival immediately heralded the arrival of a fresh and vital new voice and perspective – the 27-year-old was confident that her hard work and determination would pay off. “I grew up crying into my upright piano in my basement,” she says with a knowing laugh, reminiscing on her earliest musical experience from a conference room at her record label’s headquarters in Toronto in early June. “So many of the songs people are about to hear on this album are ones I wrote on keys first – they’re the pages of my diary that I brought to producers later, people who helped me bring these visions to life.”
True to her words, Rêve’s debut album – Saturn Return, out later this year on Universal Music Canada / Astralwerks – is a shimmering, lyrically-driven love letter to dance music’s past, present, and future, paying tribute to the genre’s roots and trailblazers while elevating and foregrounding Rêve herself as a new sonic shapeshifter. Saturn Return never skimps on emotional honesty and depth; a throbbing through-line of vulnerability, truthfulness, and the joyful abandon that comes from unburdening yourself from emotional baggage. Dive into the waters of Saturn Return and you’ll be rewarded with winning homages to disco’s roots, crystalline pop confections that will transport you to the album’s titular astrological origins, and some of the most heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting the genre has ever seen.
“I’m known for my dance vibes, which you’re getting plenty of on here,” Rêve says with a grin. “But I also wanted people to see a more emotional and vulnerable side from me – because spilling my guts is my favourite thing to do.”
Having hustled in day jobs for the past decade with music as her ultimate ambition – think everything from corporate event production to an accidental short foray into scripting the adult film scenes “most people skip and fast-forward through” – Rêve has never lost sight of her own artistry, even as she fought to convince others that she was worth gambling on. Meeting after meeting failed to yield the shot she so craved until an A&R from Universal Music Canada heard her demos and told her he understood her POV and wanted to help her chase her dreams. “For years I’d been trying to be a chameleon, to bend backwards to fit other people’s ideals. I didn’t know what I even liked! But this album really brought me back to myself, and now I have an actual sense of self more than I ever have in my life.”
After writing the title track to Saturn Return, an emotional catharsis that’s equal parts page-turner and floor filler, the entire concept of the album came into focus. “I started it in Montréal because it’s a love letter to the city and coming home, and I wrote it genderless,” she says. The astrological phenomenon ‘Saturn Return’ refers to a moment in your twenties where one may be faced with a succession of life-altering challenges and, in many regards, is seen as the beginning of “adulthood”. “I’m heading into that Saturn Return period right now, so I really wanted the track to feel like those feelings, which is this beautiful transformative growth period. I wrote it very openly because I wanted the listener to interpret it more openly, whether that be a love letter to a person, place or thing. Home means something different to all of us.
Rêve first started working on Saturn Return in the pandemic’s earliest months; the rarity and luxury of those foundational studio sessions allowed her to feel emboldened to hit the ground running from Day One. “One of the first questions that I ask people – and it’s a bit jarring sometimes when I meet new writers – is, ‘what’s your trauma?’” she says. “It scares people a little bit, but that’s where you get the best music because you’re just bonded from the first five minutes, and you really get into the nitty gritty of it right from the jump.”
Working alongside her closest collaborators, including pop architects Banx & Ranx and Grammy-nominated producer Carl Ryden, Rêve says she established a trust in every session that allowed her to meld songwriting and sound in such a way that the music just began to flow. “I always say there’s an ultimate truth floating around in the room,” she adds. “For me, especially with this album, I made it my task as a writer in the room to pull that out, even if you came into the room that day with a completely different idea.”
Fans have already flocked to pounding early favourites like “CTRL + ALT + DEL,” “Big Boom,” “Tongue,” and “Whitney,” but listeners will find so much more to love, especially Saturn Return’s one-two-three opening punch of “Breaking Up With Jesus” (which chronicles “a fall from grace – but an empowering one!”), “Disco at the Strip Club,” and “Contemporary Love.” For the first half of the record in particular, she says, “I was very washed over by the spirit of Studio 54 and all the dance music that made me tingle.”
On the album’s back half, Rêve lays bare that “other side of the coin” she alluded to, foregrounding her journey during the past ten years on tracks that spotlight the full range of her voice, her pen, and her perspective. During the creation of Saturn Return, Rêve says, she ended many relationships that no longer served her. Later, her music-making process drenched in radical truth provided her a safe space for her eventual coming out showcased on the exuberant track “Tongue”. “This album has been there throughout it all,” she says, about meeting herself for the first time, “It’s been my confidante. A godsend. A real savior. If I didn’t have somewhere to pour all of that, I don’t know what I would’ve done. It’s just been so therapeutic. And now it’s so crazy to me that people can literally watch me grow up in real-time.”
ABOUT ANDYE
23-year-old rising pop star Andyé has rapidly amassed millions of streams on his singles, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Toronto, the young singer is able to draw on a myriad of sounds from his childhood to build his own singular sonic world. Listing Michael Jackson and The Weeknd among his chief influences, Andyé takes inspiration from their experimental sounds and unique visuals. “The way people say, ‘I want to do this like Michael’—in 10 years, I want them to be like, ‘this sounds like Andyé’. I want my music to have that type of impact,” he says. He is fascinated with mystery and ambiguity, leaning into cinematic, rich instrumentals and using video to coax new, deeper meanings from his songs. His dreams are close enough for Andyé to grasp, and his faith in himself injects his work with a rare, grounded confidence that makes it impossible to fathom he won’t achieve his goals.
His most recent single, ‘Outta Love’, takes a lyrically self-reflective approach, exploring the different ways in which Andyé can be bold and unapologetically authentic as an artist. At its core, the song is about a complex and painful experience, but Andyé pairs the heartfelt lyrics with his signature brand of upbeat, almost joyful instrumentation and smooth, sweet-as-honey vocals. The track has a disarming tension, catching the listener off-guard. In truth, there’s no telling how far Andyé will go, but it seems a certainty he’ll join his idols as a household name in the near future.
ABOUT MEDUZA
In the space of two years Meduza became the biggest global streaming Italian artist in the history of music in Italy. Their debut release, Piece Of Your Heart featuring Goodboys , has now seen over 2 billion streams globally, reaching the top 10 of the official charts in 20 countries and was a 2019 GRAMMY nomination in the best dance recording category. The follow up single, Lose Control with Goodboys and Becky Hill, made an unprecedented impact, reaching the UK Top40 in its first week, also notching upward of 2 billion cumulative streams. These headline successes are also bolstered by an impressive catalogue of hand picked remixes for the likes of MK, Ed Sheeran and Faithless, displaying Meduza’s ability to create a stand out club releases whenever called upon. MEDUZA’s 3rd single “Paradise” featuring Dermot Kennedy continued the trend with gold and platinum certifications in 24 countries with over a billion streams across all platforms. Tell It To My Heart feat Hozier rounded off 2021, reaching the UK charts as well as global accclaim. Their brand new single Bad Memories (feat. Elley Duhé & FAST BOY) is charging up the charts globally and looks set to continue the meteoric rise of the Italian trio. The touring diary for MEDUZA continues to display its insatiable demand for the hottest act in electronic music from performing at the likes of Elrow, Warehouse Project (Manchester), Green Valley Brazil and EDC. Meduza continue to be the benchmark for dance music, globally.
About Valley
Canada’s Juno Award nominated alternative-pop band, Valley —Rob Laska (lead vocals), Michael “Mickey” Brandolino (guitar, synths), Alex Dimauro (bass), and Karah James (Drums, vocals)—amplify sticky hooks through eloquent songcraft that’s cognizant of what came before, yet ready for the future. Over the past few years, Valley released a steady stream of singles and EPs that have resonated with an international audience, garnering over half a billion global streams with tracks often appearing on viral charts in the U.S., Philippines, Korea, Japan and more.
In 2016, Valley formed by accident when a local studio double booked them. During high school, Mickey and Karah played in one band, while Rob and Alex played in another. They introduced themselves to the world with self-written, self-produced releases, including the EP This Room Is White (2016) and full-length debut MAYBE (2019), followed by sucks to see you doing better (2020) and Last Birthday (2021). The consistent release of new music garnered the band two JUNO Award nominations and praise from the likes of EARMILK, Wonderland, American Songwriter and CBC. Their gold certified single, “Like 1999” which originates back to a TikTok post broke international borders as it appeared on global viral charts.
Valley are known for their energetic live shows, opening for the likes of Lennon Stella, The Band CAMINO and Arkells plus performing at renowned music festivals across the world including The Governors Ball, Slow Life, Slow Live Festival, Wunderstruck, Life Is Beautiful and last year the band nearly sold out their first-ever North American headlining tour.
Last year, Valley saw their hard work paying off as they were profiled as part of prestigious programs such as Apple Music’s Up Next Artist alongside the release of their Apple Music Home Session plus a Spotify Singles Session. The group performed as part of Stephen Colbert’s #LiveAtHome sessions for their debut US TV appearance plus they opened the biggest Canadian sporting event, playing the 2022 Grey Cup kick-off show. With their second headlining North American tour and their sophomore album Lost In Translation set to release in June, 2023 is primed to be an explosive year for Valley.
About Toosii
Toosii (sometimes known as King Toosii) was born Nau’Jour Grainger in 2000. He grew up in Syracuse, New York, but relocated to Raleigh when he began taking music more seriously in 2017. After posting various projects online, he released the Why Not Now EP, a collection that saw his melodic, autobiographical style solidifying. By this point, Toosii had generated enough buzz through both his music and a large social media following to attract the attention of the South Coast Music Group. He signed with the label and released the 2019 mixtape Who Dat, following it early the next year with Platinum Heart (February 2020). A consolidation of the rapper’s infectious melodic style, the project was bolstered by a deluxe edition in May 2020, with seven new tracks and a fully reordered track listing. Just a few months later, Toosii issued the Poetic Pain LP, which featured collaborations with Summer Walker and Lil Durk. The album reached number 17 on the Billboard 200. He rounded out the year with the EPs Big Steppa and Dickpressed. Thank You for Believing, with guest appearances by DaBaby and Key Glock , appeared in May 2021, charting at number 25. Toosii kicked off 2022 with the single “Love Is…,” which reached number 33 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.
About King Cruff:
Jamaican-raised, Toronto-based MC King Cruff (Solomon Marley-Spence) was born with the talents of songwriting and performance in his blood. The Tuff Gong/Universal Music Canada-signed artist sees his songs as think pieces set to ‘punky’ rhythms. Drawing on his own audio engineering background, the versatile King Cruff fuses genres across the diaspora including hip-hop, Afrobeats, dancehall and reggae into his original ‘punky’ sound. An introspective storyteller, King Cruff explores the juxtapositions of human behaviour with energizing, innovative sounds that uplift and inspire for an ear-bending amalgam of Black musical styles.
About Sofia Camara
Sofia Camara builds her songs with an architect’s vision. For the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, she’ll glide across the keys, or strum a chord progression, until she lands on a melody that fits the lyrical storyline she’s been weaving together in her head. She writes best when it’s late. Nightfall invites a particular vulnerability, when animated recollections of the day become the seed of inspiration — often, she replays on the events of the day, and imagines a new outcome.
Her new single, “Never Be Yours” is inspired by a range of influences: the undeniable power of soaring alt-rock, the potency of heartsleeve ballads, and bouncy electropop — a stirring ode to heartbreak, equally interested in the art of moving on. It’s the triumph of an artist attuned to the contours of her voice — a gift to her 239K+ followers on TikTok who had liked her videos over 5.2 million times. It aligns with an artistic ambition devoted to relatability above all else, and attempts to offer up her experiences so others might better understand theirs. Instinctually, she defers space to the emotions of those around her: always listening, learning, then leaning into what she hears. It’s the same way she approaches covers of songs crafted by others (Miley Cyrus was a fan of Camara’s cover of “When I Look at You”) with more than a goal to recreate, but a desire to fully embody the spirit of a song; getting in between the lines of a track and creating something raw and new. A perfectionist at heart, Sofia Camara is pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone to better perfect her craft.
Approaching universal themes — like infatuation and heartache, loss and self-discovery — Sofia Camara finds the sweet spot of post-adolescent curiosity, mixed with a self-aware maturity wise beyond her years. She’s detail-oriented above all else, pinpointing a deeply human emotion then examining it from all sides. She’s courageously a work in progress.
“I had this perfect image of someone who I actually didn’t know as well as I thought I did. When writing “Never Be Yours” I remember saying I wanted to send one last text or leave one voicemail, but instead I wrote this song. Because I was able to be super transparent and open during the writing process, I feel extremely connected to it.”
About Jessie Reyez
Jessie’s debut album, Before Love Came To Kill Us, charted Top 5 on Billboard’s R&B Album Chart and amassed over 1.2B global streams. She received high praise from The NY Times, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Variety, and more, and performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Earlier this year she performed at Coachella and opened on Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever world tour. Jessie also announced a 2022 world tour that starts October 13 and spans across US, UK, and EU with 8 cities already sold out. Dates and information here.
Born in Toronto, Canada to Colombian immigrants, Jessie was raised between worlds. Linguistically and culturally fluid, Jessie has always had music as a universal grounding point. Taught guitar by her father at a young age – Jessie would explore various means of expression from instruments to voice to dance. In a banner career thus far, Jessie released two critically acclaimed EPs, Kiddo & Being Human In Public, has been nominated for a Grammy award for Best Urban Contemporary Album for her sophomore EP, won 4 Juno Awards for R&B/Soul Recording of The Year, Best Video, and Best New Artist, earned the title of Top Female Debut Album and Top R&B Album of 2020 for her debut album, and made a cameo in Beyonce’s Black is King visual album.
About Yung Gravy
Only the best things get better with age—wine, whisky, cheddar, beef, 401ks, and the list goes on. Yung Gravy gets better with age too. For all of the swagger and style he exhibited upon his arrival, he somehow got even smoother since introducing himself back in 2016. The jewelry is more expensive, the outfits are more ostentatious, the hair is longer, and the flows are harder. Of course, the multiplatinum Minnesota-born MC is still the kind of guy you keep away from your mom (if you don’t want a new stepdad). 2018’s Snow Cougar EP blessed the world with the platinum singles “Mr. Clean” and “1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot.” His 2019 full-length debut, Sensational, yielded the gold-certified “Magic” and gold-certified “Whip A Tesla” with best friend and longtime cohort bbno$ (pronounced “baby no money”). Alongside bbno$, he dropped the Baby GravyEP and its follow-up Baby Gravy 2 EP. Meanwhile, Gasanova put the pedal to the metal with the gold-certified “oops!!!.” He joined forces with Dillon Francis for the Cake & Cognac EP and a blockbuster co-headline tour. He’s the rare force of nature who can shut down arenas with Limp Bizkit or co-star in a music video with a cast member from Vanderpump Rules. Manifesting his dream collaboration, he wound up sharing the screen with Martha Stewart in a commercial for her frozen food line shown in theaters nationwide. After streams in the billions, packed venues, and “side missions” with Martha Stewart, he stirs up his tastiest sauce yet on his 2022 third full-length opus, Marvelous [Republic Records].
About Meduza
MEDUZA have spent the last 2 years leading the charge in returning house music to daytime radio, and succeeding. Their debut release, ‘Piece Of Your Heart’ featuring Goodboys, has now seen over 2 billion cumulative streams globally, it was certified multi diamond, platinum and gold in 27 countries. A GRAMMY nomination followed at the end of 2019 for Piece of your Heart, cementing the act into the scene further. The follow up, ‘Lose Control’ with Goodboys and Becky Hill, also made an unprecedented impact, reaching the UK Top40 in its first week, now notching upward of 1.5 billion cumulative streams, reaching Gold sales in the UK in less than 3 months. These headline successes are also bolstered by an impressive catalogue of hand picked remixes for the likes of MK, R+, Dermot Kennedy, Ritual, John Legend and seminal Kris Menace & Life Like house track Discopolis displaying not only Meduza’s signature sound and energy, but also the raw ability to create a stand out release whenever called upon. As 2020 meant a hiatus for live, Meduza have been locked in the studio and in late Oct 20 released Paradise featuring Dermot Kennedy another huge slice of Meduza tinged house with the haunting and unique vocals of the Dublin native. Within weeks, its entered multiple official charts across the globe and looks like it could be the biggest release to date. Meduza aren’t slowing, with some other exciting projects lined up for both radio and dark dirty nightclubs in the pipeline.
About Karol G
The #1 Latin Female Artist in the world, Karol G has become not only a pop culture icon but also the most influential powerhouse in Latin music globally.
In 2021, she was proclaimed the #1 Latin artist in the world for the third year in a row by Billboard. Karol G is the top-selling Latin female artist, with more than 123 million fans across the social networks. Further asserting herself as an international powerhouse, her most recent single, “PROVENZA” is making history as the #1latin song in the world and becoming the only woman since Selena to hold the Top 2 spots in the Billboard Hot Latin songs chart since 1995
‘PROVENZA’ debuted as #1 on the Billboard Latin Streaming Songs and Latin Digital Song Sales charts. Additionally, the single bows #2 in Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. The single has also debuted at Billboard’s coveted Hot 100 Songs chart at the #36 position.
The official video for “PROVENZA” has garnered 54 million views since released last April 21st, and peaked in as the #1trending video globally and in the USA across all genres.
‘PROVENZA’ has climbed to the top of the Global Chart on Spotify boasting the #4 position and achieving the #1 spot in 11 countries across the world. ‘PROVENZA’ became the#1 Latin single on Spotify, where Karol G has once again shattered boundaries, becoming the only woman within the top 5 global chart (Karol’s 3rd top 5 on the platform).
Over the course of her incredible career, Karol G has had12 songs that surpass 1 billion combined streams, which confirms the leading lady of the Latin scene has an uncanny ability to touch the hearts of millions with her charisma, lyrics, and unmeasurable talent.
ABOUT
For as much as he’s known for intriguing and inventive soundscapes, multi-Platinum chart-topping singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Lauv asserts himself as a storyteller, first and foremost. His stories continue to enchant audiences everywhere by converting the magic around him into generational anthems. After amassing 11 billion streams, the next chapter of Lauv is sonically the most challenging and exciting yet. Starting his artist career in 2015, Lauv introduced himself with viral sensation “The Other,” he landed a global smash in the form of “I Like Me Better.” It tallied over 2 billion streams, while reaching Top 10 chart positioning at Top 40 radio and Top 5 chart positioning at Hot AC radio in the US, went sextuple-Platinum in the US and Platinum in twelve other countries. He served up Gold-selling 2018 playlist I Met You When I Was 18 and Gold-selling 2020 debut album ~how i’m feeling~ along with a procession of hits, including the Platinum hit “I’m So Tired” with Troye Sivan as well as Gold-certified singles “There’s No Way” [feat. Julia Michaels] and “Fuck, I’m Lonely” [feat. Anne-Marie].” In between selling out headline tours and supporting Ed Sheeran in stadiums, he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and more. Lauv will release his highly-anticipated second full-length album, All 4 Nothing, in August, featuring “26” and lead single “All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love).”
ABOUT
For as much as he’s known for intriguing and inventive soundscapes, multi-Platinum chart-topping singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Lauv asserts himself as a storyteller, first and foremost. His stories continue to enchant audiences everywhere by converting the magic around him into generational anthems. After amassing 11 billion streams, the next chapter of Lauv is sonically the most challenging and exciting yet. Starting his artist career in 2015, Lauv introduced himself with viral sensation “The Other,” he landed a global smash in the form of “I Like Me Better.” It tallied over 2 billion streams, while reaching Top 10 chart positioning at Top 40 radio and Top 5 chart positioning at Hot AC radio in the US, went sextuple-Platinum in the US and Platinum in twelve other countries. He served up Gold-selling 2018 playlist I Met You When I Was 18 and Gold-selling 2020 debut album ~how i’m feeling~ along with a procession of hits, including the Platinum hit “I’m So Tired” with Troye Sivan as well as Gold-certified singles “There’s No Way” [feat. Julia Michaels] and “Fuck, I’m Lonely” [feat. Anne-Marie].” In between selling out headline tours and supporting Ed Sheeran in stadiums, he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and more. Lauv will release his highly-anticipated second full-length album, All 4 Nothing, in August, featuring “26” and lead single “All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love).”
About Banx & Ranx
Channeling the strength of their union, Banx & Ranx have surged to the forefront of popular music both behind-the-scenes as producers and in the spotlight as artists. Tallying over 2 billion streams worldwide and over 1 billion YouTube views, the Latin GRAMMY®Award-nominated multiplatinum Montréal duo—Zacharie “Soké” Raymond and Yannick “KNY Factory” Rastogi—continue to expand their dynamic and diverse catalog. After they began working together in 2014, their chemistry started making incredible things happen – first with the opportunity to produce and co-write “Kiss Me” by Olly Murs with Taio Cruz and then the career-changing experience of producing and co-writing “No Te Puedo Olvidar” and “I Can’t Forget You” for Nicky Jam’s Fénix which reached #1 on the 2017 US Top Latin Albums Chart and earned them a Latin GRAMMY® Award nomination for Album of the Year.
Focused and passionate, the pair co-wrote and produced “Kiss and Make Up” for Dua Lipa and BLACKPINK, generating over 1 billion streams on the global hit. Their impressive list of collaborators includes Sean Paul, Ty Dolla $ign, Sia, Alessia Cara, T-Pain, Ellie Goulding and David Guetta to name a few. Their talent for infusing their signature sound into existing hits is evident on their remixes for artists such as Gorillaz, J Balvin, Major Lazer, Tove Lo, LSD and many more.
Simultaneously, they’ve emerged as hitmaking artists. In 2018, they joined forces with Ella Eyre and Yxng Bane for “Answerphone,” scoring a Platinum plaque in the UK, going Top 5 in the territory, and raking in hundreds of millions of streams.
In 2021, they began the new chapter of their careers in partnership with Universal Music Canada. In addition to releasing their own music, Banx & Ranx continue to support the next generation of artists via their label and publishing company, 31 East, which includes Rêve, Preston Pablo, and more on its buzzing roster. “It was all a dream,” they both agree – a dream to bring their experience and international success back to Canada and nourish the talent here. “It’s our lifetime plan. We make music to uplift and comfort the listener. It’s about that energy,” says Zacharie. “That’s what we’re trying to capture,” concludes Yannick. “We want you to associate these songs with your best memories. This is more than just a musical partnership. Banx & Ranx is our life.”