Search results for "amy shark"
IndyAnna Baby feat. Amy Shark – I’m Not Giving Up
Gab Strum, a.k.a. Japanese Wallpaper, has spent the lockdowns well. Apart from releasing his own songs, he produced, remixed and collaborated with many other (Australian) artists. Fletcher Gull, Cry Club and Charlie Collins, for instance. Meanwhile, Amy Shark, one of Australia’s best-loved songwriters, released her hugely successful sophomore album Cry Forever.
I can imagine it must be a dream to be able to work with one of them. Especially when you’re ‘only’ an upcoming artist. This story proves dreams can come true. And then some…
Gold Coast-based artist IndyAnna Baby, who just dropped their debut single, managed to work with both of the mega stars. The track, I’m Not Giving Up, was co-written by Shark and co-produced by Strum. Shark also appears as a featured singer on the track. Their voices blend together wonderfully.
I’m Not Giving Up is a moody, heartfelt tune, built around acoustic guitars and beautiful horns. A great and promising way to start a career!
Follow IndyAnna Baby on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Amy Shark on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Amy Shark – Amy Shark
Naming a song after yourself can only mean two things: utter narcissism or utter vulnerability. You can leave it to Amy Shark to choose for the second option.
This raw self-titled track is the sixth to be released ahead of the artist’s upcoming album Cry Forever (30 April). The highly personal song will close the long-player. Amy clarifies: “It’s track 13 because in a way this album closes so many chapters for me.” She adds: “This song is my story.”
Amy Shark is about a person who wasn’t there when she needed them. As a result, she has painful memories from her childhood, which she lays bare painstakingly in this song. Although she recalls it all vividly, she feels it’s a thing of the past. As Amy explains: “I’m not mad but I remember everything and some people just weren’t there when I needed them and unfortunately it’s just too late to start giving a fuck about me now.”
Recommended as well:
Amy Shark – Baby Steps
Follow Amy Shark on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Amy Shark – Baby Steps
Australian phenomenon Amy Billings released her early solo material under the name Amy Cushway. Since 2014, we know her as Amy Shark. Only two years later, she broke through in a huge way with Adore, which has been streamed over 110 million times by now. Her second biggest single, 2018’s I Said Hi, was nearly as successful.
These tracks landed her multi-platinum certifications and other prestigious awards by the bucket loads in her home country. They were also hits in the US, by the way. But even though Shark worked with the likes of Markus Hoppus and Travis Barker (both of blink-182), and Jack Antonoff (fun.) in recent years, she has yet to break through elsewhere. I don’t blame European radio stations for mainly concentrating on European acts, but it’s a pity this means they (have to) slam the doors in the faces of all of those talents from Australia or Canada. To name but two of the territories that are well-covered by Carte Blanche Music…
Hopefully, Shark’s new single will bring European success one step closer (even if it’s only a baby step…). Maybe referencing Mumford & Sons or Of Monsters And Men will open some doors? Baby Steps is a great up-beat track, that’s equal parts pop, rock and folk. For starters, it opens with a guitar riff à la Heart’s Barracuda. But besides the electric guitar, there’s also a big role for the acoustic guitar in this tune, that’s held together by a driving drum rhythm. This is as fun as break-up songs get, and it deserves to be heard.
Amy Shark’s new album Cry Forever will be out on 30 April.
Follow Amy Shark on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Carte Blanche Music Top 2021
Ahead of your favourites among this year’s Carte Blanche Music recommendations, which I’ll publish next week, these are my personal choices from the songs that came out in 2021. This list holds only 100 tracks, but you can find all of my 998 recommendations in my container playlist Carte Blanche Music 2021.
As always, I love to share some statistics about the Carte Blanche Music Top 2021. If there’s one – sad – common denominator to be found in this list, it’s that most of these songs have been criminally overlooked by radio stations outside the artist’s home countries. Radio playlists are growing more and more uniform, denying the diversity of the music available. Obviously, with over 60.000 new tracks added to Spotify every day the supply is kind of excessive, but more adventurous choices would be very welcome. Knowing this won’t happen, the best you can do is follow the Carte Blanche Music playlist, then I’ll keep you updated 😉. This is what you can expect, based on this year’s Top 2021:
- Mostly (young and) upcoming artists, many of whom release their music independently
- No less than 72% of the Top 2021 features female vocalists, up from 70% in our Top 2020 and 60% in the Top 2019
- We love pure pop songs, but with 40% guitar-based tracks, we’re more rock ‘n’ roll than average. According to Spotify Wrapped, our favourite genres last year were indie pop, modern alternative rock and dance pop, and we agree
- You can expect the best new tunes from all over the world, but even we have our preferences. We have extra warm feelings for music from countries like Australia, France, Canada and Denmark. Just so you know…
The Carte Blanche Music Top 2021 features 100 tracks, which are presented below in alphabetical order. You can listen to them all via the Spotify player. If you prefer another order, the shuffle button is your friend.
Meanwhile, you can read my original recommendations through the links below.
- Ali Barter – You Get In My Way
- Alice Merton – Island
- The Allergies – Move On Baby
- Ally Cribb – Bigger
- Alta Falls – The Fire
- Aly & AJ – Don’t Need Nothing
- Amy Shark – Baby Steps
- Angèle – Libre
- Anish Kumar & Barry Can’t Swim – Blackpool Boulevard
- Archie X – Fight Me
- Baby Queen – You Shaped Hole (WC)
- Bakermat (feat. LaShun Pace) – Ain’t Nobody
- Baxtr – In Pop We Trust (WC)
- beabadoobee – He Gets Me So High (*) (WC)
- Blu DeTiger – Blondes
- Buffalo Paradise – Buffalo Paradise
- bülow – Revolver
- Calogero – Centre Ville
- Camila Cabello – Don’t Go Yet
- Charlie Collins – Just My Luck
- Chloe Lilac – 19
- Clara Luciani – Respire Encore (WC)
- Clypso – On Our Way (WC)
- Coeur De Pirate – Tu Peux Crever Là-Bas (*)
- Cold War Kids – What You Say
- Coral Palms – Something In The Air (WC)
- Daði Freyr & Ásdís – Feel The Love
- Dead Anyway – Pigs In Blankets
- Drew Sycamore – 45 Fahrenheit Girl (WC)
- Dual – Wipe Your Tears Away
- Dua Lipa – Love Again (WC)
- Dubstar – Tectonic Plates
- Dylan Cartlidge – Hang My Head (WC)
- Eyjaa – Don’t Forget About Me
- Fear Of Tigers – Tiger Blood
- Foals – Wake Me Up (WC)
- Foo Fighters – Waiting On A War
- Foxes – Sister Ray (WC)
- Grand Corps Malade – Des Gens Beaux
- Haerts – Days Go By (WC)
- Halsey – Honey
- Harry Styles – Treat People With Kindness (WC)
- Hawke – Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?) (WC)
- Hope Tala – Tiptoeing (WC)
- Jaguar Jonze – Who Died And Made You King? (WC)
- Japanese Breakfast – Paprika
- Jonas Brøg (feat. Lilian Vieira) – I’m Your Nr. 1 [Brazilian Version] (WC)
- Julie Zenatti – France Et Jojo
- Kacey Musgraves – There Is A Light
- King Stingray – Milkumana
- Kinishao – Always In My Head
- Laura Mac – Garage Full Of Dreams (WC)
- Lauran Hibberd – Bleugh (WC)
- Lights – Prodigal Daughter
- Lissie – Hey Boy (WC)
- Lizzie Esau – Bitter Weather
- Lou Hayter – Time Out Of Mind
- Lucy Spraggan – Heartbreak Suites (*)
- Madison Olds – If You Wanna
- mags – I Can’t Get Over You
- Maisie Peters – Psycho
- Marina – Purge The Poison (WC)
- May-a – Central Station (WC)
- Mazy – Flowers (WC)
- Mike Posner (feat. James Valentine & Jacob Scesney) – Amor Fati
- Miles Kane feat. Corinne Bailey Rae – Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough (WC)
- Miss Machine – Regarder Les Choses
- Monowhales – He Said/She Said (I Wait) (WC)
- Montaigne – Technicolour
- Niko Rubio – You Could Be The One (WC)
- Olivia Rodrigo – Good 4 U
- Orla Gartland – You’re Not Special, Babe
- Palaye Royale – No Love In LA
- Parcels – Comingback (WC)
- Päter – Obstinate Brain
- Philippine – Bah Non. (WC)
- Placebo – Beautiful James
- The Ramona Flowers feat. Nile Rodgers – Up All Night
- Render Ghosts – Eye Rhyme
- RoseeLu – Playing Alone (WC)
- Saint Djuni – All Of My Friends (WC)
- Self Esteem – How Can I Help You (WC)
- Slothrust – Once More For The Ocean (WC)
- Smith & Thell – Pixie’s Parasol (WC)
- Stefanie Heinzmann – Labyrinth (WC)
- Super db – Wait For Me
- Telenova – Bones (WC)
- Thunder Fox – Not For Sale
- Torres – Thirstier (WC)
- Tove Styrke – Start Walking
- Troi Irons – She Loves Me Not
- Vistas – Start Again
- Who – Hey! Get Out The Way (WC)
- Who Parked The Car – Candle Dance
- Willow feat. Travis Barker – Transparent Soul
- Wilsn – You Know Better (WC)
- Wolf Alice – How Can I Make It OK?
- Yelle – Noir (WC)
- Youth Sector – Self Exile (WC)
- Yuke – Stranger Still (WC)
(WC) ex Carte Blanche Music Wildcard
(*) album track
Werner’s Weekly (week 41)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your compass to the music that matters, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Youth Sector – Self Exile (Wildcard this week)
- Foxes – Sister Ray (Wildcard last week)
- David Bowie – You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving [2000 Version]
- IndyAnna Baby feat. Amy Shark – I’m Not Giving Up
- Julie Zenatti – France Et Jojo
- Paloma – Fever
- The Cat Empire – Into The Night
Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Richard Ashcroft, Tears For Fears, We Are Scientists, and more.
K.Flay (feat. Travis Barker) – Dating My Dad
Travis Barker is one of the most featured artists in recent history. Only the last few years, he featured on singles by the likes of Pitbull, Machine Gun Kelly, Maggie Lindemann, The Hunna, Demi Lovato, Amy Shark, and Willow. That’s only a very selective list, to which we can now add alt-indie singer K.Flay. She a very popular featured artist herself as well, by the way.
Dating My Dad by K.Flay (feat. Travis Barker) is a great tune. Just like most tracks the blink-182 drummer is involved in, and just like most of Kristine Flaherty’s songs. In other words: this cooperation that couldn’t have gone wrong. It’s an energetic rock song, where K.Flay’s funny observations are accompanied by spacey sounds, memorable hooks and of course Barker’s tight beats.
The singer says of the song: “This is basically 6 months of therapy condensed into a single song. You spend so much of your life thinking that you’re the exception, but at the end of the day, you’re just like everyone else – becoming a version of your parents or falling in love with one. Or both. (…) There are patterns in our lives and in our families that we can either choose to perpetuate or choose to stop. That’s what growing up feels like, at least to me.”
You can find Dating My Dad and four more tracks on K.Flay’s new EP Inside Voices.
Recommended as well:
K.Flay – Not In California
K.Flay – Sister
Follow K.Flay on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Travis Barker on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Werner’s Weekly (week 13)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your compass to the music that matters, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Telenova – Bones (Wildcard this week)
- Hawke – Pinch Me (Am I Dreaming?) (Wildcard last week)
- Amy Shark – Baby Steps
- Babygirl – Nevermind
- Gretta Ray – Bigger Than Me
- Noga Erez feat. Rousso – Story
- Trunky Juno – Daddy’s Gone For Cigarettes
Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Jungle, Matt Simons, Royal Blood, and more.