Search results for "mags"
mags – I Can’t Get Over You
Scandinavia is one huge pool of musical talent. In order to show you the magnitude of this pool, let’s narrow down the selection. Let’s only look at Denmark, only the female artists, and only the ones you’ve read about at Carte Blanche Music recently. If you’d guess that would leave us with one, maybe two names, think again. How about Who, RoseeLu, Mina Okabe, Drew Sycamore, Eyjaa and Dopha? Impressive list, don’t you think?
Today, I’d like to add another name to that list. Please meet Margrethe Tang-Jakobsen, professionally known as mags. Aged 25, she’s an exciting newcomer from Copenhagen. Mags already filled an EP (Conversations I’ve Had With Myself) and a full self-titled album with her personal, diary-like song-writing. Now, she’s ready for her decisive next step. The one that should propel her into pop heaven, that is. Figuratively speaking, obviously…
The first sign, her new single, is very promising. I Can’t Get Over You is trademark mags: highly energetic electronic pop music. Don’t let the music fool you however: it’s a story of unsolved love, but with a danceable production. In other words: pop-euphoria and heartbreak for the dance floor. Once again, this track shows mags’ undeniable talent, both as a songwriter, co-producer and singer.
“I want to release music that has evolved with me”, she tells. “Both the lyrics and the vibe represent exactly where I feel I am right now. Just like everyone else, I’ve used what feels like every single hour of the day in my apartment during the past year. Unconsciously, that state of mind has made me create music that is uplifting and fun. And hopefully, I Can’t Get Over You will make everyone else jump up and down, dancing in their lockdown homes, just like I have, listening to the song.”
Follow mags on Facebook | Instagram | 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
siné – 2Good2U
If you’re a regular follower of Carte Blanche Music, you know Denmark bursts with musical talents. Copenhagen, especially, is fertile ground in this respect. Just like recent recommendations RoseeLu, Mina Okabe, School Of X, mags and Dopha, newcomer siné is based there as well.
That hasn’t always been the case, by the way. At a very early age already, she left Denmark (including all worries, expectations and future plans) behind. She started to travel the world as a backpacker. However, upon return siné discovered nothing had changed, really. That may sound as a disillusion, but the experience was priceless. Playing street corners, bars and clubs, she made new friends around the globe. And equally important: she developed her own musical style, inspired by ‘90s R&B and hip hop, the legendary Motown-feel and carefree sunshine pop.
2Good2U, only siné’s second single, is a great example. It’s playful and full of funky chord changes, spacey horn sections and break beats. Throughout, it’s held together by her incredibly soulful voice.
Siné says about the song: “It was really meant to be the ultimate break-up song. But while I was going all Girl Power and feeling free, I was hit by the insecurity that always haunts you when you’re trying to leave someone for good. And so instead, I ended up feeling totally miserable about myself. 2Good2U is about the inner fight that comes with not being able to stand up for your ridiculous self when life needs to change. It’s a reminder that you are the one in your life who can make the chance to move forward from what might seem like a catch-22.”
Follow siné on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
Werner’s Weekly (week 19)
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:
- Clypso – On Our Way (Wildcard this week)
- Lissie – Hey Boy (Wildcard last week)
- Don Diablo presents Camp Kubrick – Whatchu Do
- mags – I Can’t Get Over You
- Milo – What’s The Matter
- Moby feat. Gregory Porter & Amythyst Kiah – Natural Blues [Reprise Version]
- Willow feat. Travis Barker – Transparent Soul
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: Coldplay, Hooverphonic, Jake Bugg, Modest Mouse, and more.