Tag Archives: LGBTQ+

Music, Artist to Watch

Niki Black Premieres Debut Single, “Not Coming Up”

Leave a comment

Born and raised in Los Angeles, indie-pop songstress Niki Black has crafted a sound as unique as herself. Growing up in a mixed heritage household, Niki blended her father’s Chicago blues roots with her mother’s love of Iranian pop and classical music.  She also cites flamboyant Operatic arias, the expressiveness of musical theater, as well as Lorde, Blood Orange, and Years & Years as major influences, “They’re the perfect blend of otherworldliness, beauty, modernity, and rebellion,” shares Niki.

Niki Black just dropped her debut single, “Not Coming Up” and it’s everything we’ve been craving from pop music!  The single is dark, brooding, and beautiful, inspired by her first queer relationship.  Niki is set to release her debut EP soon which closely mirrors Dante’s Divine Comedy and inspired by her studies in feminist theology loosely describes the journey from heaven to oblivion, or hell.  “I wanted to retell that descent from a modern feminine perspective, one of the damned, which some of us may feel like sometimes, or all the time….whether it’s from religion directly, from a relationship, or from yourself,” shares Niki.

Listen to Niki Black’s debut single “Not Coming Up” on Spotify below!

Grab a copy of “Not Coming Up” on iTunes and Amazon!

Be sure to follow Niki Black and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your new favorite artists.

 

Album Release, Music, Music Video

Somme Releases Debut Self Titled EP

Leave a comment

Somme is ready to take the spotlight with her debut self titled EP.  Jordan Cantor, professionally known as Somme, has been playing guitar since she was 6, started writing songs a few years later, and then mastered the drums and bass by the tender age of 12. After performing in the indie rock band Traffic Bear in high school, Jordan enrolled in The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU but decided to take an internship at Killphonic in Los Angeles for first hand industry experience.  Since moving to LA, Jordan created her art-pop persona Somme and began writing what would be her debut EP.

Jordan Cantor embraces her new identity Somme, drawing inspiration from the greatest female songstresses and powerhouses like Robyn, Lorde, and of course Fleetwood Mac.  She spent a year and a half writing and recording songs for her debut and strips away layers exposing the most vulnerable parts creating a debut that is equal parts beautiful, heart wrenching, and soulful.

Watch the official video for “Ordinary Fool” below.

Stream her debut EP, SOMME on Spotify or grab a copy on iTunes or Amazon!

Be sure to follow Somme and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your new favorite artists.

Music

Parker Matthews Releases “Hit and Run”

Leave a comment

Parker Matthews is a rising young artist you’ll want to keep tabs on in 2018! The Pittsburgh native is a pop superstar in the making. Parker got his first taste of how deeply music can affect a person while watching Whitney Houston’s breathtaking GRAMMY Performance when he was growing up, inspiring him to follow a path in music.

Parker has partnered with The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as an advocate for anti-bullying, and is active with several LGBTQ+ organizations to share a message of hope and spread positivity.  Parker says, “I want to really help people realize that it does get better. You as a person have the power to change your life, to choose to be happy, and to make the right choice on what path to lead.”

Parker Matthews’ brand new single “Hit And Run” is about a fling that has potential to become something much more serious.  Parker’s positive attitude shines through the song and gives the listener hope that it actually could work out!

Listen to “Hit And Run” on SoundCloud below.

Grab a copy of “Hit And Run” on iTunes or Amazon now.

Be sure to follow Parker Matthews and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on your new favorite artists!

Artist to Watch, Music

Artist To Watch: Rayvon Owen

Leave a comment

Rayvon Owen is pop’s newest It Boy for 2018 and rightfully so! His upbeat introspective tracks are a fresh take on life and love with his smooth vocals adding the true shimmer on everything he does.

Rayvon’s latest track, “Gold,” is about that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you first start to fall in love with someone. When asked about the track and his future EP,  Rayvon says “What better feeling do you have? Falling in love is such a beautiful thing. I love singing about love in general — the good and the bad — I write sad songs too, which will be on the future project too. You’ll kind of see the whole gamut. But in that moment, we were feeling good and thankful.”

Not only is Rayvon a pop superstar in the making, he’s also extremely active within the LGBTQ+ community, partnering with the Trevor Project, Human Rights Campaign, and the POINT Foundation.  “I was so afraid, being from the South and being black and coming from a more conservative area and growing up in an environment that is not very conducive to being gay or even questioning your sexuality,” Rayvon adds.  When he came out and shared the news with his fans, he said they were influential in helping in him realize he made the right decision, “I would get a message from someone who would say this helped me come out to my parents, or saved me from taking my life. And it’s just like- ok, this is worth it.”

You’ll be hearing a lot from Rayvon in the coming months as he puts the finishing touches on his forthcoming project which he says will put a lot of himself on display and let the listeners get to know him as a person and artist.  “People go through a lot every day and I think you can get really down when you’re only hearing negative things about what people are saying about you, or what people are doing to you. I think that the best thing you can do is to be yourself and I hope that people find that message through my music,” he says.

Listen to “Gold”  on SoundCloud below!

Grab a copy of “Gold” on iTunes and Amazon now.

Be sure to follow Rayvon Owen and Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest on our favorite new artists!