Hey there Gigantic gang!
We are back with a whole load of new tracks and albums you need to know plus the tickets to hear them played live. Stick with Gigantic every #NewMusicFriday to discover everything you need to know.
Singles
ED SHEERAN feat. Chance The Rapper & PnB Rock – ‘Cross Me’
Back in 2011, a little-known songwriter called Ed Sheeran released his ‘No. 5 Collaborations Project’ EP – the fifth instalment of a series of records which saw him team up with rising UK rappers. Since then, Sheeran has gone on to become one of the biggest stars in music of all time, boasting four Grammy Awards, sales of 130 million records and near countless fans around the world.
Sheeran now returns to his project with ‘No. 6 Collaborations Project’ which includes the single ‘Cross Me’ which sees him team up with Chance The Rapper plus PnB Rock. Recorded on tour using his laptop, Sheeran grabbed people on the road to join in with him. Although, he tends to rub shoulders with a few more famous people than you and I do;
“It was when I [worked with] Beyoncé and Andrea Bocelli, and I had them both on the ‘Perfect’ single, that I started a thing on my laptop, ‘No. 6 Collaborations. And just throughout the year while I was on tour, any time I met anyone that I’d been a fan of, it was the first time I’d been able to be like, ‘Let’s get in the studio’…For me, this is a compilation album of artists that I am a fan of.”
Ed Sheeran tickets are currently available.
LOUISE – ‘Small Talk’
Continuing her unstoppable comeback; former member of Eternal and solo artist Louise now releases her heartbroken song ‘Small Talk’, the second single taken from her upcoming album ‘Heavy Love’ released on Friday 18th of October.
“Small Talk is a personal favourite of mine. I remember during the recording process thinking lyrically this song was really clever and also so relatable no matter whoever you are. I’m so excited to share with you another song from the album.”
Clearly referencing her high-profile breakup with ex-husband Jamie Rednapp, ‘Small Talk’ is a deeply personal song with lyrics written by Louise listing all the intimate reminders of what had made the relationship so special, everything that had been shared and what could have been, only to now be so very apart; "We used to be in love, we used to be inseparable \\ Now it's a little awkward, it's like we've never met before \\ It's almost like we're strangers remember when we had it all \\ We used to dream big, but now it's just small talk."
Louise tickets are currently available.
Albums
SKEPTA – ‘IGNORANCEisBLISS’
After taking home the illustrious Mercury Prize for his stunning album ‘Konnichiwa’ three years ago, all eyes are on North London grime champion Skepta now he’s just dropped ‘IGNORANCEisBLISS’. Produced by both Skepta (AKA Joseph Junior Adenuga Jr.) and Ragz Originale, the new record details life now he’s found fame whilst still highlighting the problems of crime, violence and drug use that plague the streets.
Make sure you see Tottenham’s finest rapstar when he headlines Field Day. The impressive London festival hits Meridian Water from Friday 7th till Sunday 9th of June. This will be his only summer performance in the capital so you know you need to be there!
Skepta tickets are currently available.
ROSIE LOWE – ‘YU’
Following on from her remarkable debut album ‘Control’ released in 2016, atmospheric Devonshire electronic soul artist Rosie Lowe is back with her compelling follow up LP ‘YU’.
Introspective yet never egotistical, ‘YU’ is refreshingly light as Lowe reflects upon the changes she has undergone from childhood to today. It also investigates how she feels her roles change with different relationships: “(‘YU’) is about other. I wanted to write about my experience of sharing my life with another as a lover, friend and partner.”
Her second album was produced by Dave Okumu (The Invisible, Grace Jones, Jessie Ware) and features guest appearances from a glittering accompanying cast of stars including Kwabs, Jamie Lidell, Jordan Rakei and The P Funk Choir of Jamie Woon. The highlight comes in the form of the single ‘Birdsong’ which she describes as having been inspired by “lust and desire, but with the lingering sense of insecurity and longing.”
Rosie Lowe tickets are currently available.
YONAKA – ‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’
Having built a solid fanbase right around the UK with their electrifying live shows and grabbing the attention of every music publication, fans have been eagerly awaiting the first full length record from YONAKA. The Brighton based band have now dropped their debut album ‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’ and it is truly amazing.
While the hype could have easily crushed the fourpiece under a tide of hyperbole, they have succeeded in capturing the energy and excitement of their performances and somehow elevating it into eleven tracks of highly polished yet utterly thrilling tracks of emotional electronica tinged rock. At a time when alternative British music seems bereft of any true icons, YONAKA are showing every sign of becoming the next big stars.
Make sure you catch YONAKA at All Points East (Victoria Park, London) on Friday 31st of May when they support the mighty metalcore heroes Bring Me The Horizon. Plus, they head out on tour next month where they will be tearing it up at their own headline gigs.