Tag Archives: pop rap

OUT NOW: Yonna Jones Greets the ‘SUNRISE’

A brand-new era of Yonna Jones’ artistry begins with the bright promise of a new day.

“SUNRISE” is an affirming anthem that encourages us toward seeing a life full of possibility. The new single is the first of a new batch of “movement music” from the Chicago native (and NEXT2RISE artist), who aims to motivate and inspire with messages of perseverance.

And, with empowering lyrics like these, it’s safe to say that Yonna has hit the intended target with this one:

“Everything that you need is right in front of you.
I know you don’t want to lose. We chase the ‘W’.
I was sitting, wondering what my life was coming to
Until I chose to open up and let the light shine through.”

Sonically, “SUNRISE” spreads its golden light upon us with a blend of pop and hip hop, complete with clean, jangly guitars and shimmering melodies. Let it brighten up your day!

LISTEN: Spence Brown Tells Us Life Isn’t Always ‘Easy’ — and That’s OK!

After a long, contemplative winter and spring, Spence Brown has reached the summer with a new sense of perspective and — dare we say? — optimism.

That’s what shines through on “Easy,” Brown’s latest single, released May 31. The final release before his album, 4am in Nashville, arrives this summer, “Easy” is a breath of fresh air, and the first glimpse of sunlight over the horizon after a cold winter’s night.

“One of the most fascinating emotions to me is the feeling of something being bittersweet, and at the end of the day, that’s really what life is like,” Brown said. “We’re here living, trying to figure out who we are and what to do with this one life we get. In the process, we end up feeling the full spectrum of emotions that we can as human beings, and realize that we — and everyone we know and love — will someday leave this plane of existence. That is the most bittersweet feeling that there is, so don’t take it for granted. Understand that, for the good to exist, the bad must also exist, and sometimes things just take a little bit of time and hard work.”

Like the rest of Brown’s releases, “Easy” was self-produced, with every detail curated to provide a thoughtful, cathartic experience for artist and listener alike.

“I started this song with a sample from Splice, but as I often do, I wanted to make the song my own and create something that still felt original,” Brown said. “So, I used the sample in the verses, and then mirrored the melody into a different instrument in Logic and added the vocal stacks that fill out the background. I tweaked the mix for months, just trying to make it perfect, because the song just meant so much to me.”

Songs You Should Hear: Emo’s Second Golden Age; Introspection and Melancholy

With a title like that, you know you’re in for some tunes that will make you feel all of the feels this week!

Art is expression, and sometimes, musicians have difficult emotions to express. We have a good handful of emotionally-charged tunes this week that will surely help you release what you’ve been holding in.

Breathe deep and get ready for these…

Songs You Should Hear: Jan. 21, 2022

Hear What You Should

UMC20: Sept. 10, 2019

It’s a busy week here at UMC. There’s a new episode of The Quinn Spinn out. We have tons of submissions to catch up on from vacation (and even before). Oh, and it’s Americanafest in Nashville this week, and we’re going out to get us some of that, starting tonight.

When will we sleep? We don’t know!

Listen to UMC20