Toronto’s oH! The Artist ‘Risks It All’ With New Single and Wins Big, Bringing Heartfelt R&B Back to the Spotlight

Good news, fellas: It’s safe to share your feelings again. And for that, you can thank Toronto-based R&B soul-barer oH!, who on his new single, “Risk It All,” is single-handedly bringing sincerity back.

With an openness and vulnerability that could make any lady’s heart melt, our hero admits how hard it is to commit to love in a world that’s full of traps and fakes. But he’s real, dammit, and he’s looking to get with a girl who’s real too—ideally, the one who’s standing right there in front of him.

I’m ready and I’m able
Wanna turn the tables, girl
I’m scared but I’m ready for us, yeah
I’m ready to risk it all

Songwriters can find inspiration at any place at any time. For Indigenous folk rock Mike Bern, a yard sale discovery was the seed which fueled his latest and possibly greatest effort in "We Are The Stars," a beautiful ballad which is sure to join previous singles "Reverberation" and "New World" which appeared on the Indigenous Music Countdown charts.

Bern, a native of Tobique First Nation, New Brunswick (Wolasoqey (maliseet)), says he found a poem in an old book he discovered at a yard sale entitled Algonquin Legends. "In the book it has myths and folklore of the Wabanaki People," he says. "In the 1800s, all these songs and stories were collected. The poem 'We Are The Stars' stood out to me, and I loved it so much I wanted to incorporate my style of music."

Sometimes the best creative sparks in life come from making a small mistake. For folk, pop, and soul musician Donny Smith, a simple phrase directed to his wife one day was all that was needed for "Adore You," an engaging piece of ear candy that shines thanks to highbrow pop sensibilities and packs plenty of style.

"One day, I looked at my wife and, instead of saying 'I love you' as I usually would, the words 'I adore you' came out," Smith, says. "That small but meaningful phrase struck with me, and I knew it had the potential to blossom into something special. From that moment, the song was born."

"Adore You," written and recorded by Smith but with production and mastering duties done by his brother David Smith, is pristine adult contemporary pop that is as flawless as it is catchy. Smith attributes the song's synergy to the near telepathic nature the brothers have when it comes to creating music. "Over the years, we've developed what I call a 'musical sixth sense,'" Smith says. "We instinctively know each other's strengths, sounds, and creative limits, which makes collaborating feel seamless. This connection was invaluable in bringing 'Adore You' to life."

Remembering the first night you met your significant other can bring back vivid memories. Or in the case of Joe Ferland, guitarist and singer for Toronto "neo jam band" Danceland, it can help stoke the fires of creation. The end result is "Sapphire," a winding but wonderful new single from the band's Licky album that sounds fresh and exciting while conjuring up images of late '60s greats like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead.

"It is about the night that (Danceland singer and Ferland's wife) Jale and I's love affair began," Ferland says. "We had been hanging out and playing in bands together. Then, one night, a bunch of friends went to a dance club called Sapphire that our bandmate and friend was bar tending at. Jale and I danced all night."

Christmas is often a time of getting gifts, wrapping gifts, visiting friends, and preparing rather large meals. It's a busy time when one should be relaxing, watching the snow fall as loved ones enjoy the warmth of a fireplace, candles, and the company of each other. And listening to gentle, soothing songs that evoke memories of simpler times. That feeling is felt throughout the hauntingly brilliant Snow Came Falling, a Christmas album by Woolwich, Ontario-based folksinger Carla Muller. It's an album inspired by her father and family and epitomizes Christmas at its essence.

Issues of addiction are painful for all concerned. From those in the horrific throes of substance abuse to those loved ones and friends who are trying to intervene or provide tough love, it's a situation that affects everyone. For Americana folk rock artist Tyler Mullendore, that issue is addressed honestly and movingly in "Mama Cry," a soothing single from Mullendore's debut EP Time Heals Everything. It's a song Mullendore says hits quite close to home.

"'Mama Cry' is probably the most emotional song on the record, and it's very personal to me," Mullendore, a native of Lake Ainslie, a small locale in the western portion of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, says. "The song reads like an intervention letter."

Even in our moments of deepest despair, we’re subconsciously laying the groundwork for what lies ahead. That’s the emotional space Toronto electro-rocker Trak occupies on his new single, “Dust & Ashes”: a crossroads between the wreckage of yesterday and the mystery of tomorrow, where our surest compass is an indomitable will to move forward that we may not even know we have.

Introducing The Petracca Project, a bold new collaborative effort uniting songwriter C.P. Petracca, producer Ben Pelchat, and vocalist Jeff Smith. Their debut single, “I Still Believe,” is a rallying anthem of freedom and unity, released just in time to inspire unity among listeners.

Initially created for music publishing, “I Still Believe” was intended to be pitched to other artists. However, the production process went so smoothly, and the track’s impact was so profound that the team decided to release it as a final cut, rather than just a demo. The song taps into powerful emotions stemming from the 2022 COVID-19 lockdowns and the Freedom Convoy movement, where Canadian and American truckers protested vaccine mandates that restricted their movement across the U.S.-Canada border.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” that Shakespeare dude once said. But as Canadian hip-hop legend Saukrates takes stock of his life in his latest single, “Comin’ Up,” he isn’t feeling anxious as much as determined—clear-eyed about who he is, the challenges he’s weathered, and how many miles there are left to go before he gets the full measure of props he so richly deserves.

Sarah Burton continues to ride high in 2024 with a brilliant collection of Americana roots music from her Swoonville USA album. Now the Ottawa, Ontario-born, Toronto and Texas-based singer-songwriter is back with one of the year's better double A-side releases in "Sorry" and "Oklahoma." Although both are different in terms of structure, style, and sound, the quality and musicianship is something to be envied by anyone who appreciates great, infectious music.

"Sorry" is a reflective, contemplative nugget Burton says speaks to acknowledging past mistakes that could run the gamut from little white lies to something far more significant. It's a universal emotion that causes people to relive those miscues and criticize themselves for what they did at the time. And it's something Burton admits to.

Sorry:

There are songs which one can't help but listen to for their infectious riff or groove. And there are others because you never know what's around the corner. The latter is certainly the case for "Within A Dream," the latest lavishly produced single from Munich, Germany-born and now Toronto-based trip hop singer Nathalie King. It's a song which is equally unnerving and dreamy as King's commanding voice works perfectly in tandem with the hushed trip hop structure.

Yukon musician/producer Matthew Lien has released his 25^th album and his most ambitious to date. Seven years in the making, Full Circle features many of Lien’s trademark characteristics spanning acoustic styles from folk to pop wrapped up in environmental soundscapes, and all of it has been produced in Lien’s new award-winning immersive format developed especially for earphones.

“When I first started recording in the 1980s, headphones were rarely used,” Lien said. “But with the proliferation of smartphones, they’re everywhere!”

The daily grind or rat race can swallow up a person entirely and leave them feeling helpless alongside being physically and mentally exhausted. You're always in a rush, and there's never enough time to stop and smell the roses. Mississauga, Ontario-based folk rock artist Matt Zaddy has described that situation vividly in "Far Too Long," his latest single, which shines with its Americana, alt-country flavoring. It's also a song which hit close to home for the musician who was burning the candle at three ends between his day job, his family life, and his music pursuits.

The topics of religion and romance can sometimes cause division and be a sticking point among people for various reasons. But country singer Mark Ledlin has thrown a curve ball of sorts into the mix with an incredibly witty angle for his latest single, "Jealous Of Jesus." For the German-born artist now based in Vancouver, the song's genesis (pardon the pun) came from a discussion he was having with a friend in a bar.

It's rare that a song is named after a test which is "used to assess a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human." But for Vancouver-born, Victoria-based indie folk pop artist Kele Fleming, there's proof of a beating heart in the stellar new single "Turing Test." Simply put, no amount of artificial intelligence or machinery could craft such a pristine piece of work that is as ethereal as it is soulful.

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Kele Fleming's "Turing Test" is a haunting, introspective track that fuses Bruce Springsteen's heartland rock with the ethereal vibes of Cocteau Twins. It explores AI's quest for self-awareness and identity, reflecting humanity's untapped potential and cosmic connection. Through lush, layered sounds and evocative lyrics, the song invites listeners to ponder technology's allure, identity, and the ecstasy—and risks—of existence.

Toronto’s hardest rockers, Dead Romantic, are back with a vengeance. Their latest single, *"Caught In The Moment,"* doesn’t just hit—it *slams*. This explosive track is a visceral punch to the gut, capturing the suffocating weight of feeling unseen, unheard, and trapped in your own emotions. The song’s ferocity and emotional honesty hit like a freight train, making it clear that Dead Romantic have just cracked the code to turning pain into power.

As the eyes of an anxious world turn toward the flipping of another calendar, everybody is wondering what 2025 is going to be like. Baltimore, MD angst-rockers Carbonstone have a ready if troubling answer: like a masochistic relationship.

On their delightfully disturbing new single, “Echoes,” the Charm City grind-’n-grandeur outfit lay out a textbook study in tender loving abuse. Lead vocalist/songwriter Corey James starts off by verbally confronting a partner who, he charges, likes to watch him bleed. “It’s like you love my suffering,” he challenges.

open.spotify.com/track/19wOdWB4UhKy9fWICrhjuJ

There are songs that are equally enjoyable whether you're on the beach on a warm sunny day, taking a long walk on the beach as the sun sets or the moon rises, or when you want to dim the lights and have more romantic encounters. For Montreal-based reggae singer Auresia, she has managed to tap into those vibes with her soulful, smooth and ultra-soothing single "Beautiful (Like the Sun We Rise)." Auresia says the song offers hope in an age where romance becomes sadly the exception and not the rule.

When young and in love, nothing is impossible. There are no hurdles or obstacles that can't be overcome. But sometimes life throws a huge wrench into relationships, resulting in that dreamy, youthful optimism running headlong into reality. For Kamloops, BC-based country singer Anita Hamilton, that narrative is fabulously captured in the sharp, summer-driving single "Love In A Small Town." The singer says the song's inspiration came from her own story.

"Writing this song was in response to a traumatic event that happened during my first serious relationship," Hamilton says. "I was head over heels in love with a college football player who experienced a severe sports injury, ending his football career. Taking months to recover, we worked hard to pay for his medical bills and adjust to the new future that lay in front of us. 'Love In A Small Town' is the story I told myself about how happily ever after can exist, even when it isn't the future the young lovers envisioned for themselves. Sometimes homecoming queens trade up to a wedding gown, happily living out the rest of their lives, proud to remain in their hometown."

There have been several timeless duets that leave a lasting mark. Whether it's Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks, Americana darlings Buddy and Julie Miller or the late Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, there is an intangible found in their duets that is mesmerizing. Now Sterling, Virginia-based musician Drew Gibson has created "Burning Horses," a beautiful new single featuring Maddi Mae found on Gibson's charming new album Burning Horses.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL-n4vzwgFs