Looking to the perhaps unlikely inspiration of folk-pop hit “Let Her Go” on new similarly titled single “Let Go”, Central Cee rounds off a truly remarkable year. Most recently he was seen triumphing in a sold-out headline gig at Alexandra Palace and fronting a new Jacquemus campaign, however, in “Let Go” he delivers a characteristically catchy, but mellower cut than we’re used to. Primarily a love song in which he compares love to “quantam physics”, “Let Go” also exudes Cee’s aptitude for constant adaptation, and we can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for him.

Just when we thought HRH PinkPantheress couldn’t deliver anymore of her musical magical touch in 2022 following a string of characteristically magnetic singles, the artist has released new EP “Take Me Home”. Featuring its title track, plus previous single “Do You Miss Me?”, and the much requested official release of viral anthem “Boy’s a liar”, the star has truly taken the task of providing festive joy onto her own shoulders in this treat for fans. “I wanted to give a christmas gift for anyone in need of some upbeat music,” she says. And to that, we say thank you, Queen!

The acoustic version of Delilah Montagu’s team-up with Fred again.., on the latter’s recent album Actual Life 3 emerges as an altogether more captivating assault on the emotions. The track, based on the all too relatable experience of feeling alone or out of place on a busy night out, was written by Delilah after she retreated home for the evening. “I was out at a club and suddenly started to feel anxious, so I went home early and started to write this song,” she says. “I posted it and a few weeks later, Fred Again sent me a DM saying that he loved it and wanted to make a new version of it with me.” And the rest is history, we guess, but one thing we do know is that we can’t wait to see what Delilah pulls through with next.

The latest track from Brixton trio kid apollo signals the end of a defining year for the group following EP “u the real star here” in November. Gentle, sparse R&B cut “btw”, written by vocalist Jimmy HM explores the need to escape the pain of challenging situations. “This song was a way of me validating myself going out and just doing things that waste my time in order to take my mind off something. Sometimes this is the best way to deal with it, as it’s the only way to free up your mind of the situation.”

Nigerian singer/producer Bloody Civiian has shared the video for her October debut single “How To Kill A Man”. The satiricially-approached murder-themed track is rooted in female empowerment and the video, self-directed by Bloody herself, elevates its message to even greater echelons. “I wanted to show a well-rounded story of women’s power and togetherness,” Bloody says. “Ironically this also came through in production as well; we had a very beautiful and willing team and everybody came through in a beautiful way.”

“We’re being taken for mugs” Asher Kosher raps on sharp, blistering take on current times, “Mug”. The evaluation of life in modern Britain from the North London rapper and founding member of Hackney studio and artist community Root 73, is accompanied by a witty but deftly-made video set in concrete backdrops across the capital. “I wrote this song ages ago” Asher says, “but it’s more relevant today than ever before.. and globally too.”

One microphone in their bedroom is all it took angelus to record their entrancing EP “majorette”. The UK-born, French-raised alt-pop icon in the making combines gigantic pop hooks with grunge guitar riffs of equal proportions, exhibiting a fearlessness with genre that has seen the likes of Rina Sawayama define an intoxicating new era of pop in recent years. With each track on the project documenting how angelus felt at a particular moment in their life, the result is an offering that might just see them enter their very own star-making epoch.

Ready to shake up UK hip-hop, trio Frozemode vaulted onto the scene with drum’n’bass- indebted track “Maybelline” last week. Now dropping the visuals to go alongside it, the three-piece opt not for the glossy look one might expect from the beauty brand behind its name sake, but rather one rooted in carnage and retro vhs vibes – visuals ripe for a scene-changing phenomenon of tomorrow, who have plausibly delivered one of the best UK hip-hop debut cuts in recent memory.

Newcomer Nieve Ella serves up vulnerability on a platter. Hailing from the West Midlands, she blazed onto the scene with her debut single “Girlfriend” this summer. Cultivating her 90s-esque, dreamy guitar-pop sound, Ella has already garnered support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Introducing, Greg James, and Jack Saunders. With 600k streams on Spotify to boot, Ella is ready to fan the flames with her debut EP “Young & Naive”. “Glasshouses” is the first single to be released off of the EP, wherein Ella’s voices croons over tentative guitar chords, while the production crescendos into a soaring chorus. With the full EP arriving on the 20th of January, we’re waiting with anticipation for what else is to come.