You don’t want to miss this week’s new music! Listen to new releases from emerging Spanish popstar Maria Sioke, K-Pop band 2PM, and Portuguese Hip-Hop legend Tekilla.
MARIA SIOKE – Motto (Ladradora)
The Spanish singer-songwriter Maria Sioke presents her debut album, MOTTO, after working for over two years to achieve her futuristic pop sound. The album’s ten tracks are filled with vocal games and harmonies that compliment the originality in each of Sioke’s lyrics. Earlier this year, Sioke gave fans the first glimpse of MOTTO with the release of her single, “Soltera.” The song and accompanying music video are reminiscent of early 2000s pop culture, with references to Xtina, Madonna, Britney, and MTV. The album’s second single, “Bambambam,” has an infectious energy thanks to the song’s reggaeton style and layered vocal production. According to Maria Sioke, the album was inspired by two central concepts: The Ideal and the Motto. Maria Sioke defines the Ideal as “the instant of achieving something through the motor, the beautiful, the clear, the transparent peace. A bandage that covers the wounds, the clouds, the sea and the clear day.” Sioke explains that we can access The Ideal through The Motto, which she describes as an: “inner force that makes you pursue your goals, that propels you and makes you burn.” With the release of MOTTO, Maria Sioke proves she is capable of breaking the confines of mainstream pop, and sets an exciting tone for the rest of her career.
2PM – MUST (JYP Entertainment)
K-Pop group 2PM presents their album MUST, their first project as a full group in five years. The band’s energetic comeback arrives after members have completed their mandatory military services, and fans agree that the highly-anticipated album was worth the wait. 2PM debuted as a seven-member boy band in 2008 and quickly rose to fame, with their “dynamic, acrobatic choreography and hyper masculine image” explains NME. Now their 7th album release, MUST features ten tracks that borrow from jazz and pop genres and maintain the group’s signature electronic sound. Written and composed by WOOYOUNG!, the album’s groovy title song “Make It” showcases the group’s assured, charismatic boy band musicality. MUST plays as a new sonic introduction to the group, with the simple authenticity of each song truly capturing the essence of 2PM while demonstrating their matured sound and presence.
Tekilla – Olhos De Vidro (Batakari)
In his first full-length project since 2014, Portuguese Hip-Hop pioneer Tekilla presents his highly anticipated fourth album, Olhos de Vidro. Directly translated as ‘Glass Eyes,’ the album features collaborations with Tekilla’s older acquaintances such as Dino D’Santiago and Papillon, as well as with newer, emerging artists such as Sara Soulful. Born in Peniche to Angolan and Italian parents, Telmo Galeano (Tekilla) grew up to become an unavoidable name in Portuguese Hip-Hop, with a long career that links him to one of the first waves of national MCs. Tekilla’s sound has evolved since his debut mixtape in 1995, and his upcoming album explores multiple genres from Afro-Pop and Soul to R&B genres, while incorporating musical influences from different generations of Hip-Hop. Through his music’s unfiltered lyrics and timeless orchestrations, Tekilla tells Koffee Luso that he hopes to “expose yesterday, today and tomorrow through music, respect what so many have given, and continue to give to this movement, honor but also innovate.” The album features Tekilla’s single, “Lendas,” which distinctly bridges the gap between old and new school Hip-Hop with its street-style production and clever punchlines. The album arrived on streaming platforms today (July 2) and is Tekilla’s the first project represented by BBE Music’s “baby-sister” label, Batakari.
