SONGS YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS WEEK

JAMES BLUNT | LOVE UNDER PRESSURE

James Blunt premieres more magic with the release of his stellar new song "Love Under Pressure," which is one of four new tracks taken from his forthcoming greatest hits album, "The Stars Beneath My Feet" (2004-2021)" which drops on November 19th on Atlantic Records. The track is co-written by singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti and produced by LA songwriting duo Afterhrs, known for their work with One Direction and Maroon 5. Building on an infectious piano-driven hook, the tune displays a powerful vocal performance from James over hypnotic dance floor beats. He says of the track: “Earlier this year during the lockdown, I was lucky enough to have a Zoom writing session with the very talented Jack Savoretti. “We had never worked together before, but our managers thought it might be a good idea to get us together to do some writing. I’m very pleased we did." James’ classic 2004 debut album ‘Back To Bedlam’ was recently named one of the top ten best-selling albums of that decade. James Blunt reinforced his reputation for writing honest, emotional songs that people can easily relate to with' Once Upon A Mind.

CHRISTOPHER | IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU

Danish singer Christopher released his new single "If It Weren't For You" just months after dropping his new album. In the song, we get nice pop that subtly flirts with the '80s and connects to the singer's new sound. Music has been very much about girls, sex and looking good. But since the 2019 album "Under The Surface," there has been a shift where Christopher instead started singing about a fake world and how he really feels. Two years later this year came a new album, "My Blood," which showed an even greater maturity. Here, electronic boy-pop was replaced by more organically driven music about his insights after meeting love and wanting to change his life for the better. It's ugly, charming, and I dig this into the bench. Still, on the theme of love and awakening, we hear the singer sing that he would have lost his mind if it were not for his wife. Judging by social media and the accompanying video, it looks like Christophe has really found his happily ever after together with his beautiful influencer wife, Cecilie Haugaard.

VALERIE BROUSSARD | DRIVE

Platinum-certified singer, songwriter and powerhouse vocalist Valerie Broussard has released her new song “Drive” off her forthcoming debut EP "Voyager" due early fall. “Drive” exudes spontaneity, as Valerie sings of breaking free from her normal routine and hitting the road with her love interest in search of “something wild.” It follows the release of “Wildflowers”—a song that speaks of a crossroads in a relationship, with Valerie assuring her partner that their love is still blooming even in bad times—and “Iris”—a captivating rendition of the Goo Goo Dolls classic. All three songs will be featured on "Voyager," which presents Valerie’s own brand of cinematic space pop uplifted by otherworldly vocals, vivid lyrics and expansive vision. Boasting over 500 million streams to date, Valerie’s dynamic vocals and emotionally charged songwriting can also be heard in massive smash collaborations such as Kygo’s “Think About You” and “The Truth,” as well as hundreds of film, television and video game placements including the 2019 League of Legends theme “Awaken” with Ray Chen and programming on NETFLIX, The CW, ABC, Prime Video, SyFy, HBO and more.

MONSTA X | ONE DAY

K-pop's transition into the English market continues as MONSTA X has returned with their brand-new English-language single titled "One Day." The six-member group – comprising Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney and I.M have been hard at work putting out new releases over the past few months. Their Japanese record "Flavors Of Love" and Korean mini-album "One Of A Kind" dropped within weeks of each other in May and June, respectively, followed by a special single "Kiss or Death" in late July. Now, the boyband single "One Day" is adding to their growing list of 2021 releases, this time in English. “The song is in line with our own emotions, so we tried to be as genuine as possible when singing it,” Joohoney says of the upbeat yet pensive track. ‘One Day’ also marks MONSTA X’s first official release without leader Shownu, who’s currently in the military. “It felt empty at first, but we’re working harder to fill his gap,” Kihyun shares, “And we miss him so much.” "One Day" marks Monsta X's first English-language single since the release of their sixth studio album, "All About Luv." The album, recorded entirely in English, peaked at No. 5 on Billboard 200 chart upon its release in February 2020.

FRANKIE J | MY LOVE IS THE WAY

Frankie J and Baby Bash have teamed up again for the new single “My Love Is On The Way.” The 90’s inspired single is just one of many that the two have done together. Frankie J and Baby Bash previously did the hits “Obsession (No Es Amor)” and “Suga Suga” together. When we interviewed Frankie J a few years back about his chemistry with Baby Bash, this is what he had to say, "The stuff I do with him, it always has to come easy because we’ve always had this connection and chemistry in the studio. It’s been there since our first song, “Suga Suga.” We always have fun. We never think about anything in the studio. We go with our gut feeling, and he’ll think of some cool concepts. I’ll do the same, and when we get together, it just comes out naturally. We don’t put too much thought into it, and that’s what people love from us. We always just come up with something fresh and have fun with it. That’s how the hits are recorded." Frankie J is currently putting the final touches on his upcoming R&B album “Back To Us.” He released the lead single “With You” with Raz B. and Paul Wall a few months back.

SAM HUNT | 23

Sam Hunt has returned with the new song “23,” the “Hard to Forget” singer’s first release since the 2020 album "Southside." Penned by Hunt with collaborators Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, and Chris LaCorte, who also served as the track’s producer. “23” takes a look back at the immutable properties of a youthful relationship. People may break up and move on, but the events remain fixed in their original sequence. The stylistically fluid Hunt gestures Eighties pop and country with “23,” incorporating sounds that feel softer and gauzier than the overdriven guitars of many country hits. A banjo and steel melody also repeat throughout the song, complementing Hunt’s delicate vocal and acoustic guitar. Hunt is currently on tour, playing both headlining shows and summer festivals. On Thursday, he’s set to play Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, followed by Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville on Friday. He’s also on the bill at South Carolina’s Greenville Country Music Fest for September 11th and the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on September 17th.