NEW GREGORY PORTER!: gregory porter - revival

AUDIO PREMIERE: sam smith - pray

sam smith - pray
giving his fans the closing song of his upcoming album 'the thrill of it all', the lyrics to 'pray' seem to channel the current state of mind culminating with the rousing lyrics of 'everyone prays in the end'. it's a admirable sentiment helped by the producing skills of timbaland (who knew he could do a gospel ballad like this?)

WONGIE INDIE SONG OF THE WEEK: cold war kids - love is mystical

cold war kids - love is mystical
there's something wonderfully timely for LA rockers cold war kids to put out a positive foot stomping jam that celebrates hope and love in this current climate. of course it helps that frontman nathan willett has an amazingly soulful voice to lift this song to a new level. love these guys!

WONGIE SOUL SONG OF THE WEEK: d/c - badman

d/c - badman (live @ mahogany session)
nothing like discovering a new soulful singer songwriter from the UK through this wonderful self penned track. just listening to daniel caplen's (aka d/c) gravelly storied voice telling his story of redemption through this gospel tinged gem is worth our collective love. definitely one to keep on our radar!

wanna hear the studio version of badman (and some other lovely tracks?), click on the soundcloud player below:

WONGIE SOUL SONG OF THE WEEK: brandy - beggin & pleadin

brandy - beggin & pleadin
um... where has THIS brandy been all my life? the singer/actress has taken her time to release any new material (since 2012 yo!) but if this all-in spirit is the way forward for her, then this will be a very exciting musical period for her! i'm excited!!!

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: joy williams - woman (oh mama)

joy williams - woman (oh mama)
welcome to your female empowerment anthem of the week. co-writing with the amazing audra mae (and matt morris), this sparse gospel-esque jam just builds on itself until the powerful climax, showcasing what will be an exciting solo album for the ex-civil wars member. can't wait to see her live!

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: jamie xx feat romy - loud places

jamie xx feat romy - loud places
with his debut album 'in colour' set for a summer release, jamie xx brings us his latest single featuring his xx co-member romy madley croft on vocals. the melancholic chill ballad evolves into a gospel-esque singalong with the sadness deeply rooted through the tune. it's all sorts of brilliant really!

wanna hear more tracks from the upcoming album? check out some songs below!

VIDEO PREMIERE: david guetta feat emeli sande - what i did for love

david guetta feat emeli sande - what i did for love
from the very first time i heard this epic soulful house song, it just felt primed for worldwide success! with emeli's vulnerable vocals mixed in with the uplifting piano chords, this song is just massive!!

VIDEO PREMIERE: rihanna feat kanye west & paul mccartney - four five seconds

rihanna feat kanye west & paul mccartney - four five seconds
UPDATED with the brand spanking new video with the three massive stars looking VERY good in black and white!
seemingly out of nowhere, riri put out this acoustic gospel infused number which features kanye on guest vocals and this hot newbie named paul mccartney that has been popping up everywhere these days! is this a new direction for the pop diva? she sure sounds wonderful!

AUDIO PREMIERE: mary j blige - therapy

mary j blige - therapy
co-written by jimmy napes and sam smith, this jazzy gospel number is by far the best thing i've heard from mjb's upcoming 'the london sessions' so far (call me blasphemous, but every song just lacks a certain oomph). working with the creme of the current uk soul scene, you would have thought that the disclosure, naughty boy, emeli sande touches would bring something kick ass to this diva. maybe the other tracks will surprise me...

WONGIE SOUL SONG OF THE WEEK: meg mac - roll up your sleeves

meg mac - roll up your sleeves
oh her voice! meg sets up her debut EP with this gospel infused soul number that is just the kind of uplift you need for your day. we LOVED her previous single "every lie" and we're already playing this on repeat!

want more? check out meg's AWESOME cover of the broods "bridges" below:


meg mac - bridges (broods cover @ triple j like a version)

NEW HOZIER!: hozier - sedated

hozier - sedated
with his debut album planned for a september release, this new single is another in a lovely line of epic soulful tunes from this irish singer songwriter.

WONGIE INDIE DANCE SONG OF THE WEEK: tourist feat lianne la havas - patterns

tourist feat lianne la havas - patterns
like his previous work, the slow build from simple notes to epic gospel singalong is what makes this collaboration with the amazing lianne la havas so wonderful. this is pretty awesome stuff for your weekend!

WONGIE SOUL SONG OF THE WEEK: duke dumont feat mnek - hold on

duke dumont feat mnek - hold on
with tinges of deep house, disco and gospel, duke dumont follows up his smash 'need u 100%' with a more melancholic soulful number fronted by the amazing vocals of uk singer mnek. though not an insta catchy hit, this is the kind of number that you can lose yourself on the dancefloor with. just wonderful.

WEEKEND SOUNDTRACK: mavis staples - i like the things about me

mavis staples - i like the things about me
written by her late father 'pop' when she was a member of the stapes singers, the 73 year old soul icon mavis staples revisits this personal song with the help of jeff tweedy (wilco) who also produced the album 'one true vine'. there's nothing like listening to these lived-in vocals on the weekend i tell you!

WONGIE SONG OF THE MONTH: macklemore & ryan lewis feat ray dalton - can't hold us

macklemore & ryan lewis feat ray dalton - can't hold us
i don't think i've commented about this seattle rapper on this blog (even though 'thrift shop' landed in my year end guilty pleasure list), but ben haggerty (aka macklemore) and his partner ryan lewis released one of the most musically commercial and lyrically diverse albums of last year. in the case of their latest single, the sound is truly joyous! throw in their perfectly curated visual creativity and wacky dress sense, and you've got a definite smash for the season.

wanna see their amazing live performance on the MTV movie awards? check it out below:

WONGIE DISCOVERY: cold specks - holland / when the city lights dim / blank maps

it's all about the voice. when you hear stories the second they open their mouths, it's like receiving a wonderful gift that you will forever be grateful for. cold specks, aka al spx, offers up a dark mix of blues, gospel and folk, all the while with a quiet resolve. it's definitely mesmerizing. shortlisted for a polaris prize last year, cold specks looks to break through her buzz within canada and venture to the rest of the world. i for one am looking forward to experiencing more!

cold specks - holland (live @ other voices)


cold specks - when the city lights dim


cold specks - blank maps
i love how this song just builds in it's quiet intensity. just beautiful!

WONGIE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: yeah yeah yeahs - sacrilege

yeah yeah yeahs - sacrilege
damn, not only does this video mark a very welcome return of the yeah yeah yeahs, but it also showcases the amazing creative skills of the video collective megaforce and their freaky ways. throw in lily cole as the town hussy and well, you've got something truly glorious here! brilliant!

AUDIO PREMIERE!: yeah yeah yeahs - sacrilege

yeah yeah yeahs - sacrilege
they're baaaack! after a 4 year hiatus, karen o and crew return with a massive new single (which reaches fever pitch with a full on gospel choir!) leading up to their new album 'mosquito' in april. if the rest of the album is anything like this wonderful single, then we have a great new album on our hands!