NEW MISSY ELLIOTT!: missy elliott - why i still love you

WONGIE BEST OF 2019: brittany howard - stay high

brittany howard - stay high

VIDEO PREMIERE: bazzi - i.f.l.y.

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: amber mark - what if

WONGIE SOUL JAM OF THE WEEK: no rome feat the 1975 - narcissist

no rome feat the 1975 - narcissist
it's so exciting to listen to a new gen of songwriters celebrate all the soul hooks of the 90's/00's again! manila based no rome has quickly turned into one of my fave debut acts of 2018 and with the 1975 on producer helm, they are churning out some serious grooves for you to jam to! love this song!!

WONGIE SOUL BALLAD OF THE WEEK: leon bridges - beyond

leon bridges - beyond
i mean... how cute is this video? leon bridges not only gives us one of the more romantic numbers off his album 'good thing' but he fills us with happy thoughts by being a total softie here. i'm not blushing... you're blushing!!

WONGIE BALLAD OF THE WEEK: lake street dive - i can change

lake street dive - i can change
normally when you hear a lake street dive song, you're expecting an upbeat fun retro jam led by the thick soulful vocal of rachael price. so imagine my surprise listening to their new single 'i can change' from their upcoming album 'free yourself up'. instead of a jazzy four piece number, it's a thoughtful acoustic ballad which strips down their sound to just rachael and a guitar. it's immensely lovely and tells me that the new album will be expanding their talents to incorporate some new sounds. yaaay!

but don't fret, you can still listen to rachael soul out vocally on their album's 1st release 'good kisser':

lake street dive - good kisser (live)

and since we're such big fans, here is the song that introduced me to this glorious posse:

lake street dive - you go down smooth (live)

WONGIE SOUL SONG(s) OF THE WEEK: leon bridges - bad bad news / bet ain't worth the hand

leon bridges - bad bad news
directed by natalie rea and starring the gorgeous paloma elsesser, this jazzy groove jam marks an updated sound from the soul crooner that has diehard fans learning how to process potentially dancing to his music from now on. all this makes his upcoming album 'good thing' very exciting for the rest of us who are more than happy to go along with whatever musical direction he's taking us on.

leon bridges - bet ain't worth the hand
[UPDATE 4/2: check out the video premiere of this dreamy video!] ok fine, you want retro soul, you got it! leon channels the spirit of the doo wop era with lush orchestrations of the 60's thrown in. it's gorgeous and marks a perfect bookend of what's to come on this album. so excited!!!

WONGIE SOUL SONG OF THE WEEK: justin timberlake - man of the woods

justin timberlake - man of the woods
ok i have to say that i was really looking forward to listening to JT's country/ americana album, but it's pretty official that the misleading album promo is just a visual front and the album 'man of the woods' is still showcasing a man rooted in soul. the nice thing about the title track is that it's a catchy low key effort (it even has an acapella breakdown) that is a subtle change for both JT and producers the neptunes. there's alot more of these jams on the album, but hey, as long as it's not anything like the 1st two singles, i'm good! oh and the kitschy paul hunter / prettybird directed video is fun too. 

NEW SAM SMITH: sam smith - one last song

sam smith - one last song
ah sam smith offers up "one last song" as his latest single which seems to fit perfectly in the winter days with a hint of retro soul in the process. it's a perfectly fine tune, not pushing any boundaries and in the wheelhouse of previous hits. i'll probably be singing along to this incessantly then...

want more? sam smith's much better song, "palace" is the official theme song for the holiday iphone x ads:

VIDEO PREMIERE: bruno mars - that's what i like

bruno mars - that's what i like
like all great bruno mars songs, there's an instant likeability factor that allows for obsessive multiple listens. his new single 'that's what i like' gives you that kind of feeling but delve deeper into the soul-tastic track and you'll find a surprising number that switches grooves and hooks throughout it's run. listen up cause it's kind of awesome!

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: snakehips feat zayn - cruel

snakehips feat zayn - cruel
oh my gosh, the new snakehips with zayn track is IT! like i can't get over how 90's soultastic it is! this kind of proves that the snakehips duo are not only two of the coolest producers out at the moment, but zayn is just completely right on with his smart collaborations as a solo artist. yeah this is good repeat again stuff!

A NEW WEEK! PLAYS with Wongie: Zak Abel - Say Sumthin

PLAYS with Wongie: Zak Abel - Say Sumthin
so it looks like we're gonna try to make this PLAYS series a weekly gathering! last week nadia brought the sweet storied voice of brandi carlile to you guys, now it's my turn as i kind of turn up the 90's soul jam, refurbished into the very modern "say sumthin" by the 20 year old uk act zak abel.

though we're not too far from a proper debut album release, zak has been busy lending his vocals to hits by gorgon city & joker last year. but what i'm bringing you is a gem from his EP 'one hand on the future' which features this amazing tune that one can't help but bop heavily to.

i'm a total fanboy, and it looks like i found a new convert in nadia too. just press play and see us seat dancing... it's not a pretty sight! enjoy!

rather than watch us growl alot of 'ughs' and jam like dorks, why not listen to zak abel sing this awesome song during an eton messy session? press play below:

zak abel - say sumthin (em sessions)

if you like what you hear, remember to check out more of zak's music on your fave streaming site.

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 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: justin timberlake & chris stapleton - tennessee whiskey / drink you away (live @ CMA awards)

justin timberlake & chris stapleton - tennessee whiskey / drink you away
chris stapleton is easily one of the best 'new' acts to come out this year. with his gravelly soulful voice, the man gives me goosebumps every time he opens up his mouth. for this years CMA awards the singer/songwriter walked away with 3 big awards including album AND male vocalist of the year. if you've never seen this man perform get ready to freak out with this AMAZING live performance with his special guest justin timberlake (and morgane stapleton who is always on perfect harmony with chris). these three tear the roof off and you will be so happy for pressing play!

AUDIO PREMIERE: ceelo - sign of the times

ceelo - sign of the times
to be honest, this new ceelo green track is made even more awesome with the theme song from the classic tv series 'taxi' as it's backing sample. other than that, it's a fine soul number that doesn't really scream 'comeback' for this artist.

WEEKEND MIX: mark ronson feat keyone starr - i can't lose

mark ronson feat keyone starr - i can't lose
it's always interesting when you hear a song in it's excellent remixed version and then go backwards to hear the original. though it still sounds wonderful, i'm definitely more partial to the one with the stronger dance beats. that's just me...

NEW MEG MAC!: meg mac - never be

meg mac - never be
oh my fave aussie female vocalist offers up her brand new soulful single and it's a solid epic number that just adds onto meg's already impressive release discography. if you haven't discovered this gem by now, it's time people!

VIDEO PREMIERE: pharrell williams - freedom

pharrell williams - freedom
after world premiering the song at glastonbury over the weekend, pharrell went on to give apple music the exclusive for his dynamic new single 'freedom'. it's instantly sing alongable which also means you'll probably be hating this song in a few weeks time. until now, lets all sing for our freedom!

pharrell williams - freedom (live @ glastonbury)