Northern Touch is our recurring feature where we round up the songs and music videos by Canadian artists that were released during the month prior. Here are our favourite releases that you might have missed over the last little while.
Amaal Nuux, "Last Ones"
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If you haven't heard of the name Amaal Nuux, you've either been sleeping or you're just a little late to the party. Since dropping her debut project, Painful Secrets, back in 2012, the Somali-born, Toronto-based artist has been gaining fans all over the world with her distinct brand of music that dances between pop, alternative rock and soulful R&B. Her songs have racked up millions of Spotify streams, the most recent of which was "Last Ones." Now Nuux has dropped a visual for the song, directed by Eye Blake and produced with the (now defunct) MuchFact grant. The song and video relay a powerful, uplifting message about strength and hope through whatever adversity life may throw at us, a message that is appreciated amidst all the negativity and fake news in the world.
Luu Breeze, "Slow Down Night"
Clairmont The Second, "44 Me"
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Clairmont The Second isn't even out of his teens yet, but he's been on a steady path to greatness for some time now, and seemed sure of it himself when we spoke to him almost a year ago. He's on a roll at the moment, with his Quest for Milk and Honey project just making the Polaris Prize long list, and he also just released the self-directed video for one of the album's standout cuts "44 Me" which you can see here. The Polaris Prize short list will be announced on July 13, and Clairmont has promised that new music will be arriving before his appearance at WayHome Festival at the end of July, so watch out for a big few months from this rising star.
Soundman, "Boomin Like Metro"
Jay Whiss, "Welcome To The Life"
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We have yet to hear a full EP or album from Jay Whiss, but he's making sure he's never quiet for long and has been steady releasing a string of dope tunes since releasing "Watch This" at the end of 2015. His latest is "Welcome To The Life" and similar to "Cheat Day," Whiss flexes his singing skills and proves he's got more than the razor-sharp bars he was originally known for. The beat is a laid-black, flute-infused beat courtesy of frequent collaborator Murda Beatz, and while this appears to be just a loose song for now it's definitely got us hoping for a complete project from Whiss before 2017 is up.
NINETYFOUR, "Watch Me"
J-Soul, "Mama I'm Sorry"
Majid Jordan, "Phases"
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Majid Jordan surprised everyone when they released a new track "Phases" a few months ago, and released the accompanying visual for the song just last month. It's been a bit of a quiet time for the OVO duo since they release their self-titled debut album at the beginning of 2016, but they've been keeping busy touring and playing festivals, and have appearances at Lollapalooza and Osheaga coming up this summer. The video for "Phases" is simple yet effective, featuring the guys dancing around to the upbeat track in the desert.
