First Listen Fridays (10/7/26) – Kelela, Nia Archives, and More New Music

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We are in the peak of summer now, and just like the weather, the quality of music is heating up on First Listen Fridays. Whether huge collabs from Kelela and PinkPantheress or Nia Archives and Jorja Smith, or bars galore from Tarju Le’Sano or Zoka the Author, there is a wide variety on offer. So let us get straight into it and give you some great new music for your playlist.

Kelela FT. PinkPantheress – the bridge

One of R’n’B’s most intriguing voices, Kelela has dropped her 3rd studio album today. This is an artist who showcases the breadth of genre-mashing, mixing the genre of love with the likes of indie, electronic music, and more. What caught my eye on the tracklist was a collaboration with PinkPantheress, and it doesn’t disappoint. The wavey synths and UKG-esque drums make for a mesmerising sound that matches this artist’s gorgeous, soulful vocals. Each note hits on the chorus, as do the ad-libs, with each part of the song well-intentioned and utilised. Our guest also sounds great, showcasing her own top-tier vocals and ad-libs, particularly when holding notes. A great collaboration that showcases two artists at the peak of their singing powers.

Buy the track here.

Tarju Le’Sano & Moshino Royale – THE GAME

I’ve enjoyed the advertising campaign for this song as a fellow Brummie, but how does this song from one of our Purple List picks hold up? Pretty well, actually. Those background harmonies and the musicality on the instrumental from Moshino Royale are very calming and a good backdrop before the drums kick in. Tarju and Moshino come through with lots of video game references to tell their stories of being in the rap game. This one doesn’t outstay its welcome, showcasing two artists with great flows and bars.

D’yani – Miss You Bad

One of the new stars coming out of Jamaica, D’yani shows a more emotive side to reggae on this track. The guitar playing at the start sets the mood before our lead really strains those vocal cords over the summery beat. He indicates how much this person means to him and that without them, they are a mess. This artist knows how to showcase vulnerability through his words and tones, while using a typically upbeat genre to match this feeling. As an introduction to this singer, it does a very good job of showing his qualities, and I will be coming back for more.

Buy the track here.

Taylor Contarino – Survivor’s Guilt

One of the names in R’n’B you need to keep on your radar, Taylor Contarino is something special. The beat has some airy synths and kick drums, which allow our lead and her vocals to take centre stage. Blending the primary and background vocals is a particular highlight of the track, before that keyboard melody comes in. This is an artist who knows how to make the most out of their skillset.

Nia Archives FT. Jorja Smith – Get Me Down

We are being treated today when it comes to the big collabs, as Nia Archives and Jorja Smith team up once again. A week before we get Nia’s sophomore release, this track starts off big with orchestration and our guest indicating their singing prowess. The beat then kicks in with some melodic jungle, ready to get you off your feet. This was definitely made for the last dance in a club or rave, while the reverberating and pitching-down of the vocals are nice touches. Another great single, that has us excited for this new record from the ’emotional junglist’.

Buy the track here.

Joe James FT. Dave – Same Emotions

We’ve given you some all-female crossovers, so how about an all-male collaboration? Joe James is a name to be reckoned with in the U.K. rap scene, with Loyle Carner, Dave, and Lancey Foux’s names being attached to his debut album speaking for themselves. The Spanish guitar does its job in guiding the beat, as James’ sleek delivery and bars referencing Star Wars sit well alongside it. We then get some finger clicks and a lovely keyboard melody as the pace picks up, with our protagonist showing off his abilities. After highlighting that he can also sing just as nicely on the chorus, Dave comes through with poignant words about fake pastors and those who are struggling. It is the cherry on top of this great track, and indicates that this country’s rap scene has another star in the making.

Buy the track here.

Zoka the Author FT. Kah’Nya – HOWYAFEEL?!

While we like to highlight our current Purple Listed artists, we also continue to show love to those who came before. This beat from Dan Devoted has a real oomph and bounce to it, with Kah’Nya’s sleek, singey delivery sounding so crisp over it. Zoka then comes in and does his thing with a confident and braggadocious performance that showcases his lyrical ability. These two performers complement each other nicely, and I am down to hear more from this duo in the future.

Tia Talks FT. Limitless – Reload That

Technically, this came out last week, but I just came across it today, so it is new to me. From this artist’s latest EP, ‘A Little Bit Darker‘, the track’s title gives away what the DJ will be doing when this comes on. This artist has the right cadence for this dubstep/UKG influenced beat, bringing an effortless flow and punchy rhymes that are sure to get the gun fingers out. As this artist states on the track, this will have the festival goers going all day and night, and I will be checking the rest of this EP out later.

Buy the track here.

Follow IndustryMe on Instagram, Threads, X, or YouTube. Press play on our First Listen Fridays playlist below or via YouTube Music to enjoy all our top picks. You can also check out previous editions here.

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