Author: Essentially Pop

There’s a lot of music out there - good music. At Essentially Pop our remit is that we cover music that deserves to be heard, with a particular focus on independent artists. That doesn't mean we won't cover your old favourites - rather we hope to give you some new favourites as well. We no longer accept unpaid PR agency work. We believe the creative arts have value, and this includes writing. As always, we will write about artists who contact us - or who we contact - for free - but we can no longer work free of charge for PR agencies. We work hard, we put in a lot of hours writing, and we ask that you respect that. Contact us for our very reasonable rates. Follow us on: Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, Myspace, Facebook, Spotify, Youtube. Drop us an email on hello@essesntiallypop.com

Music and Poker: The Overlapping Traits You Didn’t Know Existed

September 18, 2024

Music and poker have a long history together. You only need to look at the number of world-famous songs that mention poker to know that. Ace of Spades by Motorhead, Desperado by The Eagles, and The Gambler by Kenny Rogers are all certified classics, and, while not explicitly about poker, Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas, released back in 1964, certainly captures the feeling of the dizzying heights of Las Vegas.

We Speak To Edwin Cohen Following His Stunning Release, ‘Alexander’s Messiah’

September 17, 2024

‘Alexander’s Messiah’ by Edwin Cohen, follows a man’s journey of trying to feel “chosen”, while on the constant search to escape from poor decisions, and memories that constantly nag him. With beautiful orchestral melodies and stunning piano, we are taken on a journey to discover our destiny, created by Cohen’s delightful songcraft. We spoke to Edwin about his music, and his inspirations.

REMA at LFW 2019 Credit: Thealfe Studios via CC BY-SA 4.0 - no changes were made to the image

From Social Media to ‘HEIS’: How Rema Continues to Take Over the Afropop Scene

August 20, 2024

Though Nigerian at heart, Afropop continues to dominate charts across the globe. One only needs to look at Wizkid’s exceptional career. Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria’s cultural capital, the singer-songwriter is among today’s biggest names in African music. He’s also one of the first Afropop artists to help the genre reach and conquer Western music scenes. Wizkid’s past collaborations range from songs with American R&B singer H.E.R to British rap star Skepta. His fourth studio album Made in Lagos, which is aptly named to pay homage to his humble beginnings, also became more than just the highest-ever Nigerian album to chart on the Billboard 200—because it breached the UK’s Top 20.