Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Ariana May - ‘Perfect for You’ EP Review

/ By Doug Phillips
Ariana May - ‘Perfect for You’ EP Review

Aspiring singer-songwriter, Ariana’s first project is a dramatic bundle of tracks that leaves you eager for more of her sweetly written and theatrical ballads. 

At just 16 years old, Ariana already possesses a promising level of sophistication and musical maturity which incurs an exciting sense of, ‘If this is what she’s producing now, imagine what’s yet to come!’ 

From the title track, ‘Perfect for You’, Ariana sets the pace by outlining her raw strengths; her piano and most importantly, her voice. The phrasing and melodic rhythm of the opening line is so unconventional and bends in a way that only a voice and a guitar can. The bittersweet narrative is best expressed by the simplicity of a sole piano accompaniment for Ariana’s vocals, a creative decision possibly inspired by Adele’s heartbroken hit, ‘Someone Like You’. 

‘Embers of the Sun’ embraces more instrumental parts such as pizzicato strings, bass and percussive parts that initially give off a Björk-esque, mysterious element. The tone here is somewhat darker and more somber than the previous with the descending, minor pre-chorus chords and echoed, spacey beat. Unmistakable theatrical and musical elements are contained in this romantic, poetic track, which is no surprise seeing that Ariana considers Leonard Berstein a strong influence in her work. 

The final track here, ‘So many things I should have said’ is a retrospective reflection on the past and Ariana’s thought process on how its unfolded. Ariana partners the almost regretful narrative with a comforting and stripped back ballad of gentle electric piano and sweeping synth pads.  

Ariana’s first collection of songs is a stunning and impressive display of honest emotion and past experiences and we can’t wait to see what she does next. 

How can Jeeni support artists like Ariana May?  

JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.  

• We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.  
• We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.  
• We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.  
• Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team 

Check out Ariana May’s page on Jeeni: https://jeeni.com/?s=ariana+may 

09
Mar

Artist Focus: RD Watson

Considered The English voiceover artist, RD Watson is an indisputable legend of the recording industry whose voice has been heard by millions across the world.  Roger Watson is an invaluable Jeeni ambassador. His showcase currently features over 40 examples of his first-rate voiceover performances including audio books like ‘Hairy London’  and commercials for ‘Diablo’ and ‘Jaguar’. His status as an industry icon has greatly broadened Jeeni’s representation of art and creativity and has meant that Jeeni’s mission is not limited to musicians but open to all artists that deserve worldwide attention. Visit RD Watson’s giant and fascinating showcase here: https://jeeni.com/showcase/rd-watson-audiobooks/   RD Watson has been an integral behind-the-scenes component of countless historical moments that define the current music industry as we know it. For example, Roger was acting floor manager for the Beatles back in 1964 and was the producer for the first ever video pop album with Blondie’s Debbie Harry. His connections and the demand for his talent and know-how lead to him moving to L.A. in the 70s. This is where Roger became a Grammy-nominated record producer and was the MD of Arista Records, where he worked with Lisa Stansfield, Barry Manilow and countless others.  RD Watson is a trusted and reliable name in the voiceover world due to his clear, charming and remarkably British performances. He won the Audiophile Award for Narration and has been nominated for many others. He records his own voice in a studio in West London and sends his performances to many clients both from the UK and overseas and is currently in the process of recording Charles Dickens’ ‘David Copperfield’.  This fascinating and talented artist could fill a book with the experiences and stories he’s gathered and he’d no doubt like to record the audiobook of it himself. Check out more of RD Watson’s work on his website here: http://englishvoiceover.info/ and listen to the entirety of ‘Hairy London’ from his showcase, available here: https://jeeni.com/showcase/rd-watson-audiobooks/  How can Jeeni support artists like RD Watson?   JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.  Artist biography Artist Biography artist biography • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.  • We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.  • We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.  • Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team. 

10
Jun

Jeeni Live Global Festival on 29 August 2020

Jeeni is proud to announce the next JEENI LIVE - our series of Free Festivals for Independent Musicians and Performers, where rising stars have a golden opportunity to step into the spotlight in front of a global audience, strut their stuff, stay safe and have fun. Best of all, they appear alongside some of our favourite superstar ambassadors. On 29th August 2020 we’ll be streaming the Jeeni Live Festival across music websites and social media. The event will be headlined by Sonique (Brit Award-Winner, Best Female Solo Artist) and Grammy Award-Winner Skyler Jett (hit-maker for Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion and Christina Aguillera) supported by Jeeni chart-toppers from both sides of the Atlantic. Showtimes: 21.00-23.00 GMT - 14.00-16.00 Los Angeles. With guest appearances from multi-award-winner Natasha Watts, the godfather of punk Jesus Hooligan, platinum-seller Daisy Chute, a blues genius we found down the pub, classical electro-diva Sarah Mallock, stadium favourites Filta, and a sensational new band with an average age of eight! More to be announced soon. All our performers will promote the event and share the live streaming to their fanbases, so we expecting lots of engagement. The live stream will also be saved on Jeeni.com, Jeeni Facebook and the Independent Musicians and Performers Group to replay later. This is our first event with our new Californian partners AmplifyX, the only FINRA and SEC compliant platform that allows investors to build a portfolio by directly funding musicians. The partnership was arranged by Kelli Richards, Jeeni Managing Director USA, who was mentored by Steve Jobs at Apple where she launched and managed the Apple music and entertainment division. Co-founder of AmplifyX Bobby Kamaris says, “Our companies run in an adjacent space helping independent artists, and our philosophies and motives are very very close. What you guys at Jeeni have done in putting it together and launching is actually incredible.” • Jeeni Live is a global festival of music.• Covid19 has closed live venues, so Jeeni Live goes out across social media and selected websites.• Jeeni Live gives equal exposure to brand new talent and world-class stars, with an exciting mix of new material and massive crowd-pleasers. • Jeeni Live reaches out across the whole range of styles and ages to deliver new audiences and new fans for our poll-winning artists.• No adverts, no hype, no rip-offs, no fakes. Jeeni - the ethical alternative.

12
Mar

Barack Obama - His Tracks of 2020

Recently released via Instagram, Barack Obama - Tracks of 2020, the annual eclectic collection of music that accompanied his, and his family's day to day. In 2015, President Barack Obama was declared the only President you could reliably trust to DJ a party. An elder of the Hip-Hop Generation and still younger than Chuck D, he helped endorse American made music for the 21st Century. That year, he gave us a kind of 'Desert Island Discs' of the tracks which had got him to, and through two presidential terms. The list was in most part, exactly what you would expect from an educated man in his 50's. However, there were some interesting additions, including Bob Dylan's - 'Maggie's Farm', credited as the track to get him into the right mindset for the political season and the country track by Brad Paisley - 'Welcome to the Future', with Obama declaring himself accepting of the indelible impact country music has had on the USA. Since then, Obama has created an annual listing of his favourite tracks. For his tracks of 2020, he has 'fessed up to having help from his daughter Sasha, and together they have created another interesting collection of old and new. A few of Obama's tracks of 2020, have already been put in the 'Best of' spotlight by many music bloggers. Tracks like Dua Lipa’s - 'Levitating' [ft. DaBaby], Waxahatchee’s - 'Can’t Do Much' and Phoebe Bridgers’ - 'Kyoto'. Added into the mix is a little bit of country, with the next generation of Nashville stars, Ruston Kelly’s - 'Brave' and Chris Stapleton’s - 'Starting Over', plus some old school legends, including the President's go-to, Bob Dylan with 'Goodbye Jimmy Reed'. With over 34m followers on Instagram, it makes this list quite an appealing one to find your name on. Listen to Barack Obama's soundtrack for 2020, below. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX5gYucl3g9Ad?utm_source=embed_v2&go=1&play=1&nd=1