Indie rapper Tom MacDonald clocked over 1 million YouTube views in less than 24 hours with his new single Don’t Look Down. The video is trending on YouTube and #1 on the iTunes Hip Hop Charts.

“This never stops feeling unbelievable to me. No gimmicks. No clickbait. No controversy. Not even a chorus! AND WE STILL DID THIS!!! I know there’s folks punching the air right now” says MacDonald.

MacDonald has no label, no big marketing and promo. It’s mostly all him driving the MacDonald machine. MacDonald keeps on reminding everybody that he has no music label. I’m not even sure if that’s a talking point today. More entertainers are building multi-million businesses without the help of a label. Sure, the label may promise global exposure. But who needs global exposure today? Sure, radio pays better than streaming, and labels still own radio, but radio wouldn’t play MacDonald anyway. Radio is today’s jukebox. It has the same classics on repeat. Not that a major could help MacDonald, but if they did strike deal, you wouldn’t know about it. The major would have an arrangement with a subsidiary label and they’d make money from a distance.

The buzz around MacDonald doesn’t come from marketing and promo. His notoriety comes from work ethic and superstar talent. He’s raising the bar for each song. He connects to an audience and gives them everything of himself which nobody nearly does today. He’s non-stop talking to fans, if he’s not creating a new video, he’s live streaming.

Politicians and internet influencers dominate the discussion while artists fell by the way side. Artists want to be neutral, but neutrality no longer exists. People just don’t buy songs, they buy values. This is Tom MacDonald’s ace in the pocket. He addresses cultural talking points – social issues, race, gender and the economy. He isn’t afraid of the big man because he wasn’t created by the algorithmic machine.

MacDonald claims he’s the new Slim Shady. And quite frankly, he is Em with more cojones.

You don’t get it still
I am the one
(Don’t look down)
You don’t have to admit it to yourself, you don’t have to admit
(Don’t look down)
You don’t have to tell the whole world that when you look at me, you have to look up to me
And I don’t look down
(Don’t look down)
Everybody, please keep on talking, I am a f#$king superstar

Following the “Nice To Meet You” EP, Kings favorite Mavenne just released Falling. You’ll like if you love up beat dream pop. The track would fit nicely on Spotify’s Dreampop Playlist.

Influenced by Lana Del Rey, Banks, and Mothica —Mavenne shares, “I wrote this song in the midst of a bad episode I was having, when the only thing I could get myself to do was to create a song about how I was feeling. It talks about navigating the ups and downs of yourself since mental health is a journey and not a destination”

Mavenne also has two of her songs airing on CW’s Batwoman – “My Own Place” & “Sirens Follow Me Down”.

Stream Falling on KOAR’s Indie Invaders Playlist.

Check out Move With Me by Mad Circuit. You’ll like if you love the club. The song would sit nicely on Apple’s New Fire Playlist. The trio is made up of singer Sereda, rapper LG (Team Genius), and producer JR.

‘Move With Me’ will always stand as a song that during lockdown sort of internally healed my overdue urge to go out and have massive fun with friends. For us ‘Move with Me’ is an expression of party and fun overdue. It’s a 3-way circuit charged with everything good that’s about to happen” shares Mad Circuit.

The Norweigan producer Joachim “JR” Rygg aka Mad Circuit dropped “My Fit” which was placed on Netflix’s comedy saga Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever. The track had a viral moment on TikTok and sits on Spotify with over a million streams.

I’m really like Island Chick by EJO. Fans of a mellow moody groove will love. It would fit perfect on Spotify’s Chill Vibes Playlist.

Originally from Wisconsin, but now Miami based, Erik Johansen Gambill, aka EJO cites Kali Uchis, Croosh, Felly, Tame Impala as influences. Having spent a year in Valencia, Spain, Erik’s draws from worldly influences and blends hip-hop, R&B and alternative pop.

“Island Chick” is a smooth summer jam inspired by the culture of Miami and the islands” shares EJO. Give it a stream on KOAR’s Indie Invaders Playlist.

Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will produce Halsey’s new album. The 26 year old has named her album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. I think Halsey isn’t writing an album for the radio. She never got full radio support anyway except for the mega hit ‘Without Me’. This album is for her and the fans.