SEPTEMBER PICKS: ARTISTS TO LOOK OUT FOR

SASHA KEABLE

British Columbian singer/ songwriter Sasha Keable is a force to be reckoned with. Her powerful, silken vocals have garnered her comparisons to Adele, Aretha Franklin and Amy Winehouse. The R&B, soul singer returned after a three-year hiatus with act right, which serves as an emotionally rich, vulnerable, yet assertive re-entry into the world. The EP is addictive to say the least. Sasha transitions seamlessly between singing and rapping, especially in tracks like ‘FEEL SOMETHING’ and ‘can’t stop.’ The EP follows a cathartic journey of managing the aftermath of a painful breakup. Starting with ‘FEEL SOMETHING’ and ‘act right,’ Sasha raps about the anger and frustration while simultaneously using her voice as a percussion and melody. The album moves from resentment to self-reflection in ‘WHY’ to empowerment in ‘Move it Along,’ featuring Leon Thomas. Shasha Keable has been redefining modern RnB, blending it with soul as she explores intimacy through a seductive chaos and the closure of moving on.

Fave Tracks: ‘FEEL SOMETHING,’ ‘act right',’ ‘WHY’

AVENOIR

Avenoir is a Canadian rnb singer whose vocals and music are reminiscent of Brent Faiyaz and Odeal. Noir embodies the modern rnb sound while going back to darker, grunge sounds, reminiscent of The Weeknd’s Trilogy. In particular, ‘Art of War’ weighs up the similarities between love and a battlefield. Over a slowed-down and stripped rnb track, Avenoir explores how emotional turmoil and especially betrayal can destroy the romance and trust in relationships. On Mirage (2025), the singer’s debut album, the project explores intimacy and love in a poetic manner that draws on an intricate simplicity. The vocally layered track, ‘Lady’, utilises the intimate aspects of classic rnb as he highlights his admiration and ability to deeply love someone. The album is filled with sensuality yet holds a sense of mystery that is both enticing and keeps listeners coming back.

Fave Tracks: ‘Lady,’ ‘Lightspeed,’ ‘Paradise’

INFAMOUSIZAK

INFAMOUSIZAK is a rapper from South London who’s steadily been building his craft since 2019. His blend of grime and drill has landed him collaborations with Grime’s most important MCs. ‘Bad & Clean’ (2022) catapulted the rapper into the mainstream with his killer hook and verses from both the original cut with Frisco and the remix with Skepta, Digga D and Skillibeng. The catchy, high-energy track showed seamless chemistry between the different generations of rappers and sound-system-derived music. IZAK continued his grime run in his collab album with Grime legend and close peer, Frisco, in Winning Team (2022), before moving on to ‘ALL THE GIRLS’ with rapper £MONZO. ISAK brought the classic grime energy to £MONZO’s sultry modern edge, a fusion defined as ‘sexy grime.’ His most recent single, ‘KiSSMYTEET’ with JME, shows off their hard lyricism and back-to-back style. ISAK has been able to learn and evolve thanks to his Grime peers. He fits nicely into the pockets of grime, never feeling out of place or undermined, while simultaneously bringing a modern sound to his rap and production choices.

Fave Tracks: ‘Capeech,’ ‘PUBLIC ENEMY,’ ‘BAD & CLEAN’

Sasha Keable act right EP cover

Avenior’s Mirage (2025) album cover