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Music

Fresh Sounds Canada: New Music From Nelly Furtado, OMBIIGIZI And More

This week's discovery roundup of new Canadian songs also includes Montreal singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk, pop experimentalist Cecile Believe, and rising indie rockers Heaven For Real.

Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado

Valentin Herfray

In Fresh Sounds Canada, Billboard Canada puts you on to the must-hear songs of the week by artists on the rise and those about to break. Here's what's out this week.

Nelly Furtado feat Bomba Estéreo, “Corazón”


After many months of teasing and high-profile appearances hosting the Junos and performing in NPR’s tastemaking Tiny Desk series, it’s official: Nelly Furtado is back. “Corazón” comes with the announcement of a new album, 7, her first since 2017’s independently released The Ride. Now back on a major, she’s making splashy pop music for a new audience. Furtado says her comeback was inspired by her daughter showing her how her music was resonating online with Gen Z fans. The infectious “Corazón” could very well soundtrack TikToks all over the world, embracing both hooky throwback Nelly and new touches of Latin pop. The song features Colombian act Bomba Estéreo, who was introduced to Furtado by adventurous Colombian-Canadian artist Lido Pimienta, who also appears in the video. The combo works. - Richard Trapunski

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OMBIIGIZI, “Ziibi”

This is the second single from an upcoming sophomore album from the Anishinaabe 'moccasin gaze' rock duo of Adam Sturgeon and Daniel Monkman. The two songwriters and vocalists have also made names for themselves in their other current projects (Status/Non-Status for Sturgeon, Zoon for Monkman), and they're at the forefront of an exciting era for Indigenous rock artists. OMBIIGIZI's debut album, Sewn Together, was shortlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize, so anticipation is keen for their next one. "Ziibi" masterfully incorporates gently jangling acoustic guitar, swirling keyboards and laidback vocals. As the sound gradually swells in intensity, the co-production work of Kevin Drew does bring Broken Social Scene to mind. Monkman says the song was inspired by Manitoba's Red River: "I grew up along the shore of that river looking into it. My first realization of how powerful the elements are. The river teaches us.” In turn, OMBIIGIZI are a powerful and elemental force. - Kerry Doole

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Leif Vollebekk, “Southern Star”

Leif Vollebekk has unveiled "Southern Star," a poignant ballad offering a glimpse into his forthcoming album, Revelation, slated for release on September 27 through Secret City Records. Enriched by the haunting backing vocals of Angie McMahon and the soulful steel guitar of Cindy Cashdollar, the track resonates with sincerity and raw emotion. Recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and the Dreamland studio in Woodstock, Revelation promises an introspective and cinematic journey akin to the depth found in "Southern Star." Following his recent standout performance at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Vollebekk is gearing up for a European tour in October 2024. Before that, he'll grace stages this summer in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton, showcasing his evocative songwriting for Canadian audiences. - Amélie Revert

Cecile Believe, “Blink Twice”

Any fan of inventive pop music should know Cecile Believe, who has collaborated with some of this era’s best pop innovators since relocating from Montreal to L.A. — SOPHIE, Empress Of, and Caroline Polachek, to name just three — while also building her own discography as a solo artist. Her newest single, “Blink Twice,” is an enticing, sultry track driven by the interplay between hypnotic spoken word vocals and an assertive beat. It’s the kind of song you want to hear on a night out, on the dance floor or by the bar, just as you’re making eye contact with the right person. - Rosie Long Decter

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EDITOR’S PICK: Heaven For Real, “All That Remains”

Twins Mark and J. Scott Grundy have been steadily building buzz around their idiosyncratic indie rock project Heaven For Real, with two 2022 releases and North American and UK tours in 2023. Now, they return with a fresh album, Hell's Logo's Pink — out on Vancouver tastemaker label Mint Records — and a video for charming, lackadaisical single "All That Remains." The song's imagistic lyrics contemplate genesis and apocalypse with an earnest shrug, asking in a relaxed tone: "was that you there as the world ends / strumming my pain with your big thumb?" "All That Remains" draws on '60s folk rock and '90s slacker rock, carried by sweet harmonies and mildly dirtied guitars, with carefully-placed details like a distant piano riff in the final refrain. The effect is both familiar and off-kilter, maybe best summed up by an image from the video of aliens playing hacky sack on the beach. Why conquer Earth when you could be chilling instead? - RLD
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Kaïa Kater
Janice Reid

Kaïa Kater

Awards

Kaïa Kater, Allison Russell, Rhiannon Giddens Nominated for Folk Music Awards at Montreal's Folk Alliance International 2025

Artists who will receive special honours in Montreal next February include Indigo Girls, Leslie Riddle and OKAN .

Folk Alliance International (FAI) has announced the nominees for the International Folk Music Awards, which take place on the first night of FAI’s 37th annual conference on February 19-23, 2025 in Montreal.

Canadian artists are well represented as award recipients and nominees, with Canadian-Grenadian singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Kaïa Kater leading the way. She is nominated in two prestigious categories, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, for Strange Medicine, whcih features guest spots by Aoife O’Donovan, Taj Mahal and Allison Russell.

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