Ukraine | Oleynik - "Devochka goda"

BRAND NEW

Ukrainian singer Oleynik returns to our site! His most recent single, "Devochka goda", is a delightful shower of pop: delicate but groovy, it grows with every listen. You shouldn't miss the very colorful video!

France | David Carreira feat. Ana Free - "In love"

RECENT

Meeting of two great stars in Portugal! French-born David Carreira has gathered with Ana Free to record "In love". It's a beautiful ballad with touching melody and instrumentals. Their voices harmonize perfectly together, making everything even more special.

Norway | Highasakite - "Someone who'll get it"

BRAND NEW

Meet your new favourite indie-pop band from Norway. Highasakite are from Oslo, and they have already released two albums (the last of them reaching #1 in Norway and entering the charts in the far Australia!). Their most recent single, first one of their upcoming album, is "Someone who'll get it", a haunting alternative ballad who grows beautifully towards the chorus.

Croatia | Vlaho - "Home"

BRAND NEW

Vlaho Arbulic is a singer, songwriter and guitar player who was born in Croatia, but is currently living in the United States. His single "Home" is very beautiful. It has a great and involving melody, with a grower second half. The result is a touching song which is surely gonna make you fall in love.

The Charts Day #130

CHARTS

Melodifestivalen has just finished all its semifinals, and that means that the Swedish charts are flooded with songs from the competition. The #1 of the charts in the Nordic country is currently held by Samir & Viktor's "Bada nakna", a really contagious song!

10 Questions For: Simona Popovska

INTERVIEW

2016 is being a great year for our interviews section! We are having some fun (and, at the same time, deep) talks with some of our favorite artists. And here we go once again, now to North Macedonia, to chat with an artist whose work we really admire. She is one of the biggest and best stars in the Macedonian music scene. These are our 10 questions for Simona Popovska:

Sounds European!: We are always curious about the artists' music background. Who were your music idols when you were growing up? Who are your current idols? How and at what age did you start singing? And when did you start singing professionally?

Simona Popovska: I first started singing at the age of six. I also had my first performance at that age, and grew up listening to Mariah Carey. My current [idol], I don't know, is Rihanna.

SE!: You took part of the Macedonian National Final for Junior Eurovision in two occasions. In 2004, you came second; two years later, you finished third. What memories and lessons do you keep of those experiences? Have you ever considered representing your country on the adult Eurovision?

SP: I learned a lot during those events. Like what it takes to fight for your place – and also how to take advantage of your five minutes to show that you have what it takes. It's a dream to represent my country [on Eurovision] as a professional singer.

SE!: We absolutely love the music you produce. Your single "Ne e najdobro", for example, was on our list of the 50 best songs of 2014. We see your music as pop at its purest state: catchy, contagious, timeless and entertaining. Is it your objective when making songs? How would you describe your own music?

SP: I would describe my music as very heartfelt and truthful. There is no specific formula on creating my music, I am singing what I feel at the time.

SE!: Another thing which really calls our attention about your work is the aesthetics of your music videos. They are extremely beautiful and well produced. Is it a concern of yours to have attractive videos?

SP: In the videos, I want to show that a woman can always present herself formally and still be sexy. I also pay really close attention to the details and coloring of my music videos.

SE!: You are developing a work together with Macedonian DJ and producer Erik Fox, called The Sound Messengers. What can you tell us about it? How did you decide to start it? What kind of music do you produce? And how is it to work with him?

SP: We have been randomly bumping into each other. So we began to talk about what we both could bring to the table. I am a professional singer and he is a very well known DJ in North Macedonia. The Sound Messengers is based on house music and vocals. This is something that has been missing in messaging for quite some time. We then realized that this is something that can be taken out of North Macedonia and be brought worldwide. We're on a good run so far: we've already made five songs and our most popular hit, "Love me".

"I would describe my music as very heartfelt and truthful" (Picture: official Facebook page)

SE!: You took part on last year's Skopje Festival. Even though you ended second place, you were the most voted by the audience. What can you tell us about your experience in the festival? And what did it mean to you to have such a great acceptance with the public?

SP: It was a great experience overall! I'm very happy that I reached the second place. But, overall, I've got the biggest smile on my face knowing that the crowd really appreciated it and was supporting me all along the way.

SE!: North Macedonia is, in continental proportions, a small country. How is it to develop a music career in a country like North Macedonia? Do Macedonian artists need to expand their music to other countries to make a living? And do you dream of going international with your work?

SP: Being a professional singer in North Macedonia isn't the easiest thing to accomplish. Given the fact that it's such a small country, you have to make sure that you're on your "A" game. It's always been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to have concert tours worldwide.

SE!: If you could choose anyone, who would be some Macedonian and international artists you'd like to collaborate with?

SP: If I could choose anybody in the world, I would like to collaborate with David Guetta.

SE!: What are your professional projects for the near future? What can your fans expect for 2016?

SP: I'm currently working on new songs to release my first album. This upcoming year should be very interesting, as I have two more music videos to be released and a couple of tours during the summer.

SE!: We would like to post a song of yours to close this interview. What is your favorite song of yourself, and why?

SP: Well, my favorite song currently is "Jas ne te sakam". The reason I choose that song is because that's my style of music, in the rhythm that I enjoy.

We would like to thank our Macedonian friend and collaborator Ace for helping us with the research which allowed us to develop this interview.

Sweden | Helena Paparizou - "Misi kardia"

BRAND NEW

Swedish-born singer Helena Paparizou is back to our site! Her most recent single is "Misi kardia", a song in which Helena turns back to her Greek roots: not only the language, but some traditional sounds mingling with the pop-rock tunes make the song one of her finest releases!

France | Emmanuel Moire - "Le chanteur"

BRAND NEW

Not long ago, Sounds European! talked about the project Balavoine(s). The tribute to Daniel Balavoine has resulted in some amazing new versions for some of his biggest hits. And "Le chanteur" is another track we'll highlight. Emmanuel Moire's rendition of the song is intense and appealing, and shows Daniel was surely ahead of his time.

Updated on April 17th, 2016, with the official video.

United Kingdom | Vaults - "Midnight river"

BRAND NEW

Vaults is a band from London. Their mix of sounds is just explosive, as their latest single shows. In "Midnight river" you can catch a glimpse of alternative sounds mixed with pop and even a hint of soul. The blend is simply irresistible!

Germany | Julian David - "Hollywood"

BRAND NEW

Julian David is a German singer who was born in Mannheim. After being a member of the group voXXclub, Julian is now starting his solo career. And his single "Hollywood" is a clear example of what a schlager-party track can be. It's an irresistible invitation to dance along!