At the end of every month, we round up the songs and music videos by Canadian artists that were in heavy rotation. Here's your chance to catch up on some gems you might have missed in the month of March.
Dante Leon, "Desperately"
Ebhoni, "What You Want"
Jimmy Prime, "Gucci Denim"
View this video on YouTube
It's been almost two years since Jimmy Prime released a project but he's back in full force after dropping his Bleeding Bull EP last week. The day after it released, the Toronto-based artist known for coining his city's "6" nickname also dropped this video for "Gucci Denim," one of the standout cuts on the six-track EP. The video features creative direction from NEEDS&WANTS designer Sean Brown, and is everything you'd expect from a song titled after a pair of designer jeans. Jimmy and fellow Prime boys Donnie and Jay Whiss enjoy the finer things in life including an eccentric mansion, a stack of brown bills and the company of some beautiful babes. Peep the Robert Pilichowski-directed visual above.
Bridgit Mendler & Devontée, "Temperamental Love"
View this video on YouTube
Some people might not know that Devontee was actually first Toronto mans to rap about his "woes" before another one did so (with slightly wider recognition). The word is an acronym that stands for "working on excellence," and Devontee has been doing just that with his string of releases over the past little while both as a rapper and a producer. His latest is a collaboration with noted singer and actress Bridgit Mendler for the song "Temperamental Love." Devontee lends his production skills and his rhymes to the dreamy, bouncy track which explores the ups and downs of relationships, with Mendler even giving her own shoutout to "woes." The hard work paid off because the result is, well, excellent.
EverythingOShauN, "Broke$"
View this video on YouTube
EverythingOShauN is the latest artist out of Brampton, Ontario who seems poised to make noise on the Canadian music scene. The artist recently dropped his EP Until Now and the first song from the project to get a visual treatment is "Broke." Directed by Montreal's Fatty Soprano, the video sees EverythingOShauN visiting familiar locations around Toronto—including the CN Tower and the Bathurst subway station—as he muses on being "broke but still tipping." The video ends with a quote from Steve Jobs that drives the message of the song a video home: "My favorite things in life don’t cost any money."
Seth Kay, "6 AM"
Ellen Bryant, "Shine"
We might be cheating by putting Ellen Bryant on this list, because although she is based in Toronto now this talented singer/songwriter has only been here for less than a year. Originally hailing from Australia, Ellen came here in August with no job and just a few contacts to pursue her art, and we'd say she's on the right path. Since arriving she's released two tracks—the excellent "Soul and Beat" and this new cut "Shine" for which she just dropped the video—and recently had her first show at the Rivoli in Toronto. This R&B and soul singer counts Jill Scott as one of her biggest inspirations, and has a voice that seems to effortlessly balance being both smooth and delicate with being powerful. Keep your eyes and ears on her.
