Adrian Daniel - “By My Side”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…The Weeknd, Gallant, Daniel Caesar

Adrian Daniel finds comfort in the more mysterious corners of pop-R&B, crooning over dreamy, sometimes haunting, electronic backing across three records since 2016 and latest EP Midnight. Darkly tinted, but still recalling yearning, 90s-R&B vocalists, Adrian Daniel’s music is starkly more insular than his braggadocios predecessors. On the other hand, Daniel also keeps his sound accessible within melodic, soft-club grooves. He’s the kind of artist that sounds inches away from being a big pop star and he’s been a prolific songwriting since debuting, so lookout for a springboard in the near future as his consistent grinding pays off. (Kevin McStravick)