Poppy Ajudha - “London’s Burning"

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Jill Scott, Ari Lennox, Amber Mark

After releasing a smattering of singles and a couple EPs since debuting seven years ago, Poppy Ajudha is ready for her debut full-length The Power In Us and the two early singles preview how the R&B artist’s songwriting and pop-centered ability have matured into a truly powerful sound. “HOLIDAY FROM REALITY” has funk and trance underpinnings, a groovy place for Ajudha to show off her clean, 90s-R&B inspired vocals. This throwback approach highlights Ajudha’s abilities and instincts, cooly countered with the tense, industrial rhythms of “LONDON’s BURNING”. Politically centered and delivered with dark seriousness, there’s a trip-hop psychedelia that accents the intense track with future-dance vibes. The London artist’s back catalogue takes stabs at harmonic indie folk (“Change Your Mind”), jazzy neo-soul (“Love Falls Down”) and midnight, island R&B (“Weakness”), displaying an artist exploring different spaces to apply her naturally pop-oriented presence. That said, the two tracks from The Power In Us are clearly the strongest in Ajudha’s emerging catalog, so keep an ear out for its release this spring to get onboard with an artist clearly still on the rise. (Kevin McStravick)