Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...

In the world of hip-hop, there is a continual ebb and flow of new talent, but every once in a while, a performance will come along that will seem like a revelation. The very talented Eyst and Mac Keller form one half of the dynamic duo known as Apolloïd, which is based in Neuilly-sur-Marne and hails from France. It's like witnessing lightning in a bottle when...