KayvanMD

Put me on to some new music you think I’ll like!! 👀 I just went through all you comments to find the best songs - whether it’s your track, your friend’s, or a hidden gem you think we’ll love - if I love them I’m adding them to the playlist + video roundup. Huge thanks to everyone who left a comment, you guys have great taste!! Comment your artist – song title, tag someone who should submit, and make sure it’s released! Here are some great finds from @jim_legxacy @biig_piig @farfromundane @hannah.geller and @lilbootycall . You can check out the full playlist for more songs we added in this update, and the rest of this year! #independentartist #musicdiscovery #music

How do you wrap up 9 years in 2100 characters? I don’t think I can.. but here we are. I started my journey at Genius back in March 2017. @robmarkman gave me a chance to prove what I could do and I ran with it. 9 years, hundreds of interviews, a ton of branded content campaigns and shoots, hundreds of millions of views, and over 80 million streams later I’m closing an incredible chapter of my career. It’s been one of the greatest experiences to work with the amazing video teams, producers, artists, directors, and industry professionals across labels, management, distribution, media platforms, and more to create some of the most impactful music focused content of the past decade. I’ll never forget my time at Genius, nor the people that I’ve come into contact with, or the things I’ve learned. There’s way too many people to give personal shout outs to and there’s not nearly enough slides to capture all of my favorite moments so I’ll just say this - thank you to every single one of you who helped me grow into the professional I am now. Without my team members I wouldn’t have grown into the interviewer I am. Without my bosses I wouldn’t have learned about content strategy, or become as self-confident of an executive. Without the artists who trusted me enough to have candid conversations about their art, I wouldn’t feel so strongly about the importance of storytelling in music and music journalism. Without the labels, pr, digital reps, and managers I wouldn’t have been able to have all of the unforgettable experiences I’ve had in music - from being on the ground at the Revenge Of The Dreamers sessions, to seeing Billie Eilish perform at a venue like Bowery Ballroom. Without the people who trusted in me to distribute their music through Genius Distro, I wouldn’t understand release strategy, or pitching in the detail that I do. I’m grateful for it all. I’m out of characters but here are some standout interviews. I’ll always cherish the moments captured.. but there are so many more that I’ll take with me. I’m excited for the next chapter. More on that soon…

Last month I flew out to LA to be a contributor on @sxsw official docuseries “The Music Blueprint.” This past Friday the first 3 episodes dropped on their official channels!! I’m so excited I got to be a part of this! The first 3 episodes focus on building fandom online, breaking through offline, and staying human in the age of AI. There’s incredible insight on every episode from the featured artists @kaashpaige , @sophsesque , and @dj_dave____ , the host @itspoppyreid , and my fellow contributor @thekk23 . Huge shout out to @pixie_weyand , @helenhollyman , @claywolflick and @rabbitfootco for thinking of me for this, and for all their incredible hard work to make such an amazing series come to life. Sidenote… this is my first time ever being a part of something that got the front page of @rollingstone and my first time being quoted in it too.. so I’m even more excited!! 2 more episodes drop this Friday, but if you haven’t had a chance head over to the SXSW official channels to check out the full videos!

Put me on to some new music you think I’ll like in the comments!! 👀 I just went through all your comments to find the best songs - whether it’s your track, your friend’s, or a hidden gem you think we’ll love - if I love them I’m adding them to the playlist + video roundup. Huge thanks to everyone who left a comment, you guys have great taste!! This week I added songs from @ronisia_mds @thewomacksisters @bleachlineband @chanpanmusic @damiwhatitdo (and more) Comment your artist – song title, tag someone who should submit, and make sure it’s released! #independentartist #musicdiscovery #music

Housemates, today we’re headed to Liverpool for an At Home With interview with an artist who genuinely stopped me in my tracks this year - @mtjonesmusic I caught MT Jones live at SXSW in Austin and I wasn’t fully prepared for what I was about to see. The vocal control, the tone, the showmanship - it was the kind of performance that reminds you why live music matters. He commanded the room in a way that felt completely natural, and he was one of the stand out performances I saw. I got to chop it up with him afterwards too and he was just as impressive off the stage - kind, easy to talk to, and genuinely funny. The kind of person you immediately want to root for. The music has a deep classic soul feel to it and it’s clear that he’s a student of the greats. You can hear it in the way he phrases a note, the way the songs are constructed, and the way emotion bleeds through every lyric. He’s not chasing current trends - he’s drawing from a sound that never gets old, and he’s honoring those who came before him. His newest album Joy is where I’ve been spending most of my time lately. “I Don’t Understand,” “So Lost,” and “Nothing I Can’t Do” are my personal favorites from the project - each one a perfect representation of the different layers of MT’s artistry. They’re the kind of records that you’ll keep coming back to over and over again. While you’re at it, dive further into the discography and listen to songs like “Punchin’,” “Forever And A Day,” and “All I Do.” You won’t be disappointed. If you’re a fan of soul music, MT Jones deserves your attention. You can listen while you read by hitting the link in our bio. Let us know who we should feature next. #musicdiscovery #independentartist #AtHomeWith

I want to put you on to a rising artist from the UK I can’t get enough of - @finnaskew . I first came across Finn around the release of “Dive In” in January 2025, and since then I haven’t been able to stop listening. He’s quickly become one of my favorite rising artists out of the UK R&B scene, and someone I’ve been actively following and supporting with each release. What stands out to me most is his voice. The tone, the control, the way he delivers - it feels effortless without ever feeling lazy. There’s a maturity to how he uses it that you don’t always hear from artists at this stage of their career. Beyond the vocals, his approach to R&B and Pop feels genuinely refreshing. He’s not chasing trends - he’s developing a sound that feels like his own, and you can hear that identity getting sharper with each release. The songwriting is deliberate. The production is clean and considered. The visuals match the music in a way that shows he understands the full picture of what it means to build as an artist. Finn is originally from Wellington, Somerset - a small town in rural England, far from any major music scene. He recorded his debut single “Roses” at 16 on a £20 microphone, it went viral across Southeast Asia, crossed 12 million streams, and the momentum hasn’t stopped. His latest project BLUEBOY is out now and well worth your time. If you’re a fan of soulful, well-crafted R&B/Pop, Finn Askew is a must listen. #musicdiscovery #UKRNB

new playlist just dropped - “pov: you need to break something.” over 30 songs for the days where you’re just mad at the world and need something to match the energy. @turnstileluvconnection @showing.teeth @diespitz @babehavenband @scowl40831 alongside a bunch of the classics. check it out if you want new music in this space. if you know a song or artist that belongs on here, drop it in the comments. always looking for the next add and you guys never miss. link in bio.

@recoechi pulled up to the stream recently and we got into all of it - the new single “SI BUENO / ON BRO” with @mike_dfg & @sabapivot , the story behind the collab, and when you can expect “Act 2: Body of God”. The music speaks for itself, but hearing him break it down in person hits different. Chicago has always been one of my favorite music cities and this is exactly why. More artists coming to the stream soon - we’re just getting started. If you want your music heard, submit through @whatsnero for a chance to be featured on Thursday’s stream. Link in bio to watch the full stream. #independentartist #musicstream #streamer

Announcing our 1st FREE live Q&A of May! We’ll be live with Justin Mandel (@babytalksmusic ) on May 6th starting at 6pm EST! Marketing professional and content creator with project management experience. Prior to working at GoldState Music, Justin served as the Manager of Social Media at music rights company AMR Songs, where he developed social media strategies for frontline and catalog artists and served as project manager for new releases for frontline artists. Justin brings a wealth of diverse experience having worked closely with music supervisors, coordinated influencer marketing campaigns at the music discovery platform Discz, and continues to lead social media blog BabyTalksMusic focused on artist discovery, event recaps, and curation. Having worked in music professionally provides him valuable tools to leverage and use within the blog community and outside of his blog, he does freelance strategy and development for artists. As always it’s FREE for you to join, comment “kh” and we’ll send you an invite to the community. If you’d like to join, ask questions, and take advantage of all of the FREE opportunities we’re trying to put in front of our community make sure you join today - we’d love to have you! Tag an artist or rising music industry professional who could benefit from joining our community. We’d love to have you! #independentartist #musicindustry #musiccommunity

I listened to 4 more weeks of Spotify’s Discover Weekly so you don’t have to 👀 Out of all the songs, these are the 30 that actually stuck - this update has a ton of r&b, soul, and alternative pop in it this month! Swipe for my top 5 favorites from @rumari___ @lamb.wavv @itsellamusic @kane.lemard and @thisisada_ and check out the full playlist too 🎧 #DiscoverMonthly #musicdiscovery #playlistupdate

Here’s our April FREE live Q&A series lineup!! We’ll be live with Jheanelle Henry on Apr 15, and @joegare on Apr 22 starting at 6:30pm EST! Jheanelle Henry is an established music manager and executive with an elite track record in career development and global music distribution. From Billboard-charting albums to viral international breakouts, Jheanelle has played a vital role in the success of a diverse roster of projects, including Lil Tecca, Mark Tuan, Fetty Wap, Young Thug, 24kGoldn, Yuki Chiba, Nino Paid, Jutes, Yoko Gold, Graph, Bixby, Riz La Vie, and Asal. In her current role as Product Operations Manager at Too Lost, Jheanelle oversees global releases and music video distribution for artists and labels across multiple genres. Joe Gare co-founded the Promoting Sounds record label alongside Sam Woodcock (creator of the Promoting Sounds YouTube channel). Under the label, he has worked with hundreds of artists across both individual releases and long-term signings. Over the past 9 years, the label has generated over 1 billion streams and collaborated with artists such as Powfu, Marino, Kado and more. Joe has also been working with the Promoting Sounds team on “UpNext” - an app designed to help artists connect and collaborate. As always it’s FREE for you to join, comment “kh” and we’ll send you an invite to the community. If you’d like to join, ask questions, and take advantage of all of the FREE opportunities we’re trying to put in front of our community make sure you join today - we’d love to have you! Tag an artist or rising music industry professional who could benefit from joining our community and share this amazing opportunity!

Housemates!! As promised, here is our first edition of “The Ground Floor” This update includes songs from: @aryse.music @lillyaviana @piercewashington @ravmagav @itsranes + more This playlist is about investing in artists at the earliest stage possible. The Ground Floor. The first listen. The moments before everything changes. Where else can you get playlisted before your song even hits DSPs? For the artists out there wondering “why should I submit for this?”, this is an opportunity to get playlisted before the song even comes out, take that support into your DSP pitches, and into your rollouts, it’s just one more piece of ammo for you to get more support on the official release - I’ll be leaving some commentary on the songs I pick for the official playlist too. For the fellow music pioneers join us for true early access, be the first to hear the next wave of great artists, leave your comments on the songs, and join in on the conversation. Everyone starts somewhere and you could be one of those people who got in at The Ground Floor. Exclusively on Highnote. Submit your music via @highnote.fam : go.highnote.fm/submit-to-kayvanmd