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Memphis musicians have had a busy year of releases. Collaboration has been key to many of the new songs and albums.
V.C.R
South Memphis native Veronica Camille Ratliff, known professionally as V.C.R, collaborated with Canadian hip-hop-inflected jazz instrumental group BADBADNOTGOOD on the song “Found A Light (Beale Street).”
The seven-minute song was released on Tuesday, April 29.
Ratliff is a singer, violinist and composer who is now based in Los Angeles. She was featured on Andre 3000’s flute album, “New Blue Sun.”
In a statement shared online, Ratliff wrote that the song is a journey back home.
“Back to Beale Street, back to Memphis,” she said. “Back to the sounds that raised me. It’s an ode to where I come from and what we carry forward — our joy, our grief, our laughter, our resistance.”
“Community has been the only thing that’s ever truly saved me. It’s what’s carried us on Beale Street through the Jim Crow South, and it’s what will carry us now — through this time of fear, injustice and uncertainty.”
On social media, the band wrote that the instrumental had “been in the vault for a few years” and that Ratliff’s vocal performance took the song to an entirely new level.
“She is truly a one-of-a-kind artist and we’re deeply honored to be collaborating with her,” BADBADNOTGOOD said.
Southern Avenue
 Southern Avenue. (Rory Doyle)
“Family,” released on Friday, April 25, is Southern Avenue’s fourth album and the Memphis band’s first on Alligator Records.
Originating in 2015, Southern Avenue is a Grammy Award-nominated blues/soul band consisting of guitarist Ori Naftaly, and sisters Tierinii (lead vocalist), Tikyra or T.K. (drummer and vocalist) and Ava (vocalist, violinist and percussion player) Jackson.
Tierinii is featured on the “Sinners” movie soundtrack.
Southern Avenue is currently on tour; the band is set to play at SmokeSlam in Memphis on Saturday, May 16.
“Family isn’t just something to hear; it’s something to feel,” the band members said in a statement. “Like a vibrant family photo album, these songs capture snapshots of our past, reflections of our present, and our hopes for the future. To us, music is about connection — and this collection of songs is our invitation to share that connection with you.”
Unapologetic
“Stuntarious, Vol. 5,” is a collaborative album that creative label Unapologetic says is six years in the making. It was released on Friday, April 18.
Project Pat, AWFM, C MaJor, and Spookyli are featured on the album’s single, “eXpresso.”
The 18-track album includes contributions from label founder IMAKEMADBEATS, as well as Kid Maestro, Tangela, Sequoia Gray, Nubia Yasin, Rachel Maxann, MonoNeon, R.U.D.Y, Uni’q, ADUBB, Preauxx and more.
Click here to read Daily Memphian interviews with rapper PreauXX, “goth-folk” singer Rachel Maxann and bassist extraordinaire MonoNeon.
MonoNeon performed at the Riverbeat Music Festival on Saturday, May 3.
Valerie June
Longtime Memphis roots singer and multi-instrumentalist released her fourth studio album “Owls, Omens, Oracles” on Friday, April 11.
It includes features from The Blind Boys of Alabama (on “Changed”) and Norah Jones (on “Sweet Things Just For You”).
Click here to read a Daily Memphian interview with the artist in November 2024, before her show at the Germantown Performing Arts Center, where June shares, “I think it’s really important to be an activist for positivity in this dark world.”
Babyfangs
Ava Wilson, the Los Angeles-based, Memphis native singer known as Babyfangs, released her latest single “Secrets That Weep” on Friday, April 11.
On social media, Wilson said the song is about “growing up and missing the feeling of being a kid.”
Wilson opened for Nashville-based blues-rock band Willis at the 1884 Lounge in Memphis in February.
GAWD
GAWD appeared at the 2025 Riverbeat Music Festival, for a song a piece as their R&B duo during Tokimonsta and Anderson .Paak’s headlining set, and as Anderson .Paak’s background vocalists.
Click here to read a Daily Memphian profile on GAWD.
The group, consisting of Alana Linsey of Los Angeles and Alana Rodgers of Memphis, is now opening for Ohio-native Durand Bernarr’s tour. The Daily Memphian spoke with the R&B singer about his live-music artistry ahead of his September 2023 show at 1884 Lounge in Memphis.
GAWD is featured on Bernarr’s single and stars in the video for “Flounce,” released on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Victoria Dowdy
Memphis singer-songwriter and guitarist Victoria Dowdy fronts folk/Americana duo Oakwalker alongside violinist Ethan Baker.
After several singles, an EP and a debut album from Oakwalker, Dowdy is working on more solo music.
Her latest release is a single, “10AM,” which came out Friday, Feb. 7.
“The song sprang from a wholesome moment when my boyfriend said I smelled like incense and coffee, which was both funny and true,” Dowdy said of the song, which blends Americana, country and ‘90s alternative pop/rock. “It’s sometimes hard to write an earnest song without it sounding cliche, but I enjoyed writing this song and am so happy with how it turned out.”
Delta Stardust
Roots-psychedelic band Delta Stardust released its 10-track debut album, “Snakes Made of Light,” on Friday, Jan. 24.
Memphis musicians Michael Graber (guitars, mandolins, autoharp, bass, vocals), John Kilgore (mellotron, synths, guitar, vocals), Andy Ratliff (guitars, bouzouki, mandolins, vocals), Carlos Gonzalez (bass, charango, fiddle), Scott Carter (electric and acoustic percussion), Jesse Dakota (drums) and Julia Graber (vocals) comprise the band.
The band describes its music as “ blend(ing) acoustic warmth, electric grit and digital dreamscapes.”
NLE Choppa
 “Dare U” art. (Submitted)
Twenty-two-year-old Memphis rap phenom Bryson Potts, aka NLE Choppa, has 13 platinum singles and one platinum album to his name. (As certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.)
The prolific musician teamed up with Grammy Award-winning rock band Imagine Dragons for a single, “Dare U,” which was released Friday, Jan. 17.
The rambunctious song is Potts’ first rock exploration.
“His energy is infectious, and his talent knows no bounds,” Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds said in a statement. “The synergy we found in creating this song was unmatched.”
Potts said, “Imagine Dragons is legendary. To collaborate with them is a dream come true.”
This week’s top arts and culture stories
Check out the Arts Beat Vol. 1 playlist with songs from artists featured in this story, and more.
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