The Chicago Journal

Up-and-Coming Millennial Artist Hylynd Produces Intimate Passion & Nostalgia In Latest Singles

The art of song-writing and music production on the level that Hylynd does it is not easily attained. He is no mere “bedroom producer”. The collection of skills this seasoned recording artist possesses has developed over the course of two decades and it’s a current you feel and hear in his work.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Hylynd is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose passion for music manifested early. At two years old, the musician was already playing drums, showcasing his talent and foreshadowing his later career. He would grace the stages in singing competitions by thirteen, winning at state and national levels. Hylynd would take his talent to clubs, festivals, and venues, performing and engaging with crowds. While other musicians rely solely on their talent and ability to play instruments, Hylynd has centered himself on mastering various branches of music production and is a highly sought-after vocal producer and arranger. When it comes to music directing and putting together his live shows, Hylynd has an intriguing & lively approach where you will find him moving seamlessly from the mic to piano, guitars, and synths. Hylynd truly is a Swiss army knife.

As an artist, Hylynd embodies the soul and energy of your favorite 90’s artist with a collection of sonic characteristics from pre-millennium arena pop to early 2000’s smooth r&b with a forward leaning finish. While his base isn’t inherently religious, they carry a sense of spirituality that listeners can feel within the melodies and colors of the sounds. This is especially felt in his newest single, ‘Crossfire’, where he paints the picture of loved ones & battles lost and how it feels to carry what feels like the weight of the world but refusing to give up, with a simple directive to himself and others: ”you can find me in the crossfire”.

Hylynd has worked with many talented individuals in the industry throughout his career. He has worked with Grammy-nominated and Hall of Fame vocal coach Jan Smith, who calls him, “a ridiculous talent and vocal athlete”. In the last two years, Hylynd signed non-exclusive publishing deals with Sonata, a branch of Soundscape Agency in London, 411 Music Group in Los Angeles, and Audiio Music Group in Nashville. 

Hylynd is currently collaborating and co-producing new music with Grammy-nominated King Michael Coy, who has worked with Dr. Dre, H.E.R., Anderson Paak, and more. With more than 50,000 monthly online listeners, this is an artist to watch in 2022.

Suga Berlyn: Celebrating Success as Singer and Podcast Host

Suga Berlyn is a powerhouse of a woman, and she is not stopping anytime soon. She is multi-faceted and stays at the top of any career path she chooses. Suga Berlyn is a singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and podcast host. And she pursues her passions while balancing her time and energy for her family. 

Based in Houston, Texas, Suga Berlyn is a singer and songwriter quickly on the rise. Just like she has diverse interests and passions, her music traverses and combines different genres, and Berlyn navigates the intricacies of each genre with ease and brilliant ability. Whether she makes songs that fall under hip hop, R&B, or pop, Suga Berlyn has an excellent command of her craft and her voice, making her a successful newcomer to the music industry. 

Suga Berlyn is known for her sensual vocals and catchy songs. She also writes her music in a way that makes listeners connect to her songs, and some fans even say how they feel a connection to Suga Berlyn herself. Berlyn released her latest single, “No One,” earlier this month. The singer has this to say about her latest song, “This song will be your perfect spring or summer song. That’s the whole vibe. You can dance to it, it’s very catchy, and you and your friends will definitely have a great time playing this song on repeat and singing along to it.”

Aside from her work in music, this talented artist is also one of the Beauty with Shade podcast hosts alongside Titchy and Aurelia Sky. In this podcast, the three strong and passionate women come together to talk about business, travel, wellness, leisure, and everything that modern women enjoy. The show is all about authenticity and sharing good energy with the audience. While Berlyn’s music is an expression of her creativity, this podcast is where her personality shines through more distinctly. “I am confident in myself, in my achievements and my capabilities. And that confidence really motivates the podcast fans,” Berlyn shared, “The podcast is such a fun way for people, especially women, to connect and learn about real-life topics, business tips, and beauty advice. I and my co-hosts are all entrepreneurs, so there’s a lot we can bring to the table when it comes to helping and empowering other women who want to start their own businesses.”

Alongside her creative pursuits, Suga Berlyn also has a head for business. She invested in real estate and put them up on Airbnb. “I had such a good experience as an Airbnb host, and I recently got a Superhost status. That made me really excited because it shows how much effort I have put in to make my properties an ideal place for my clients,” Berlyn said. She also added, “I’m also proud of the fact that I own real estate now, and through it, I get to pass on wealth to my son. It has given me so much peace of mind that I am in a financially secure position in my life.”No matter what she does, Suga Berlyn gives it her best. The singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and podcast host makes waves in everything she does. “I have so many goals, and I am achieving them one by one. But there is more to come, no doubt about that.”

Samaria Kelly to Launch Thee W.O.R.D. Clothing for MH Awareness

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many have found themselves in a state of constant fear, worry, and stress. These are normal and understandable responses to an abnormal and unprecedented situation. Dreadful times like these should inspire kindness and humanity in everyone to lighten the load. Mental health advocate Samaria Kelly aims to preach a message of love and compassion amid these challenging times.

Samaria Kelly is a young entrepreneur, singer and songwriter, creative writer, public speaker, and mental health advocate. She is known as Thee Word Girl by her peers for her encouraging words, taking inspiration from the Word of God. As a servant of God, Samaria takes on many roles and performs many duties, but ultimately, her goal is to give someone a life-changing experience, something that she herself has undergone.

Samaria Kelly brands herself as a survivor. As a survivor of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and depression, there is little that she has yet to face. Her past scars mar her young life, but she looks to God for strength and inspiration. In turn, Samaria preaches stories of hope and a new life to others who may still be struggling in their faith.

Samaria draws strength from her one-year-old son. His birth brought a whole new beacon of light in her life and challenged her to do better to give him a good life. Zeroing in on her dreams, Samaria Kelly recently decided to pursue the life of a full-time entrepreneur. As a nurse, it was hard for her to leave the life and career, but she knew that it was time to move on. Through divine inspiration, Samaria is able to live out the life she has always dreamed of finally.

Samaria is currently working on a series of product releases that she plans to launch by the end of 2020. The young mother plans to publish her first-ever book, which will tell a story of overcoming rejection and achieving success. Being a singer-songwriter, Samaria is also planning to release her first album.

Never one to run out of ideas to honor God, Samaria Kelly is also planning to launch an exclusive subscription service called Thee Word Girl. Through this service, subscribers can receive good news inspired by God’s word and messages of faith and hope. The service also offers tips on mental health along with relevant tools and resources.

To top it off, Samaria Kelly is set to launch the Thee W.O.R.D. Clothing line, which aims to empower others. In this case, Thee W.O.R.D. stands for Win On Repeat Daily. True to her word as a mental health advocate, Samaria plans to donate a portion of the profits to the Mental Health Foundation.

After years of struggling with several battles, Samaria is finally seeing her dreams come true, and she’s not planning to rest anytime soon. With her son by her side, Samaria plans to see the world, speaking and performing on various platforms while transforming lives for God’s glory.

Know more about Samaria Kelly on her website and follow her on Facebook.

Peter Stelling Talks Life and Musical Career as a Rising Artist

Peter Stelling is a rising singer-songwriter, model, and actor who was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. Born with a natural passion and intuition for music, Peter is set to break records and put himself on top of the charts. Never one to run out of something to offer, Peter is also a talented model and actor who is quickly growing in the creative community.

Recalling his childhood and origins, Peter Stelling tells his life as the youngest out of five brothers. Needless to say, he lived a life full of competition. As the youngest child, he felt like he needed to compete the hardest just to keep up with all his older brothers. To compensate for his youth and inexperience, he would often push himself to his limits, which sometimes ended in disastrous consequences. Thinking of life as a competition to be the best often made his wins bitter and his losses heavy.

Getting wiser as he grew up, he learned to outgrow this mentality and instead learn the value of practice. Since then, that’s all he has done. Now, as a young man, he understands that it is not about being the best but about being better than before. Competition within yourself is the only comparison that can truly inspire oneself to move.

Out of fear of being left back, Peter Stelling was motivated to grow forward. He told himself that he wanted to be anything but average. Propelled by this thought, he focused his time and energy on sports, music, arts, and education. Today, he is pursuing a degree in Supervision and Management.

Peter himself admits that these are not areas he was confident in. In fact, before he took the plunge, he did nothing but doubt himself. Now he knows better—one should never doubt their strengths.

Peter Stelling has proudly worked on many campaigns, lending his natural good looks and extraordinary physique to bring the creative visions of many brands to come to life. This, coupled with his lyrical ingenuity and solid vocals, makes him a natural-born performer that has captured the hearts of many across social media platforms.

The young actor and musician is interested in collaborating with producers, directors, photographers, creators, actors, models, music artists, songwriters, musicians, and anyone who is pursuing a passion and wishes to work with a rising star in the industry.

What separates him from the average performer is the level of enlightenment he has achieved. He no longer views life as a competition anymore—he views it as a goal. Peter Stelling genuinely wants to push the entertainment and music industry forward.

His other motivation for making it big in the industry is the vision he holds of a better future for himself and his family and friends. Despite the inevitable challenges that he will face as a performer and the choices that he will have to make, Peter is determined to make it through because of his vision.

As Peter Stelling continues to build his portfolio and establish his brand and social media presence, he keeps at his goal of inspiring others not to give up on what they love to do. Regardless of money or connections, he strongly believes that anyone can still have a shot at greatness if they try hard enough.

Learn more about Peter Stelling by reaching out to him on Instagram.

Rising Music Artist Amanda Marie Wilkinson to Launch New Single

Up-and-coming music artist Amanda Marie Wilkinson is poised to overwhelm the music industry with the upcoming release of her single ‘Spiritual Level’. The Houston, Texas native is spreading her wings in the entertainment industry from film to television and the upcoming launching of her music career. With a lot of positivity, determination, and an inspiring past that fuels her passion for thriving under pressure, Amanda is expected to spark hope and motivation from many music enthusiasts. 

Amanda Marie Wilkinson draws inspiration from her very uncommon and life-altering past. She got involved in a life-threatening accident when she was very young and almost ended up dead. She broke her back, pelvis, and femur, requiring her to go through surgery and an excruciating physical therapy thereafter. She was fortunate to have made it in a wheelchair after a series of therapies and, with a lot of hard work and determination, eventually returned to walking again. 

Despite her significant physical progress after the accident, Amanda Marie Wilkinson lacked the emotional, moral, and financial support she badly needed as her mother was sick at that time. Unfortunately, she eventually passed away, leaving her daughter with no other family members to take care of her. As Amanda grew up in a very poor home setting, it was the different families in the community that supported her after her mother’s demise. She drew strength from the family who opened their door to give her a new home, became her caregivers and source of support. 

“No matter what can happen to shake up your day, knowing you have literally survived worse, brings so much more ease and peace. Everything else is irrelevant. I have been strengthened in areas I otherwise wouldn’t know of myself before. Those areas are magnified today. Each day is another day of growth. It is how we are able to grow together and that makes it all worthwhile. In all that I do, I give it my all. I lift others and walk with them as I continue on this journey. It is the very least I can do,” Amanda reveals. 

Amanda Marie Wilkinson found writing to be a source of inner healing and an effective creative outlet. As she continued to carve out a path for herself in theater, music, even in business, she found music to be her life’s greatest passion and the most effective platform for her to share her inspiring message to encourage others to keep on fighting regardless of how difficult life may get. 

“I pay attention to what brings a smile to my morning as I wake and what keeps it there all the way to the end of my day. When you are in tune with your core, in all that you do, it will be your all, you at your very best! That is what others will receive of you. That is what you have to walk away knowing and proud of. Authenticity will always be your greatest advantage. Not one of us is the same. There is no competition. There is collaboration and also how we can compliment another,” Amanda adds. 

As Amanda Marie Wilkinson readies herself for the music industry, she only sees herself living more passionately as the years progress. No matter what the outcome may be, she is prepared to do what it takes to reach out to as many people as she can so they, too, can be inspired to press on and never give up. 

Subscribe to Amanda Marie Wilkinson’s YouTube channel to access her upcoming music. Follow her Facebook and Instagram for updates on her latest projects.

Beyond Being a People Person, Layla Michaels Is All About Love

As a 42-year old woman who is passionate about God, his Son, Yeshua, and the love that God shows the world daily, Layla Michaels is someone who cares about fixing broken things. She is a singer, model, actress, and an all-round creative person who views success in life as beyond a constant quest for money and material things.

Layla is a strong proponent for love and service to others, and she believes strongly that those are sustainable and can last for many generations. She values loyalty, and she extends that to her romantic relationship as well as the relationships she has with other people. All of these motivated her to build her brand, which is all about love and ensuring that everyone is enjoying their time in the world. 

We are currently at a time in the world that many people are feeling left out. From racial inequality to sexual discrimination, Layla Michaels aims to look at what people represent beyond face value. In her words, “I take the broadest possible view of diversity. I value the visible and invisible qualities that make an individual or an entity for who they are and what they represent. My belief is that every person brings a unique perspective and experience to advance our mission and progress our fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.” 

For her, every community member, donor, volunteer, advocate, and employee must have equal access to solving community problems. She strives to include diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at the center of her daily work. “My commitment to using these practices for my business, my brand, and our communities will help achieve my goals.” she adds.

With her brand, Layla Michaels is trying to establish a culture where everyone can feel included effortlessly. A culture where race, role, language, or business unit does not get in the way of achieving excellence and social progress. Everyone should feel valued, respected, and included. And Layla hopes to ensure that by teaching lessons on loyalty and love.To further lend credence to her desire to serve people and share love, her goal for the next five years is to be in charge of at least seven homeless shelters. She wants to play a direct role in rebuilding, uplifting, housing, and feeding people who are trying to get on their feet so they can become contributing members of society.

Layla Michaels wants everyone to replicate God’s love on earth and genuinely serve those with fewer opportunities. She is not only all about preaching love, but she also demonstrates it for everyone to see. And she doesn’t mind doing it one person at a time, as long as everyone comes to the realization that God loves the world, and they should show love to everyone too. Layla is always projecting her brand and values as much as she can on different platforms. Indeed, there is so much to learn for a woman who loves God as much as everyone around her.

To know more about Layla Michaels and her initiatives, visit her website.

Jolie Cuts Clean Through Multiple Charts With Latest Single “Like a Knife”

Singer Jolie is staying relevant in the music industry with her latest single. “Like a Knife,” produced and co-written by the multi-platinum selling producer Juan Luis Ayala, is already making noise after charting on iTunes in Mexico and bunking rent-free on Italy’s iTunes Top 30.

Jolie got her start in the industry when she debuted in 2015. Her first work was a collaboration with the electronic producer Phonat, who works under the Superstar Producer Skrillex’s label OWSLA. Her song “Fire” set music charts ablaze and had people across the globe introduced to the singer, Jolie, through features on giant music platforms such as MTV, Billboard, and BBC Radio 1. 

“Fire” was such a rage that Jolie released two acoustic versions of the hit single. The acoustic translation of “Fire” was produced after intensive work in the studio with Multi-Platinum Selling Songwriter Fabio Campedelli and Music Icon Alex Alessandroni, who has strung songs with the industry’s legends such as Whitney Houston, P!nk, and Christina Aguilera.

Jolie’s hit debut single has also been interpreted in Dom Capuano’s cinematic version of the song, which brings its listeners to a magical journey through a beautiful strings arrangement and Jolie’s heart-stopping vocals. A Goodwheel Remix of “Fire” intended to add an electronic and funky disco vibe to the song is currently in the works. 

From teenagers to adults, everyone can connect with Jolie’s music. As a product of the pop singer’s versatility and exceptional talent in translating emotions into sound, Jolie is well-loved by a wide variety of audiences. The musician’s work has made her a verified artist on Spotify with a staggering average of around 240,944 monthly listeners.

Along with the Goodwheel Remix of “Like a Knife,” Jolie’s discography on the music streaming site includes singles such as “Fire,” “I’m All In,” “Mueve Mueve,” and the original version of her latest single. The singer has also worked with several established artists and has lent her voice to albums such as “Frame” by Holograph and many others.

With multiple hit singles under her belt and her song, “Like a Knife,” seemingly glued to iTunes Mexico and Italy’s charts, Jolie’s musical prowess is undeniable. Hosting a unique voice and skills that have been recognized and lauded with the music industry’s bigwigs, the talented singer is set to continue down her path of success. 

Once again, clasping hands with Former Manager Gianluca Pizzorno, Jolie is definitely the artist to watch this year. 2020 will prove to be exciting for the singer, with several impressive tracks underway. With the help of her manager’s team of Grammy winner, platinum-selling producers, songwriters, and artists, nothing is in Jolie’s way to take a straight cut to the top of the industry like a knife. 

Listen to Jolie’s chart-topping single, “Like a Knife,” and more of the singer’s singular sound. Stay updated on her upcoming music releases by following the growing artist on Spotify.