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Debut single “I’ll Wait for You” by pop newcomer Iris shines like a beacon of hope for all of those who are looking for a glimmer of light in the dark days of winter.  

The song discusses that if you want something really bad and you’ll wait long enough for it that ultimately your dreams may come true. 

Iris speaks from experience. After battling poor health that almost took her life, she gained strength and used music to make a fresh new start. The result is a slice of pop heaven that is quirky, melodic and taken straight from the heart.

It’s the type of high-grade pop that fans of Robyn, Tove Lo and other left-leaning pop will salivate over.

Iris partnered with director Sebastien Duguay, cinematographer John Londono and producer Cult Nation on the video for the song "We originally intended to make a nice simple lyric video to support the single,“ she explains.

"But when I showed up on set and saw the wonderful team that we had and the iconic Panasonic anamorphic B series lenses, I knew we would have an awesome video. Way more than what we anticipated.”

She continues, “The whole video was pretty much improvised on set. I just felt the song and went with the flow. It was important to me to have the viewer feel the song through my emotions and my body language rather than having a storyline and acting. This music video is simple, visually beautiful, spontaneous and real.”

Hailing from New York City, newcomer Verite serves up an impressive pop sound that will capture you from start to finish. I first heard her demos a few weeks ago and was instantly blown away by her powerful and deeply emotive delivery.  

Whilst working hard in the studio with the producer Elliot Jacobson on her debut EP, Verite is sharing “Strange Enough” to give us a taste of what’s to come. Fans of Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding and other pensive pop will be in for a huge treat.

The singer (who still works as a waitress in a local Manhattan restaurant) explains in a press release that she wrote the song to contemplate “all the questions I’d ask myself about my relationship, and why we bother ourselves to try to make things work sometimes.” 

She adds, “The song goes back and forth between the nostalgia of what was. The reality of how things shift as time moves on, and how ultimately we romanticize moments that are fleeting.” 

P.S. Vérité is French for “truth” that is pretty darn perfect in this case.

The Heydaze serve up a slice of summer sizzle and heaps of happy vibes with their potent new single “City Girl” The group is the teaming of Jesse Fink (vocals), Andrew Spelman (lead guitar) and Andrew Underberg (production and keys) who formed this past year at the University of Pennsylvania. The three college pals sure bring an Ivy League quality to their infectious, crisp brand of pop as demonstrated by “City Girl.”

It’s an instantly catch pop stomper that is a happy-go-lucky love letter to the group’s favorite city girl and New York City. "Been around everywhere/Swear I have never seen such a pretty girl/Twinkle in the sky/Big apple in my eye,” charismatic frontman Jesse Fink cheers.

This song will have you tapping along the moment it hits. I guarantee you. The group is looked after by the fine folks who turned Maroon 5 into global superstars so make sure to keep a close eye on The Heydaze. [Facebook] [Twitter]

Dapper and musically daring, British newcomer Aaron Delahunty brings a gritty new soul sound to the pop scene that is refreshing. This South London native likes to refer to his music as "gip hop," an unorthodex blend of grime and hip hop infused vintage pop that is influenced by everything "from '90s East/West Coast hip hop to vaudeville to gypsy jazz and grime." Call it gypsy dubstep if you like.

Listen to Delahunty's debut single "Glossy Magazine" to get a taste of his genre-bending sound, lyrical wit and arresting, soulful delivery that is instantly compelling. Delahunty's musical intensity is remarkable and his focus is laser-sharp.

Delahunty explains to fans that his music is a direct reflection of the place where he grew up. "I’m through and through South London born and raised," he explains on Facebook. "With that, I've soaked up a whole lot of culture and been heavily influenced by the diversity of my hometown."

"I was born into the tail end of the acid house scene and brought up on the soundtracks of Britain on its early 90's comedown," he adds. No release date for "Glossy Magazine" has been set, but stay tuned for more.

The annual Musexpo conference in Los Angeles earlier this month was a fantastic place to mingle with music industry insiders and greet new talent. One of the brand-new artists I chatted with in between panels was South Florida pop outfit AVD, which stands for the Italian goodbye "arrivederci" (even though they have just arrived).

The group is the teaming of Miami's Timothee Lovelock, Adam Piccoli and Zack Graciu who decided to work together in 2007 after bonding over a common love for Coldplay, Maroon 5, Michael Jackson and Kanye West. The group has been producing and mixing for others, but they have also been recording their own artist material that has been gaining attention from a number of labels.

Songwriter Ester Dean, who recently penned Rihanna's "S&M" and Katy Perry's "Fireworks," was a speaker at Musexpo and pointed the group out to the audience after she saw them sitting in the front row. "You guys look like stars," she told them from the podium, which prompted AVD to stand up and introduce themself to the 200+ people in the room. Dean sure knows how to spot talent just by looking at them.

AVD's music is best described as a forward fusion of urban electro pop that is infused with classical stylings. Their hyper-melodic and crisp, well-crafted tunes cover much of the pop spectrum, ranging from the compelling and heartfelt "Cry" to the Cataracs-styled dancefloor stomper "Skinny Jeans," and from the uplifting mid-tempo ballad "Victory" to the sunny pop of "Gimme Your Lovin'".

Listen to "Cry" in the player below to get an idea of their ambitious sound and meaningful pop writing (make sure to catch the violin at the 2:30 minute mark). With their knack for melody, true musicianship, soundboard savvy and a photogenic look to boot, it shouldn't be too long before these three develop into something big. Make sure to check out their Soundcloud page for more of their music.