
Credit: Ayomide Oyeniyi (ayo_sama)
South London-born R&B talent NIA CHENNAI is making waves once again with her latest track, ‘Wasting Time,’ ahead of her upcoming EP ‘Diary Is A Waste Of Paper,’ set to drop later this year.
Love is a “losing game,” as late vocalist Amy Winehouse once said. Nia masterfully captures the essence of this, as each verse delves deep into the struggles of toxic relationships and explores themes of overthinking and self-doubt. Nia showcases evolving song-writing abilities in ‘Wasting Time,’ experimenting new flows and rhyming patterns. The first verse is captivating with smooth and, at times, breathy vocals, with a Hip-Hop-like flow – a combination that successfully juxtaposes charm with assertiveness in her lyrics. Nia then seamlessly glides through the second verse in traditional R&B-singer fashion, with catchy melodies and production from Mont Jake ensuring perfectly-layered backing vocals.
Commenting on the new single, Nia Chennai said: “When I wrote ‘Wasting Time’, understanding the idea of what love really is was heavily on my mind. Whilst on that journey, it made me realise that I can’t waste my time on someone displaying “love” with words. I’ve been there, I’ve done that and threw the t-shirt in the bin! If the actions aren’t matching, then I don’t want it!“
Nia’s melodies and introspective lyrics have garnered attention from esteemed publications, including Sterofox, Guap, It’s All Massive – and, of course, New Lease Music. Nia has also impressed many live audiences, opening at the Bristol and Manchester dates for Ojerime’s headline tour in February at Bristol Strange Brew and Canvas Manchester, respectively. Nia performed at Shoreditch’s Roundtrip & Workship in March for ‘Breaking Sounds’ and at Kindred for ‘Sonic Waves’ in May. Nia also played at the AnyWear release party with Nicce in October.
Now it’s time check out great talent…listen to ‘Wasting Time’ below…