Nija Unveils Debut Single, Ease My Mind (Come Over) + Video

Before she had even turned 21, NIJA had written scores of Billboard Hot 100 hits. Now 23, the three-time GRAMMY Award-winning contributor has reached a new milestone: the release of her self-penned, self-produced debut single, ‘Ease My Mind (Come Over)’ via Capitol Records. With her enticing, self-assured vocals, Nija delivers an irresistible invitation on the track, which is an inventive mixture of R&B and drill music.

Shot in Los Angeles, the official video for ‘Ease My Mind (Come Over)’ is a visually surreal exploration of inner space, traveling through Nija’s subconscious mind. Director Child (Big Sean, Janelle Monáe, H.E.R.) gives us a keyhole view into the vibrant worlds conjured by her imagination as she awaits the arrival of a lover.

Nija says, “This song is about those times when you’ve had a long day, maybe stressed out from work, and you just want to get your mind off things with that special person at the end of the day.”

Born in New Jersey and now based in Los Angeles, Nija has demonstrated a knack for translating her experiences into relatable, emotional songs for artists such as Beyoncé, Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Drake, H.E.R., Lady Gaga and Maroon 5. As she started working on her own music, she relished the freedom she had to fully express herself. Now Nija is writing songs that are more intensely personal and taking control of her music and narrative in a way she never has before.

‘Ease My Mind (Come Over)’ is the first single from her forthcoming debut project, slated for release later in the year. Check out the video for Nija’s debut below…

Song of the Day: Strange Love – Cautious Clay (ft. Saba)

Singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist CAUTIOUS CLAY‘s track, ‘Strange Love’, featuring rising Chicago rapper Saba, is about the push and pull of identity in late capitalism.

Cautious explains further. “We’re constantly told we need x, y or z to let the world know who we are, inundated with information about what the latest and greatest and coolest is. I love fashion and clothes and putting them together to telegraph myself to the world, but sometimes it’s hard to separate what I like from what I’m being told to like. I think it’s a struggle lots of people can relate to.”

The smooth R&B/pop banger is taken from his long-awaited debut album, ‘Deadpan Love’ – out now independently via The Orchard – includes previously released singles ‘Wildfire’, ‘Karma & Friends,’ ‘Roots,’ ‘Dying In The Subtlety,’ and ‘Agreeable,’ and wraps influences from R&B, hip hop and indie pop in Cautious’ trademark sophisticated songwriting and jazz- and blues-inflected instrumentation. The album finds Cautious collaborating with a host of notable co-writers for Deadpan Love including Tobias Jesso Jr. (Adele, HAIM), Jim-E Stack (Caroline Polachek, Empress Of), Daniel Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo, FINNEAS), Jesse Shatkin (Sia, Kelly Clarkson), Ammar Malik (Maroon 5, Halsey) and Sir Nolan (Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez).

Since the release of his breakout debut single ‘Cold War’ three years ago, the 28-year-old has been on a whirlwind ride. He’s released three EPs—Table of Context, RESONANCE, and debut Blood Type—that have earned critical praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, NPR, TIME, Complex and many more. His songs have soundtracked key scenes in films like Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and TV shows like Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and Selena Gomez’s “13 Reasons Why.”

Check out the video for ‘Strange Love’ below…

New Track: Pedestal – Autumnmusic

songwriter AUTUMNMUSIC  AKA Rosi Croom revealed the impassioned lead track ‘Pedestal’, from her debut EP ‘Dreams&Fears’.

Kicking off with buoyant synth bass and Croom’s assertive vocals, ‘Pedestal’ is a minimal tale of sudden attraction and desire for human touch. As the track develops, her ethereal vocals soar above the enchanting production – embroiled in both anguish and desire. Inspired by Odysseus’ perilous maritime journey, ‘Pedestal’ begins the musical lovelorn voyage destined to end in emotional turmoil.

The debut EP sees Rosi put aside her usual themes of feminism, politics and mental health, to create a deeply personal body of work, taking listeners on a journey of sensuality, lust, loss and violence. These rich narratives are further brought to life on stage using a loop station and live sampling, weaving her stories and their accompanying motifs into a complex tapestry.

Behind the scenes Rosi has established herself as a formidable artistic talent, gaining a sync with Harvey Nichols and collaborating with American music producer Mark Endert, whose impressive discography has seen him work on Madonna’s Grammy Award winning album ‘Ray of Light’, as well as collaborating on numerous projects with Maroon 5, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus. Most recently, Rosi has worked as a choral arranger for Stu Larsen and American singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop, continuously diversifying her musical career. Choosing to create under the alias Autumnmusic, the elusive project explores the depths of the human heart and psyche through deep poetic craftsmanship – winning her 4 awards at The UK Song Writing Contest and support from Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music.

AUTUMNMUSIC reveals ‘Dreams&Fears’ at her EP launch show on 8th May at Servant Jazz Quarters in London, where she’s set to display her innate penchant for vivid storytelling in an intimate environment.

Hit the play button on ‘Pesdestal.’

New Track: Without You – Cherri V

Singer/songwriter CHERRI V unveils her brand new single ‘Without You’, produced by Grammy award-winning producer Harmony (Jennifer Hudson, Maroon 5 and Ariana Grande).
CHERRI V is a storyteller and in this song the sassy songstress takes us through comedic life moments that most people can relate to!

The past 18 months have been very busy for the Londoner, who was featured on Lethal B’s top 20 hit ‘The Drop’, toured the world with several artists, and recently joined Teedra Moses on her European Paris date, and is currently putting the finishing touches on her long-awaited debut album ‘Brown Eyed Soul’. This album is her most personal and autobiographical project to date, which is why she wants to present the whole story as a complete album rather than an EP.

The beat is a beautiful soulful number that embraces the voice of CHERRI V, who releases her full repertoire of vocals on ‘Without You’ to deliver a mind-blowing performance.

‘Without You’ was premiered on DJ Ace’s, 1xtra morning show on BBC 1Xtra last week and has already got fans anticipating what will feature on ‘Brown Eyed Soul’. Prepare to be blown away by CHERRI V’s magical vocal prowess….