Following a string of impressive singles ‘Let Me In’ and ‘Don’t Let Go’ that firmly announced the rising star in 2020, Afro-Irish songstress Tolü Makay unveils her much-anticipated debut EP ‘Being’, Friday 9th October 2020 via the Berlin based label Welcome to the New World.
Having used her music for many years as a medium to speak her truth, ‘Being’ hallmarks a significant chapter for Tolü. Presenting her deepest thoughts succinctly in 7 tracks, she drives home the importance of self-love, self-assurance and self-confidence, using her own experiences as a backdrop to this musical journey.
There are elements of Frank Ocean, Lianne La Havas and the queen of self-assurance Beyonce Knowles that are scattered through the EP. With influences ranging from Soul to R&B and Pop, Tolü demonstrates her pedigree as a well-versed artist; ushering the dawn and awakening inquisitiveness with the ethereal opener ‘Hello Are You Awake’, she details an emotional transition from fear to hope with the soulful opulent masterstroke of ‘Don’t Let Go’.
Through the acoustic swing of ‘Me Myself And I’ and its Jazzy counterpart ‘Wild Thing’, the EP shares life lessons that challenge the status quo, concluding aptly on the soaring anthem ‘You Are Enough’. Purposeful songwriting meets authentically soulful vocals and a confident delivery that puts Tolü Makay shoulder to shoulder with her contemporaries.
Sharing her thoughts on the project, Tolu mentioned: “’Being’ means ‘essence’, one’s entity. I chose it as the title of the project because it captures my journey to self-discovery. This journey to knowing who you are was vital in order to grow and attain a greater sense of self. My love for psychology and advocacy for mental health is what truly influences why I question the mind, myself and ways to live. This translates into how I write about my experiences.”
Tolu adds: “My hope with this project is that it helps anyone who is lacking self-love or going through a transition to better themselves and need the encouragement from within. Because it’s a long but rewarding journey.”
The Nigerian-born songstress has continued to blossom since emerging with her 2018 single ‘Goodbye’ – now with over 800k streams on Spotify alone. A seasoned vocalist with influences that span the likes of Erykah Badu and Nina Simone to Amy Winehouse and Asa, Tolü’s trajectory into music seemed already pre-destined.
With every release, she continues to get more support, with ‘Don’t Let Go’ reaching #1 on Ireland’s RTE Radio 1’s airplay charts and ‘You Are Enough’ spotlighted by BBC’s Across The Line as ‘The Best Song In The World’ and RTE 2FM’s Tracks of The Week.
Tolü shows no sign of slowing down and now as she finally delivers her debut project, ‘Being’ serves a beautiful milestone in what will be long and fruitful career ahead so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open as she ascends to greater heights.
Stream/buy the EP here: https://cdbaby.lnk.to/BeingTM
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