· Lucy Lerner · Reviews

EMIKO Releases Soulful Debut ‘Is It Real’

<p>EMIKO is a young singer-songwriter from Notting Hill, London and he introduces his new single &#8216;Is It Real'(for fans of Daniel Ceasar, Ray BLK and DVSN.) The song is incredibly soulful with a jazzy undercurrent. Emiko&#8217;s soft vocals exude a maturity way beyond his 22 years. He describes the song as “wanting to feel love, [&hellip;]</p>

EMIKO is a young singer-songwriter from Notting Hill, London and he introduces his new single ‘Is It Real'(for fans of Daniel Ceasar, Ray BLK and DVSN.) The song is incredibly soulful with a jazzy undercurrent. Emiko’s soft vocals exude a maturity way beyond his 22 years. He describes the song as “wanting to feel love, provide love and portray a real image of love”.

Emiko says the track, it “came about very spontaneously. My friend Hilts had sent me the instrumental and once I heard it, something really touched me. I knew I wanted to sing about love, but I let my subconscious decide what kind, by just putting pen to paper, and writing what I felt. I’m singing to a girl, who is kind of hesitant to leave a toxic relationship behind, where love is non-existent, and I’m asking her to trust in me to show her what true love feels like – freedom”.

‘Is It Real’ is produced by South London musician Hilts and Emiko’s frequent Turtle Basement collaborator Monks, and taken from his forthcoming debut EP to be released later this year. Emiko is influenced by artists including Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, and Erykah Badu but he delivers a brand of RnB and soul which is totally his own. He encourages “bringing people together, from far and wide, to experience something so special that words alone can never truly encapsulate the feeling”.

Stream ‘Is It Real’ here.