Ajia’s new EP ‘Visions’, alongside its two singles ‘Flavours’ and ‘Real Love’ encapsulates everything exciting about the world of R&B at present. The caramel tones of Ajia’s voice, bluesy backing tracks and jazzy synths explore a more streetwise edge of R&B yet still seem to walk roads well travelled and a nostalgic dose of 90s R&B.
The EP is dressed with soul and a real vitality. The South East Londoner utilises her choir girl upbringing to entrance listeners with deep and vibrant sounds alongside impressive falsetto, highlighted by a sequence of sassy lyrics. There is a real element of strength and individualism throughout.
My favourite track from the six-track EP has to be its animated opener, ‘Hype’. The effortless vocal and electric synths set the tone for this dynamic EP. ‘Visions’ feels well-timed and apt for the coming months and will undoubtedly be the soundtrack to my summer. Ajia paired with producer Ryan Price to create an EP with slick production values that has since been championed by not only R&B favourite Kiss Fm but a number of other specialist stations and music journals. At just 22 years old, Ajia is undoubtedly one to watch and I personally cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the future.