April 4, 2012

Anhayla - RnB with an edge.

Anhayla is one of those YouTube treasures you stumble upon after a late night session online. At the time I was looking for an acoustic version of Rihanna’s Skin. Anhayla covered it beautifully, both vocally and musically with a romantic guitar arrangement.

From that point I was hooked. Her silky, rich and sexy voice has effortlessly turned anything she’s touched from gold to diamond; it’s clear that she’s incredibly confident and comfortably vocally and musically. Perfect for her RnB/Soul style. After watching more of her videos on her YouTube channel I came across her FREE mixtape, aptly entitled ‘My First’ (download here). ‘My First’ covers a whole range of artists and genres, from Adele and Beyoncé, to Drake and Paramore. Tracks to check out are her covers of Trey Songz - Successful, Drake - Trust Issues, and Rihanna - Skin. Her mixtape is a flawless and eclectic album highlighting her potential and diversity but holding on to that ‘YouTuber/Home recorder’ feel.

 

Since sharing her mixtape, Anhayla has released her ‘U.G.L.Y - EP’ in mid-March 2012 featuring three tracks. If you had any doubts about her writing talent you can lay those to rest; U.G.L.Y’s three tracks are all Anhayla originals that ooze a sexy RnB and soulful vibe with a dash of rock thrown in for good measure.

The first track, ‘If I Was’, is very well produced featuring a sweet guitar riff, a laid back bass line and some beautiful harmonies that makes you want to sway. ‘If I Was‘  climaxes with a small rap with an edgy rock feel which is surprisingly classy and fitting.

‘U.G.L.Y’, track two, has a great motivational meaning behind it ‘U Gotta Love Yourself’ and instantly conjures up images of Amy Winehouse with the rocky drums, piano and guitar riffs. ‘U.G.L.Y’ is a fun and uplifting track with a ridiculously catchy hook!

Finally we have ‘Doomsday’, a slow track featuring well layered vocals, and another catchy chorus that you’ll be humming for days.

I have to admit, my favourite track is ‘If I Was’. I love what Anhayla has done with her Mixtape and EP; I’m excited to see what she’ll do next! I can’t see how she won’t be snapped up by some big company very soon (I know I would if I was in a better position). Go preview and buy her EP on iTunes now - remember to support artists buy purchasing music.

I hope you like this first review, check back soon for more music posts!
- Josh


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