A myriad of artists are pushing UK r&b forward, and one of those bright stars is undoubtedly South Londoner Nia Chennai, who we first discovered in 2023 thanks to her "Since We Ain't Together".
The track builds on her beautiful debut EP Diary Is A Waste Of Paper released in 2023 and it represents and upbeat and playful instrumental juxtaposed to a rather serious topic - the first encounter with an ex-partner.
Nia elaborates, "I made this song by staying truthful and relatable in my lyrics as I always do. It is key for me. I had recently encountered an ex and wanted to make light of it. I had also been listening to Lily Allen - Smile and Lauryn Hill - That Thing so I knew I wanted trumpets and something a bit upbeat. I was heavily inspired by the reggae elements and since I’m half Caribbean. It’s always nice to pay homage to my culture. When your ex comes crawling back, don’t take them! You should always want more for yourself. If you want love, find someone that is loyal, respectful and brings you peace."
After reading this I realized what the vibe reminded me of indeed! I love both Lily Allen's early work and of course the queen - Lauryn Hill.
Nia is most certainly an artist to be paying attention to this year.