MUSIC
New Single ‘Stay’ – 30th October 2024
A low fuzz, a restless hum drifting closer/louder: South London-based artist/vocalist, Naima Adams returns with second single ‘Stay’, a dub-fused percussive soul collision and glimpse into the tussle of pursuing peace & connection whilst navigating the realities of city existence: a decades-long ‘holler’, a fading in slow motion.
Written in collaboration with composer & producer Melo-Zed (Yazmin Lacey, CARI & ‘iwoyi: within the echo’, score/film commissioned for The British Library’s ‘Beyond The Bassline’ exhibition), Adams’ ‘Stay’ wrestles with place & roots, answering calls from the unknown, set against the backdrop of a hostile environment, pervasive burnout and increasing insecurities, asking “how am I supposed to live when all I do is give?”.
An open introspection of loss and hope in the modern age, ‘Fragile’ is backed by a layered contemporary indie/R&B foundation, co-produced by pianist/composer, Lorenz Okello-Osengor (And Is Phi, Sofia Grant).
Originally written as a lament on the nature loss and climate destruction a distance away from her grandfather’s hometown in Sicily during the summer of 2023’s wildfire ruins, and growing heartbreak for the enduring violence in occupied Palestine, Congo and Sudan, ‘Fragile’ follows Adams contemplative and faithless in those profiting from our collective grief, yet determined and energised by those discerning and disrupting, reminding us of care and compassion as architects of resistance.
