Safia Elaina is a 19-year-old small town artist who makes all her music and art in her bedroom. A significant amount of her work is based on her daydreams and the inner world that she's imaginatively created. Her interests and inspirations are very multifaceted and range from photography, drawing, paintings, indie films, vintage things and words that aren’t quite used often. Unique individual right?!
We took a listen to the detailed and musically photogenic record of “Darlings Of Mass Destruction” off her album titled “Mellifluous Rage, Part 1” and the idiosyncrasy of this song was so compelling to us. This was not like a record I’ve ever heard before, instead was a nice surprise offering. While listening to “Darlings Of Mass Destruction” I felt as if I was floating in this hauntingly gorgeous setting with a grainy film and transporting experience to the past. “Darlings Of Mass Destruction” delivers chills through your spines by Safia’s indescribable vocals and the unique mixture of rock n roll with dark folk-like arrangements. It was eerily appreciated and unbelievably unforgettable!
Usually, we know what to expect when listening to a record due to the influences it may have prior. Maybe the arrangement sticks to the typical pop or R&B roots? Or the cultural changes in hip-hop? But instead, “Darlings Of Mass Destruction” was in its complete own lane, separate from any other song I’ve ever heard. It would be highly difficult to essentially attempt to categorize this unique portrait of art. Safia Elaina will leave you stunned with a style of music you aren't used to hear and an album that’s quite different from the typical! What cultivates this song the most? The possible in-depth message that’s hidden behind the overwhelming vocal production. It’s like a hidden code the listener must strategically decode while treading the journey of the music. “Darlings Of Mass Destruction” was a nice hit and we can’t wait to see what’s next!
Listen to “Darlings Of Mass Destruction” here and get to know Safia in our interview below!
Introducing the one and only Safia Elaina. How has growing up in a small town impacted your exploration for music!?
I think it impacted it by a lot. Everyone around me seemed to listen to the same things and I guess it drove me to explore what was outside of the mainstream pop and hip hop bubbles that everyone seemed to love. I found a certain love within the hunt for something new and different. The hunt has never really stopped and I'm glad I was so dissatisfied that I decided to look beyond. Curiosity can be one of the greatest things in life and I'm honestly blessed that things happened this way.
We listened to the record “Darlings of Mass Destruction” and this song was so dope and unique! What was the theme surrounding it?
The theme surrounding "Darlings of Mass Destruction" was a classic "I'm don't care anymore and I wanna do things because I'd like to not because society tells me to." I wanted to tackle this sort of theme because it kinda highlights that I grew up with the opposite state of mind. I was always the goody-two shoes who listened to parents, never rebelled, got straight A's and wasn't even fond of parties. I was sweet but I didn't have much of a social life because I was also extremely shy, living vicariously through novels and the poems that I'd written. So this was like my chance to show my colors a little bit, stop being so shy and have a little rebellion. I think it can be good to not follow someone else's rules as long as you don't hurt anyone.
Knowing you draw inspirations from various of artistic expressions including photography, film, and paintings, where did you get the inspiration for “Darlings of Mass Destruction” ?
The inspiration for "Darlings of Mass Destruction" came from Daisies, the 1966 Czech film about two girls who decide that because the world is rotten, they will be too. As well as Viktor & Rolf's latest fashion show called "Fashion Statements" for Spring/Summer 2019, A lot of the dress stuck out to me like "I'm not shy, I just don't like you", "I am my own muse" and "F* this, I'm going to Paris". I actually used these lines in the song. They're both very in-your-face type of things that I'd like think everyone has pieces of but are too polite to admit. Sometimes, you truly do inspire yourself (Like the chords from this song are from a previous one I wrote) and sometimes you really don't like certain people, writing it off as shyness.
How would you describe your album “Mellifluous Rage pt 1”?
Mellifluous Rage, Pt. 1 might be best described as the a teapot starting to bubble. It's the sweet sounding violence that brings itself out through self exploration and self love. It takes a certain amount of love to be angry about things that were undeserved. It's finally saying that's enough of this nonsense, I'm getting my own cake! Sonically, a fan of mine described it to me as a huge mashup of bubblegum pop, dream pop, the 80's satanic panic horror movies, victorian gothic ghost stories and post apocalyptic nuclear winter. Rose scented ghosts and killer angels might be the best way to describe it.
What can we expect next from you Safia?
Coming up next, you can expect prints drawn by myself to go on sale on my Bandcamp starting June 10. A different print for each song and I'll be making mini music videos for each song on my instagram in order of the track list. All that being said, Mellifluous Rage, Pt. 2 should be coming out in August!
Connect with Safia Elaina on social media:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/safiaelaina
Twitter: www.twitter.com/safiaelaina
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Safia-Elaina