The sweet and savory R&B/Alternative Artist and Singer/Songwriter Elyssa Plaza grabs the industry by the horns with her first single of the year, "Is it Really Love."
Always writing music inspired by her day-to-day experiences, Elyssa Plaza packed four smooth and groovy tunes into her debut EP, "EP," released last November. Heavily influenced by Soul, Jazz, and R&B, Plaza takes elements from greats like Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, and Daniel Caesar to fine-tune her craft in an authentic and engaging way.
Through her latest single, "Is it Really Love," listeners are easily able to lose themselves amid the sweet and sultry stylings of Elyssa Plaza. She graces the track with her stunning vocal range and natural melisma while serenading us over her smooth electric guitar and the supporting R&B production. Turning heads left, right, and center with this fresh single, Elyssa Plaza is beaming with unhindered talent.
"Is it Really Love" begins with sweet electric guitar melodies that drop into a smooth R&B beat with Elyssa Plaza's serene background vocals and each airy kick. As she starts singing her lyrical message of realizing the troubled relationship she's experiencing, Elyssa Plaza shimmers in the spotlight while coming through with lyricism that strikes a relatable chord within listeners.
Continuing to sing of the unjust love she's receiving, we can't help but feel similarities to the late great Amy Winehouse through Plaza's incredible vocal abilities that haunt the song with grace and power. The song's blend of organic and synthetic instrumentals offer an authentic R&B flair through each delicate production element and Elyssa Plaza's jazzy electric guitar.
Towards the song's outro, Elyssa Plaza offers nothing but strength and tranquility accompanied by soulful and smooth sonics. "Is it Really Love" gives listeners all the power to make difficult realizations in their lives while allowing them to get down with the song's sweet groove.
We love the passion and power you've delivered with your single, "Is it Really Love." Was there a particular moment where you realized that you needed to create a single surrounding unjust love?
There was no particular moment where I realized I needed to create a single surrounding unjust love. It kind of just came to me when I was songwriting. I was in the early stages of songwriting and I had no clue what to write about. So I decided to go back on past experiences and situations and be inspired by that.
The lyricism within your single "Is it Really Love" takes listeners on a personal yet highly relatable journey. How did you craft your lyricism to tell your truths while also allowing listeners to relate and feel engaged?
I crafted my lyricism from my own personal story and my own experience on how I felt in the moment. I wrote in a vulnerable state. Because of the honesty of personal experience, I wanted this to allow others to feel engaged with the story and be able to relate.
How did you lay down your instrumentals and production during your creative process for your single "Is it Really Love"? Did you go about this process solo?
The process of production took a while. I first started solo. Back when I wrote this song I played it on the guitar and for the time it was unreleased because I would be playing it acoustically. During that time I had no idea of how ai wanted the production to sounds, I wanted to make sure that the production was done justice because this song was something very personal to me. Before I worked with Tomboy Records I remember meeting a producer and working on the production of this song, however, it was not how I envisioned the song to be. Throughout the years of figuring out my sound, style, and genre, I eventually put together some ideas of how I wanted “Is it Really Love” to sound like. I put together some ideas and sent these ideas and the acoustic track of ‘Is it Really Love” to a producer. After months of working with a producer, I got a guitar player and bass player to play along with the track and another producer to tie everything together. The whole process of this song was a collective work.
We've noticed that "Is it Really Love" is the first single you've released in 2020. Why did you take a break from releasing music for about a year, and what pushed you to create again?
Being in university and lockdown made it difficult for me to juggle everything. Creating is always something I want to do, however, I know I can struggle from time to time especially being in school.
What has been keeping you inspired throughout 2020? What can we expect to see next from you?
Personal experiences and new music has been keeping me inspired throughout 2020. Hopefully, in the months to come, I will be releasing more music.