Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, the singer-songwriter Mia Taylor has developed an incredible and unique sound for herself. With a blend of Soca and R&B music, she has combined her Trini heritage with her Brooklyn vibe.
From a young age, she has had a special kind of love for the arts, starting off her journey as a dancer. Her beloved grandfather, a popular steel pan player, poured his love for Soca music into her development, which influenced Mia to carry on her grandfather's legacy within her music. An island girl in the city, Mia Taylor has a sound like no other, making her the kind of artist that will change the sound of the music industry.
Fresh off the release of her melodic EP, ‘Things I Never Said,’ Mia Taylor allows listeners to delve into a heartfelt expression of her lucid mindset. As we grasp onto the magnetic pull of the second song featured on the three-track project, we hear Mia Taylor approaching a pulsating beat that eases you into the soothing vibrations of her opulent vocal range.
Upon first listen to “Frontin’,” you’re immediately reeled into the sonic expressions infiltrating your mind in a graceful manner. Tapping into the heartrending hues that Mia Taylor showcases magnificently, the style in which her buttery timbres caress the soulful instrumentation has us wrapped in a blanket of luscious effervescence.
“Frontin’,” allows Mia Taylor to say her piece through songwriting techniques that focus on the importance of timing and spatial cues as each word is presented in a poignant tone, and allows the impact of the lyrical motifs to simmer with intention. Holding a flame to artists such as H.E.R and SZA, the exclusive use of her harmonics propels her into a category where the music that she creates could be easily heard in the scheme of mainstream soundscapes.
With Mia Taylor at the helm of her authentic gestures, sharing a piece of herself with the world comes as second nature to the emerging artist.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Mia Taylor! Congratulations on the release of your EP ‘Things I Never Said.’ The track “Frontin’,” is such an easy listen with it being able to thrive in various environments. What was the inspiration behind the lyrics for this piece?
Frontin’ is one of the first songs I recorded off the EP, and my favorite song honestly! It just came from a genuine place. You know, a girl being afraid to let her guard down and fall in love. The inspiration for this song stems from a previous situationship I was in. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to express my emotions so of course, I had to put it in a song. I tend to struggle with confrontation, so it’s always easier for me to write about it rather than speak face to face with the person. It’s funny though because the song is super conversational like I imagined myself sitting and speaking with this person. I think it just helped me figure out the things I wanted to say to the guy, but never really got a chance to. Sometimes we forget to value our feelings and we get stuck in a loop of putting others' feelings before our own. This song just means a lot to me because it’s relatable. People tend to just be in love with the idea of love and sometimes aren’t fully ready for the things a relationship brings, so they ‘front’.
Could you please share a glimpse into the overall concept of the EP? Was the plan to always have these three songs grace the project or did you have to narrow it down?
I actually started off with six songs. After listening to all of them, I realized that these three songs highlighted the story the most, which was: I want to be with this guy, but I don’t know how because I’ve never really done this before so I need him to tell me because the vibes he’s giving aren’t matching what I need for myself right now and I don’t want to front on him. I like him a lot, but I know in my heart that right now, I’m not ready and he can’t be patient with me the way I need him to be. Plus all three songs just flowed so nicely together, both musically and lyrically so in the end, it just made sense to have these three together. The vision for this project was to have it be a three-song series. Each individual song is viewed as having independent stories of its own. With the visual, I combined them all so people could see the vision of the storyline, while still giving each song its own character.
How have you changed as an artist and individual from the time of creating ‘Things I Never Said,’ to this moment now that it has been released?
I definitely feel like my music has matured a lot since this project came out. My view on love also changed. I am both a Caribbean and R&B artist, and I never want to stray too far away from either, so I’ve been working on finding a balance where I can release music that showcases both sides of me. This is the first R&B project I’ve put out and I feel like it’s definitely given me a chance to showcase a different side to me that my fans haven’t necessarily gotten to know yet. I feel very certain about my sound now, and can’t wait for people to hear what I have in store next!
What are you hoping that your listeners take away from the overall essence of this body of work?
That it’s ok to be transparent with the person you’re giving your time to. Love isn’t easy! And it’s a learning process for sure. You want to give yourself time to grow and learn yourself before you give that kind of energy to someone else. Because if you allow someone to drain you and make you feel insecure about your own needs and wants, you’ll lose yourself. Love should be a support system, not a trap. Say how you feel, when you feel it!
What's your favorite release of 2021, from an independent artist you admire?
Ouu! I have been totally obsessed with Cocoa Sarai! A dope independent artist from Brooklyn, NY! She just released a three-song project as well, named ‘Cacao I’. I love how honest it is and how savage she is when it comes to her music. To be honest, I do not have a fav! However, if I have to choose, it would be ‘Big Dummy’ haha. I think everyone should go check her out!
