Coming from Toronto, the Hip-Hop, R&B/Soul, and Afrobeat artist Nova releases a song straight from the heart with his latest jam, "Replay."
Excited to announce the sequel to his album "S.T.A.Y.," following up with "S.T.A.Y. II," Nova gives us a taste of what to expect from the album with its lead single "Replay."
Giving listeners a blissful blend of R&B/Soul, Afrobeat, and Hip-Hop with his single "Replay," Nova brings this intimate emotional rollercoaster within his lyrical content and sonic delivery, which we can all empathize with.
Going back and forth from singing to rapping while floating over top of the warmly blended beat, Nova has us locked into the naturally intoxicating sound he offers.
"Replay" opens with Nova's quick and rhythmic bars while swiftly shifting into an incredibly melodic chorus where he explains his passion and desire for someone. The supporting instrumentals bring bright percussion patterns and warm yet subtle acoustic guitar. Yet, when Nova begins rapping again with an immense sense of poise, the beat slows down and gives off this melancholy trap tone.
Truly a dynamic and intriguing track that keeps us listening for more, we're also taking note of Nova's heartfelt lyrical content where he wishes for someone's return.
Nova's single "Replay" gives us a sweet taste of what to expect from his upcoming album "S.T.A.Y. II," while also allowing listeners to find a piece of themselves in his relatable lyricism.
We're grooving away with your recent single, "Replay." Could you take us back to what inspired such a passionate and wishful song?
Thanks for vibing to the new sound. Tbh from the moment, Doozy sent me this beat to me recording the song probably took about 15 minutes. I felt super in-tune with the beat once I heard it and it felt like the song just started writing itself. Replay is definitely based on experiences I’ve been through, dating in 2020 is the new Olympics lol. I enjoy having talking with friends about relationship experiences. I use those conversations to fuel my music because my goal is to be able to curate these experiences through my sound in hopes that people listening can relate to the feeling or experiences. There so much to explore which made working on this new project fun.
Within your single "Replay," we're able to hear this captivating blend of R&B/Soul, Hip-Hop, and Afrobeat. How did you and Producer Doozybeats go about merging elements of these genres for the single's instrumentals?
Doozy and I have been working together for a few years so we have good creative synergy when we collaborate. Fusing these genres gives me the feeling of freedom and as soon as Doozy sent me this I knew we had one. Love when a beat as a balance between simple melodies with a soulful rhythm because I feel my vocals can breathe.
Why did you want "Replay" to lead the way of your upcoming album "S.T.A.Y. II"? How does the single represent the forthcoming project?
I’ve always been versatile with my sound ranging from Afrobeat to hip-hop to r&b/ soul and my goal when I started working on STAY last year was to align these styles to curate a body of work with both consistency and range. Replay is the perfect representation of the sounds and journey I’m taking with STAY II.
We've noticed that there are a variety of different cultures that have impacted your career. Now that you're living in Toronto, do you feel that the city's music scene allows your dynamic vision to flourish fully?
I feel like Toronto is the definition of diversity in the world today. I’ve made connections with so many people from different countries all in this one city. Growing up in Lagos, I always felt like an outsider. Mostly because society tries to suppress the youth in every way. That gave me a different perspective moving to Toronto where almost everyone is an outsider, with freedom of expression. Since I’ve moved here, I’ve really been able to focus on my craft with a health mindset. Working on STAY II also gave me the opportunity to connect with the music community here by linking up with artists like Katasha J, Esquire, and Arenye.
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
There’s so much going on in 2020 that sometimes I feel like we’re in a horribly written movie. Music has kept my centered. For the first in my life, I got a home studio set up so I’ve been able to zone in and use my music as therapy to take my mind off all the chaos. Soon as I got my recording equipment, I started working on STAY II. Another huge source of inspiration has been family and friends. The pandemic was a weird opportunity to connect with people even more than I could during the good old days lol.