Hailing from the City of Roses, silky-smooth singer-songwriter and r&b recording artist Tatiana asks necessary questions in her new vulnerable single, "Tell Me."
Tatiana's gritty and candid lyricism, paired with her smokey vocals, has garnered her over 400,000 plays on SoundCloud alone. Not to mention receiving praise from acts like Jhene Aiko and Flying Lotus via social media.
The self-proclaimed writer of love songs does what she does best in her latest single, "Tell Me." With palpable passion, emotion, and lust seeping through her vocals, Tatiana makes it clear that she's not playing around. This new single is a saving grace for individuals trapped in a similar, confusing situation about wanting someone who's unavailable.
Elaborating on the new single, "Tell Me," the experience begins with soft r&b chimes and drums that slowly drift into the blissful first verse. With the addition of a melancholy saxophone, Tatiana blesses us with her stunning vocals that effortlessly chill the listener with her crisp articulation and delicate melisma. Although her vocals stop us dead in our tracks, it's her lyrics that keep us there.
If you've ever felt like winning someone over was impossible and hope for loving them is slim, you'll have this song on repeat. Tatiana carefully dissects those turbulent situations while pleading for some clarity, anything to give her peace of mind. This is an incredibly intimate track that truly feels like a page ripped out of Tatiana's diary.
When you can't find clarity, we're sure you'll find something you can relate to in Tatiana's tender new single, "Tell Me," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Tatiana. We truly appreciate the honesty and vulnerability you've brought to your new single, "Tell Me." What moments compelled or inspired you to write this deeply personal song?
Thank you for having me! Over the last couple of months, I've found myself entangled with people that were already in relationships. Naturally, there are a lot of emotions that come with trying to process these kinds of situations because you're trying to cultivate these connections/friendships while also respecting boundaries and knowing your place. It's all complicated. I just found myself constantly overthinking and drawing up scenarios of what could be, and writing this song brought me back to earth a little bit. "Tell Me" was my way of sharing my feelings about these people and moments without consequence. For the sake of sparing some special relationships, it was easier to write a song than potentially turn their worlds upside down.
Did you encounter any personal challenges when creating "Tell Me?" Was it easy for you to be so open and vulnerable?
I don't think there was a challenge in creating the track as much as in releasing it. My circle is already as small as it is, but Portland as a city is pretty small on top of that. There was a part of me that felt like I'd be confronted with the reality that these people I've been so infatuated with would eventually put two and two together. Being honest in my music comes pretty easy for me, but I think there was some anxiety about how open I was this time because of who was involved. This was probably one of the most accessible songs I've ever written because I already had all the words lingering in my head; I was waiting to let them out. My friend Shai Lu produced the beat and sent it to me a few months prior in a pack, and once I finally sat down and listened to it, the lyrics just happened. It was like I was aching to say everything I felt. As complicated as these feelings were for me, they also felt playful and innocent, like a schoolgirl crush.
What do you want the listener to learn and take away from your lyrics in "Tell Me?"
Unrequited love and the drama of wanting to be loved are things many people experience in their lifetime, so I hope that someone recognizes the feelings I'm writing about and that they feel seen. Bearing your heart on your sleeve is never easy, and I want my audience to learn that it's okay to feel and share those feelings in whatever way feels right, even if the outcome is not what we hope for. I think there's also power in taking ownership of those feelings and being honest with ourselves about what's coming up for us, so I'm also hoping that maybe this song will inspire someone out there to pursue whoever it is they've been thinking about. What have you got to lose?
What does "Tell Me" mean to you? Would you say this is one of the more personal and intimate songs you've written?
This track really helped me find the joy of making music and writing songs again. I've spent years trying to figure out what genre or box I fit into as an artist but creating this song showed me that none of that really matters because it's the stories that I want to tell. Writing "Tell Me" really helped me tap into a more playful side of songwriting I hadn't previously accessed, and the "Pokémon type beat" (as Shai Lu liked to call it) added a flare to this story that I normally would have taken really seriously. It all just felt right, and I think that's why I felt the need to just release it with no real plan because it felt authentic to who I am. This 2-minute song feels like a new era, and I'm rocking with it.
