New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Montreal-born, Harlem-based soul singer, OTH€LLO, has made an ethereally dreamy debut with his first official single, SZA 4 NGAZ, which seamlessly blends elements of sensuously ambient RnB with hip-hop verses and Afrobeat rhythmics to indulge the listener in a progressively arrestive aural experience.
Veering from the mellow and saturated in warm delay indie guitar chords in the intro, the single, which celebrates staying true to your roots while practising radical acceptance, evolves right through to the outro, exhibiting OTH€LLO as a dynamically versatile singer-songwriter, who has exactly what it takes to reign supreme with his Afro-Fusionist authenticity.
By borrowing the instrumental from BeatsbyJonas, and recording his vocals at Lounge Studios in NYC, OTH€LLO was primed to make a humbly strong debut when SZA 4 NGAZ hit the airwaves on July 1st.
SZA 4 NGAZ will be followed by the release of the EP, Miss Mayotte, in early September.
OTH€LLO said: "This song is an exploration of how growing my dreads again after cutting my first set was like falling again. It sonically narrates the process of self-love and self-acceptance through a fiercely Afrocentric and sexual perspective."
Amelia Vandergast, the Executive Editor at A&R Factory said: "SZA 4 NGAZ is a sublimely promising start to OTH€LLO's career. His carresively pure gospel-esque vocal lines paired with his down-to-earth lyrical style are enough to kickstart a new revolution in soul."
My music journey started in Montreal; my immigrant Congolese parents were constantly playing Congolese gospel and secular soukous tunes by Koffi Olomide and Papa Wemba.
I lied about being able to read music and play the drums in grade 8 to get into music class and subsequently failed that and fared no better learning the trumpet.
Later on, in my conservative Edmonton, Alberta high school, I joined a music theatre class and performed in musicals. After graduating, I travelled across Canada as a busker, playing in the streets and the subway with a guitar or beat track. I spent a lot of time homeless, couch surfing and creating art in Toronto while honing my singing chops in a local Congolese church choir as the only tenor.
In 2019 I fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to NYC; I've been hustling ever since, but now, I'm finally ready to live my music dream after linking up with Lounge Studios, where
Solange Knowles recorded her two latest projects.
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