As you probably know if you are reading this and/or follow music trends in general, the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene is truly popping off right now. Artists like AyooLii, Myaap, and J.P. are taking the world by storm with their eccentric sound, putting eyes on Milwaukee as a rising hub for Rap music. As interesting and cool as the Hip Hop scene is in Milwaukee, the burgeoning R&B scene here is just as captivating and entertaining. Wynter Bates, Micah Emrich, and others are making entertaining Alternative R&B music that stands out and proves that this kind of music is thriving here as well. One of my favorite R&B artists on the rise right now is Milwaukee’s *aya. I came across them earlier this year when I came across and reviewed their single ‘everything is under control,’ and I have been excited to hear more from them and keep following them since. *aya has a unique sound and style that really makes them stand out. Their music takes elements from various types of Alternative R&B, Neo-Soul, and Indie Pop/Roc, which makes it really captivating. It feels so classic and mature; it can appeal to a wide range of R&B fans, which is what makes it special. *aya first started putting out music at the beginning of last year, and they have been fairly prolific in their output since. They released multiple stand-alone singles in 2023, as well as two projects titled SWEET SONDER and time & metaphors. Apart from the aforementioned ‘everything is under control,’ *aya dropped another single a couple of months ago called ‘june :(.’ They were also featured on a song by dak dubois called ‘townie’ with Emmit James. *aya just released their third single of the year, ‘talk 2 u,’ which features Melochld. Below, I wanted to briefly highlight this new awesome track from *aya. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about this new single from *aya, and also comment the names of any other up-and-coming or indie artists you think I should check out!

‘talk 2 u’ has the kind of sweet and soothing sound that I have come to expect from *aya. This is the kind of track I would love to hear live, as it has such a Jazz Club music feeling to it that I dig so much. The instrumental for this track is pretty simple, but also impactful. The melody is driven by a deliberate and super warm guitar riff that is complemented by a buzzing bass guitar riff and a slightly distorted keyboard that comes in and out. This cozy melody is put on top of a soft and intricate beat that kind of feels like a fusion between retro Jazzy Indie Hip Hop and modern R&B Trap music. I really like this beat, as it feels like it can help the song appeal to a very wide range of R&B fans. Towards the end of ‘talk 2 u,’ the melody becomes pitched up and relies mainly on the keyboard riff. This bright outro sends the song off on a celestial note that stands out. As cool as the instrumental is for ‘talk 2 u,’ the best thing by far is obviously the vocals. *aya absolutely kills it on this track. Their sultry and slightly husky tone adds so much life to the track and contributes to its balmy feeling. *aya shows their range on this track and fluctuates their notes so nicely. Melochld also sounds so great on ‘talk 2 u.’ I love how their vocal style complements *aya’s, and their tone adds to the soothing element of the track so nicely. ‘talk 2 u’ is yet another great track in *aya’s budding career, and it makes me excited to see what they do next as it is clear how talented they are with songs like this.