As the Milwaukee Alternative music scene has been on a steady rise and as the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene has completely thrived over the last couple of years, the Milwaukee R&B scene has been steadily growing as well. There are multiple interesting R&B(or R&B-adjacent) artists from the city who have been making a name for themselves recently, helping make Milwaukee a hub for this style music music. Artists like Wynter Bates, Micah Emrich, Johnny Franchino, and more have been making very cool R&B or R&B tinted music that has been making waves and standing out from other Indie artists in the same lane. One of the most talented and entertaining R&B artists that has emerged from Milwaukee recently whose music I have come to have a big affinity towards is *aya. They have not been putting out original music for super long, but have already made an impact on Milwaukee and on Indie R&B as a whole. *aya’s music takes elements of Indie Soul, Neo-R&B, and other forms of Alternative Popp, and morphs them in a way that is very individual. They dropped their first official single near the beginning of last year, and have been working pretty hard since. In 2023, *aya put out 4 singles; they also put out two mini albums, titled time & metaphors and SWEET SONDER. In 2024, they have continued to work out and consistently put out music, having released a few stand-alone singles to this point(I did write-ups on their first two singles of the year, so go read those after you are done here if you have not yet. In addition to these solo releases, *aya has done multiple very enticing features that showcase their wide range of talent that are worth checking out as well. *aya recently just released another single, ‘sweeeet,’ which I wanted to briefly highlight below. Please let me know in the comments what you think of *aya’s new track ‘sweeeet,’ also comment the names of any other indie artists or Milwaukee-based artists you think I should check out!

‘sweeeet’ actually feels a bit more bright and energetic than *aya’s last couple of releases. I have gotten accustomed to their music typically having a very soft and tranquil sound, and this one stands out a bit. Do not get me wrong, ‘sweeeet’ is still very laid-back and light in the grand scheme of things, but it does hit a bit harder than some of their past releases. This track is driven by a very charming and groovy guitar riff and bassline. These warm and luscious riffs are complemented by a variety of other instruments and sound effects. There is also a super cozy keyboard riff that sits in the background and helps direct this melody, and the melody is also helped out by some lighter synths and twinkling bell sounds(which honestly sound like they are being played on chimes or on a triangle) that help this melody feel so full. ‘sweeeet’ has a slightly more hard-hitting and poignant beat than most of *aya’s other music. The drum pattern on this one has an old-school jazz-pop tempo to it; this is the kind of song I would love to hear performed at a Jazz bar or coffee shop because it is energetic and soothing at the same time. As nice as the instrumental is, the thing about ‘sweeeet’ that sticks out the most is *aya’s vocals. Everything about their vocal performance on this track is frankly gorgeous. I love how their luscious and sugary tone sits on the lightness of this melody. *aya’s voice has a bit of depth to it that gives this song layers and makes it feel all-encompassing. *aya really exhibits their range on ‘sweeeet’ as well. The high notes that they hit give the song texture and make it hit extra. On ‘sweeeet,’ *aya is professing their love for their new partner, describing in detail how nice this person makes them feel. ‘sweeeet’ is yet another really great track from *aya which once again shows why they are one of the most exciting artists on the rise in Milwaukee today.