If you do not know me personally and only know about my music tastes from what I do on this blog, you probably do not know about my affinity for R&B music. I do try to cover as much music and as many genres on Eastside Vibes as possible, but when I am listening to music on my own time, I circle back to R&B so often. Because of this, I am always trying to find new R&B artists, as I can not get enough of this music. One very talented and underrated musician I came across last year on TikTok(which is the ultimate place to discover music at this point, it seems) is Genia. Her awesome single ‘Introducing’ had me hooked as soon as I heard it, and I have been hooked ever since. Genia has not been in the industry for super long, and has been building her brand and artistry quickly since she first started putting music online. After dropping a few covers on Soundcloud during the beginning of the 2020s, Genia released her debut EP, 4 PM In The Ville, in the summer of last year(which contained that aforementioned single ‘Introducing’). This ended up being one of my favorite EPs of the year. I even got my mom to review it with me for our Youtube channel, and she loved it just as much as I did. This project felt very classic; it was a modern take on various styles of 2000s R&B, and I thought it was very cool. Genia released her second EP, 4 AM In The Ville, earlier this year. Once again, I truly enjoyed this EP. It saw Genia stick to some of her roots as far as the influences that come through on this project, but also saw her go outside of her comfort zone a bit and try some new sounds. This autumn, Genia has dropped two new singles, both of which I am excited to talk about below. I hope that these two singles are an indication that a new project is coming soon, as I am becoming increasingly pumped up for every new Genia release. With that being said, here are some of my thoughts on Genia’s latest singles, ‘Give’ and ‘Damage.’ Please let me know in the comments below what you think of these new singles from Genia, and also comment the names of any other up-and-coming artists you think I should check out!

‘Give’ sees Genia depart a bit from the sound and style of music she has been making to this point. This track is a lot more upbeat and energetic than a lot of her past releases. Up until now, I would say that her music has felt more inspired by artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, or even Aaliyah. This track, however, makes me think more of artists like Ciara or Nelly Furtado. ‘Give’ is driven by an undeniable groovy bassline that has just enough distortion on it to give me the stank face when I play this track. This bassline is complemented by some twinkling synths that give the song a bit of charm, but also keep the darker feeling that the bassline has. Genia demonstrates all of the things that make her a great vocalist on this track. She shows a ton of range with her singing; I especially dig the high notes she hits on the hook for this track, and the power with which she sings gives the song a good amount of emphasis. Genia also demonstrates a bit of rapping on this track, which gives ‘Give’ an interesting texture. Frankly, it is a super fun banger that just makes me want to dance when I play it. ‘Give’ is a song that was put into immediate rotation the first time I listened to it, and I do not see it leave my rotation soon. Genia’s latest single, ‘Damage,’ goes in even more of a Poppy direction than the track that precedes it. This one immediately made me think of the early 2000s, which I love a lot. Like ‘Give,’ ‘Damage’ has an undeniably Funky Groove that is so reminiscent of the music being produced by Timbaland in that era. Instead of making me think of Ciara, however, this one is more reminiscent of Justin Timberlake to me. Like ‘Give,’ ‘Damage’ is a song that just makes me want to dance the night away when I listen to it. In fact, as I sit here and write about the song, I am having a hard time not getting up and jamming out around my apartment. Genia’s vocal performance on this track is insanely catchy. There are so many moments in this track that are total earworms. I love Genia’s flow, tone, and overall demeanor on ‘Damage.’ Her swagger permeates throughout this track, making ‘Damage’ such a high-key and interesting song. This is the kind of song that can get stuck in your head for hours because of how catchy it is. ‘Damage’ is a fun little Pop-R&B cut with a retro element to it that is just so exciting and enjoyable to listen to. These two latest singles from Genia see her branch out of her comfort zone, and it pays off so hugely. I am interested to see if she continues to go in this direction, because as great as all of her music has been to this point, it seems like she could be onto something very special here!