As the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene continues to grow and thrive, its R&B scene has also been growing. Artists like Micah Emrich, Wynter Bates, and Johnny Franchino have started to pop off and are helping out Milwaukee’s R&B scene on the map. One R&B artist who has popped up in the last couple of years whom I have come to appreciate a ton is *aya. They have not been in the game for super long, but are already making an impact. Their sound has an interesting nostalgic tone that sounds unique in the R&B landscape of today. *aya first started putting music online near the beginning of 2023. Last year, they ended up dropping 4 singles, as well as two EPs, sweet sonder and time & metaphors. These releases, as well as some enticing collaborations that *aya did, really helped them gain traction in the city as one to watch. *aya continued their momentum into 2024. They have released 4 singles this year, as well as a collaboration with dak dubois and Emmitt James all of which showcase their talent and prove they have some variance in their music style(and all of which have been covered in detail on Eastside Vibes). This has all led up to the release of a new EP from *aya, titled slow burn. Below, I am going to give some thoughts on *aya’s new EP slow burn. Please let me know in the comments how you feel about *aya’s slow burn, and also comment the names of any other local or independent artists you think I should check out!
*aya gets slow burn going on a very bright and spritely note with the track ‘aura.’ This song has a very welcoming and vibrant energy to it. ‘aura’ is a pretty on-point name for this track, as its tone is super ethereal. The melody for this one, which is driven by a bassline complemented by some twinkling synths, has a super sunny tone. The beat for ‘aura’ is pretty light, but has a bit of pep to it that makes it gives it some life. As with any *aya song, the best thing about ‘aura’ by far is the vocals. Their deep and soothing delivery adds to the welcoming tone of the track and the high notes that give it texture. On ‘aura,’ *aya sings about wanting to cool down their partner and let them loosen up, as this person is passionate about their beliefs and fights for them. ‘talk 2 u,’ which features MeloChld, is one of the singles from this project released in the last few months. Seeing as I already gave a pretty detailed description of this track in my write-up about it when it came out(which you should go read if you have not yet), I will keep it brief here. ‘talk 2 u’ is a lot slower and cozier track than the opener. Everything about this track feels deeper and heavier, from the tone of the melody to how the beat hits. The thing that stands out the most about this track is the vocal chemistry between *aya and Melochld. I dig how the brighter and softer tone that Melochld sings with meshes with the deeper tone from *aya, as it makes this track feel so full. On ‘talk 2 u,’ *aya and Melochld sing about a nice connection with a new significant other and how they want to spend all of their time talking to this person. ’free me,’ which features FTBK, has a way more modern tone than the first two tracks. The songs that precede this one feel more like nostalgic Neo-Soul music, but this one has more of a modern R&B Trap feeling to it. Now this is obviously through the beat, which not only hits a bit harder but also has a bit of a Trap tempo to it. The melody for ‘free me’ is pretty soothing and light, but also feels slightly colder than what we got on the first two tracks. ‘free me’ has a true rap verse from FTBK, which is also a bit out of the ordinary for *aya’s music(at least from what I have heard so far). I really like how the harsh and poignant tone in the rap verse from FTBK contrasts with *aya’s vocals, as it gives this song so much emphasis. On ‘free me,’ *aya and FTBK talk about a bad relationship and how they just want this person to let them go. ‘soft’ goes back to the luscious, easy-going Neo-Soul sound we got on the opener. Honestly, this song feels pretty similar to that one. It sticks out though for a couple of reasons. For one, the melody has more of a traditional piano Jazz sound than the first four tracks. There is something about this one that makes me think of being in a coffee shop on a Saturday morning, which I think is cool. The melody is pretty intricate and bright but also has that rainy-day tone. The beat is also a bit more pushy than the one on the opening track, which makes this one feel a bit heavier. *aya’s vocals on this track are great, per usual. Their tone has so much depth, and the range in which they sing with gives this track a ton of texture and makes it feel heavy, which makes it hit hard. On ‘soft,’ *aya sings about how they will not let their former significant other take advantage of them anymore.
‘aries moon’ has a darker and groovier tone than anything before it on this record. In fact, this one is grittier than anything I have heard from them to this point. The melody for this one is provided by a low and dim bassline. There is also a funky guitar riff that complements it and adds to its melancholy and gruff tone. The beat for ‘aries moon’ also has a bit of a funky tempo, and it meshes so nicely with the groove. *aya sings with a very interesting tone on ‘aries moon,’ which is sort of all over the place in the best way. The way that the brightness in their tone jumps back and forth gives this track a dynamic texture. On ‘aries moon,’ *aya sings about how they are reluctant to move further with their new partner, and urges this person to take their time with them. ‘slow’ also has a pretty different tone and style than the first five songs on the record, albeit not in the same way as ‘aries moon.’ For a project that has a lot of old-school sounds, this one feels the most classic. ‘slow’ straight-up sounds like it came right out from the 1950s. The melody has a luscious, warm, and soft tone, driven by a nice piano riff that is complemented by some synths that come in and out. The beat is light and easy-going, putting most of the focus on the melody and the vocals. If one were to tell me this was just a Golden Era Soulful Pop song, I would probably believe them if I did not recognize *aya’s vocals. As one could probably imagine, *aya’s vocal style fits this sound incredibly well. Their tone is so clear and full, and the range they sing with gives the song a level of vitality and emotion that makes it stand out. On ‘slow,’ *aya sings about not wanting to rush their new relationship, urging their new partner to wait for them and let them ease into this new situation. *aya closes out this EP with ‘sweeet.’ which was the other song from this project released as a single. Like the other single, since I already did a full write-up on this one, I will keep things pretty brief here. ‘sweeeet’ probably has the grandest sound out of anything here. The melody is very full and charming, driven by a variety of instruments and synths that make it feel pretty big compared to the rest of the record. The beat for ‘sweeeet’ hits a bit harder than anything else here as well, matching the bigger sound of the melody. *aya’s vocals on this song are strong, bold, and rangey, pairing nicely with this instrumental and making the whole song pop. On ‘sweeeet,’ *aya sings about being infatuated with their new person and wanting to dive into this new relationship. *aya closes out this EP with a pretty dignified sound in ‘sweeeet,’ which I think is a great way to send things off.
Since I came across *aya last year, I have been waiting to be able to cover a new full project from them. I have thought they have so much potential from the moment I first started listening to them, and I wanted to see what that would sound like on a new full body of work. I have to say, as much as I was already into *aya’s music, they impressed me quite a bit on slow burn. The elements that I had already acknowledged and loved about *aya’s music are more prevalent than ever in this project. The nostalgic Neo-Soul sound I have come to enjoy from them is exhibited in such a nice way throughout this EP. I also enjoy the few moments where *aya goes a bit outside their comfort zone and dives into some more modern sounds. I would love to see them do this more in the future, as there is a ton of potential there, and shows a bit of diversity from *aya as an artist. The best thing about this project is of course *aya’s vocals. They show that they are an excellent vocalist in a variety of manners on this project, making each song pop in a riveting way. Overall, with slow burn, *aya proves that they deserve all of the hype in the world. This is an awesome project from one of Milwaukee’s many bright stars, and I can not wait to see *aya continue to grow and thrive.
EAST SIDE VIBES 