Already getting praise by British outlets, Nia Ekanem is bidding to take his heartfelt, acoustic-driven brand of soul worldwide with It’s Your Love, the 6-song EP we’re premiering today.
“The inspiration for the EP is all based on my life and the people around me,” the Birmingham-based artist has said. The project’s sparse production, crafted by Ekanem with the help of several musicians such as FreddyIcPik, Bob Cheels, Shade Joseph, and more, is the perfect arena for Ekanem’s songwriting to shine. From the outset, with guitar-driven “Travellers,” to project standout “Changes,” about his late father, Ekanem sidesteps ostentation for bare, vulnerable reflection.
“I think the universe is jealous of our love,“ he mourns about his father over pensive organs. Nia does well to present a dynamic prism of who he’s come to be through the lens of love. It’s evident through his yearning for his father’s presence. And on the pondering of “what’s going on in your head,” on “Baby Girl,” which sounds as sorrowful as he imagines her to be. And especially through the sheer passion in which he sings “God sent me an angel” on “Beautiful,” the wrenching EP closer. Along with his vulnerable, malleable vocals, his knack for earnest storytelling is the highlight of the project, lending It’s Your Love a universality and authenticity that will shine from far across the pond.
You can listen below.
