It's only her second single and yet East London's TIANA MAJOR9 has proved she's ready to take the Alternative RnB scene by storm with 'Levee (Let it Break)'. Chock full of smooth jazz instrumentation, gorgeous neo-soul vocals and even a killer rap verse, it's a cut sure to get the attention of countless listeners.
Tiana Major9 initially cut her teeth with her debut 'Merry Go', which introduced the world to her impeccable vocals, songwriting, and retro sensibilities. 'Levee' evolves this sound even further, with the initial instrumental sounding like something out of a jazz bar, with melancholy piano and brush-led drums. As the track grows, it blends this with neo-soul influences via Tiana's soaring multi tracked vocals, and R&B when the sampled beat comes in during the chorus. Halfway through the track flips the hierarchy and sees Tiana rapping while the formerly jazzy sample gets chopped and screwed in the background. It sounds like a 180 but it fits perfectly with the vibe of the track and lets Tiana show off another one of her many talents.
With the vocal presence of Amy Winehouse and production like Midnight Marauders era A Tribe Called Quest did a collaboration with D'Angelo, 'Levee (Let it Break)' is a fascinating combination of styles, influences and Tiana Major9's sheer talent at making music. As the first taste of her upcoming EP due early 2018, we're expecting many more vibes to come from her soon.
IMAGE BY LAUREN A. BROWN
WORDS BY MAX LEWIS
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