Artistes

---

Singer-songwriter Aqyila is on a mission to bring anthems back to pop music. Big, shiny, hopeful ones, that is. The goal was first achieved last year when the Canadian talent dropped “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me)”—her first official single with Sony Music Entertainment Canada. The song— recently nominated at the JUNO Awards for ‘Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year’—is full of infectious island-inspired hooks that echo her Jamaican roots and, like some of Aqyila’s favorite artists, blends and bends pop, soul and R&B genres. Most importantly, however, the song is also backed by a strong message, which relays the glories of sisterhood, positivity, and self-acceptance, all things Aqyila swears by.

“I want to make sure my music can empower and encourage whoever listens to it,” she says. “When you hear me sing, everyone should hear the joy and the community that backs me and fuels me.”

Aqyila’s ambitions are being heard loud and clear by the next generation of R&B and pop fans eating up her affirmations. To date, the song has amassed nearly 3 million creation posts on TikTok as well as 10 million streams worldwide, garnering major love from Doja Cat’s camp and legends such as Lizzo, Monica and Anderson .Paak.

Aside from her voice—which sways from soft and crooning to rich and commanding (like the icons she calls her “music teachers”: Whitney Houston, Tamia, and Fantasia)—Aqyila’s lyrics showcase her main superpower: self-reflection. For example, in “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me),” Aqyila embeds uplifting messages into the mix, singing lyrics: “Nobody’s quite like you,

Baby you got confidence, it’s true.” Her upcoming music also boasts beautiful life lessons wrapped in a flurry of passionate tones.

“Your mind and words are such powerful things,” she says. “I believe that you have to share them and speaking about my experiences through music has opened up my life in ways I didn’t even think were possible.”

Now, Aqyila gets set to release her upcoming single “Pressure,” a sultry, but fun R&B track that showcases her maturing vocals and is the perfect follow-up to her successful debut with “Vibe for Me.” The track is produced by Phinisey (Qveen Herby, Matty Noyes) and written by Aqyila and Midian Mathers (Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Elle King), and mixes traditional R&B with a captivating island-flavoured rhythm. Elevated by her signature riffs and catchy harmonies,

“Pressure,” brings the heat.