Shay Lia has another tune for her fans to enjoy. The Djiboutian-French singer dropped her second song of the year, “SOLO.”
In the reggae-inspired track, Lia asserts her independence after being mistreated by an uncaring partner who did not appreciate her value. She has no intention of reconciling and is focused on moving forward without looking back.
Discussing her new single, Lia says, “‘SOLO’ is a song I wrote to celebrate my growth and reclamation – confident vocals mixed with the energy of freedom, wrapped in the warmth and the strength of reggae-RnB production by Andrés Rebellón.”
Lia continues, “I wanted to release a song that feels timeless and easy for the summer. I needed to write about a failed situationship where I had felt inconsistency and a lack of effort from my love interest. I had overcome a lot and done so much work to heal prior to meeting him – and I ended up feeling like this newfound self-love and self-awareness were too precious to be wasted on something inconsistent. I decided to move forward on my own in full confidence, solo and free. I felt much lighter after making this decision and that’s why the song feels like a warm classic – it’s meant to relay the softness of my confidence.”
As mentioned above, “SOLO” is Lia’s second taste of new music this year. It follows her return single, “TAKUTÀ,” which Colombian producer Andrés Rebellón helmed. These tracks are part of Lia’s new era and may indicate the arrival of a new project soon.
Lia’s last project, Solaris, was released in 2020. The five-track EP included the singles “All Up To You” and “Love Me, Love Me Not.”
Of Solaris, Lia said, “I took my second project as another opportunity to explore and discover. I’m discovering myself while you’re discovering me! I’m trying new things, changing my approach and committing to my vision.”
She continued, “I didn’t want to stay in the comfort zone I had created with my debut EP, Dangerous, which was made of R&B, soul and funk. With Solaris, I went for a blend of R&B, pop and afrobeat. I’m so grateful to the dope Haitian and Nigerian producers that worked with me on this — my songwriting process on this project was incredibly organic and freeing.”
Lia released her debut EP, Dangerous, in 2019, and later that year, a deluxe version was also made available. That version was recognized as one of the 30 Best R&B Albums of 2019 by Rated R&B.
Listen to Shay Lia’s new song “SOLO” below.
