New York’s Julia Kwamya
makes moody disco
Delicate but rigorous synth pop that makes you tap into every emotion possible. Her work exists in a sweet spot between finding the impossible words to articulate sadness, and also being able to be joyful, to get down and groove. It’s a little Bossa Nova, a little High Life à la her African parents. Think of her music as like what would happen if Sade fronted the Knife. Ecstatic, weird, unafraid wearing one’s heart on one’s sleeve.
Of course, it took Kwamya time to get there, to find her voice, to figure out exactly what she wanted to say in the context of her art. She moved to New York after college with a degree in economics around the time of the recession, and ended up deciding to follow what she actually wanted to: perform. She took acting classes, and joined an indie pop band. As she immersed herself in such a highly creative environment, she started to piece together what her music would sound like. And in 2019, she finally had enough songs for an EP. Then everything changed, Kwamya was hit by a taxi and had to hit reset.
After her accident, Kwamya had to relearn everything: how to walk, how to hold a fork. It was devastating, but it also put things in perspective for her: “It gave me an even bigger, burning desire to do what I wanted to do,” she says, “I wanted to continue creating.” In 2021, Kwamya released her EP, Feel Good About Feeling Bad, a tight five songs of incredibly kinesthetic synth pop, touching on everything from big breakups to how to navigate the thing that happens when you’re dancing and you’re crying.
Now she’s at work crystalizing the vision for a debut album, a collection of introspective dance tracks that reflect on the past few years of Kwamya’s life and what she’s been through to get where she is now. Like “Say Yes,” a single that will drop on the big blue rock of earth later this summer. Produced by Josh Ascalon (Neon Indian, Twin Shadow), the song is full of huge peaks and valleys of synth, all centered around Kwamya’s perfectly pitched alto. The song is sexy, taking on a measure of urgency in each verse. “Upside down is how my life has turned,” she sings in one moment.
The song came to Kwamya quickly: one minute it started forming in her head, the next she was sitting at the keyboard writing it. “It was one of those moments of inspiration where I felt like if I didn’t sit down and write now, I’d kick myself later.” That inspiration can be heard and felt all throughout the track. It’s a window into something truly special: an artist making some of the biggest songs of her career.
Let the beat move you
Our mission is to connect with fans by expressing relatable emotions and inspiring them to embrace their individuality. By challenging stereotypes and expectations, we aim to empower our audience through unapologetic self-expression and an honest recount of lived experiences.