I might be one for romance but I’m not one for Valentine’s Day, so when the 14th of Feb came and went, I had my head firmly in the sand and actually missed out on the release of R&B/Neo-soul songstress Ayanda Jiya’s romantic new single called “Falling for You” which features A-Reece. Thankfully once something is on the internet it’s there forever, and “Falling for You” is a treat you can enjoy any time, not just on Valentine’s Day. Although after hearing it, you’re gonna want a bae to share it with.
This single is the first off of Ayanda’s upcoming debut album which is coming out sometime in the middle of this year. It’s not the first time A-Reece and Ayanda have worked together, with Ayanda being the highlight of A-Reece’s “Starlights” back in 2017. I’m not sold on A-Reece’s verse on “Falling for You” though. I get how having him on the song helps boost it’s profile and means more people might listen to it, but cheesy punchlines and outdated Scarface references feel lazy and actually detract from the two beautiful minutes that come before it.
If you’re familiar with Ayanda’s previous work, you’ll notice “Falling for You” is a slight departure from her 2015 single, “Go Go Girl”, where she showed she could really belt out a beautiful melody. On “Falling for You”, she takes a more sultry and smooth approach, with a bit of rasp to her voice, over a beat that’s got quite a West Coast G-Funk feel to it.
Ayanda has been in the game for over a decade and you know what they say about becoming a success, it takes ten years. If the cliche is to be believed, then Ayanda is due to become a household name any day now. With 2 EPs under her belt, features with the likes of Ralf Gum and Stogie T, and a Metro FM Music Awards Nomination for best R&B single already to her name, Ayanda has a solid foundation to launch her debut full-length release from. Look out for it later this year.
