Here at CelebMix, we love uncovering secret gems in the music world. American singer-songwriter Naeya is one of industry’s biggest secrets, so much so that she even kept her talent hidden from those closest to her for a number of years.
Naeya plucked up the courage to post her first singing video online after graduating, when a family friend gave her some gentle encouragement. It led to her garnering thousands of hits overnight, which became a turning point for the San Francisco native.
In 2012, Naeya moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream, after signing a management and production deal. This opened up numerous opportunities for the songstress, including the chance to work with producer Clayton William (E-40, Justin Bieber, Sage The Gemini) and performing at the Grammy Party in 2013. Naeya later crossed paths with John Strucel, who helped her to shape her dark and emotional sound. Their collaboration led to Naeya signing a co-publishing deal with Alcon Entertainment and Sleeping Giant Media, whose roster boasts the likes of Paul McCartney, No Doubt and Colbie Caillat.
Naeya also recently unveiled her Secrets EP. Inspired by Låpsley, Banks and FKA twigs, her EP is bursting with dark RnB/indie vibes, and proves to be intensely hypnotic.
Lead single ‘Enough’ is the perfect introduction to the EP. The track opens with an instrumental before Naeya’s acoustic tone kicks in. The latter half of the track boasts a stronger RnB vibe, with Naeya’s vocals flowing peacefully over the beat. The repetition of ‘never enough’ hits home the singer’s feelings, and will resonate with anyone who’s been in a similar situation when in a relationship.
Of the track, Naeya said: “I wrote it about the common struggle in a relationship of two individuals afraid of letting each other in, completely. It’s about that moment in a relationship where two people choose to accept things as they are, not knowing there is something better if they let go of the baggage that holds them back from feeling again.”
The accompanying music video, directed by Elliot Feld and renowned choreographer Rai Quartley (Ellie Goulding, Katy Perry), is a work of art in itself. It was filmed 3x faster than the speed of the original track, in order to give it a slow motion effect. The video is truly mesmerising and focuses solely on Naeya, which fits perfectly with the vibe of the song and puts an emphasis on her breathy vocals.
‘White Noise’ is the sultry second track on the EP. Although slower in tempo, it’s a great follow up to ‘Enough’ and is lyrically very raw. You can feel Naeya’s pain of being deceived, particularly in the chorus.
“How could you look me in the eyes, you had a choice
How could you tell me all these lies, white noise”
There is also a slight distortion in the sound throughout, which physically resembles white noise, which is very effective.
The third track, ‘Tuesday’, is different to the previous offerings. It is a string-laden, emotional song with a yearning for a love. Her beautiful vocals allow you to feel every inch of her pining.
Finally, the Secrets EP is rounded off with the short but sweet ‘Too Close’. The track talks about letting go of someone, no matter how hard it is. The only issue we have with this track is that we wish it was longer! However, Naeya once again delivers an emotion-filled track, unravelling a little more of her mystery along the way.
Naeya is a singer-songwriter that you’re going to want to tell everyone about. Her raw, personal music is more than worthy of a spot on your playlist. Be sure to look out for her future releases – we think she has a very promising future.
Secrets is available to download and stream now.
Are you loving Naeya as much as we are? Let us know on Twitter @CelebMix