New York-based artist Stella Santana delivers a soulful downtempo R&B pop performance in her latest single "Yayaya". Working alongside producer Lynas (ASAP Rocky, Das Racist) this track whispers from the corners of a dim-lit room as the silky bass-line provides a backdrop as Stella's intimate vocal delivery take center stage and paint the picture for focusing on growing who you are and not forcing things.
"Yayaya" contains an underlying mysticism in its commanding vocal delivery that never faults from the emotion trying to be expressed by its message. The hushed sounds and the swaying bass-lines provide this hypnotizing attribute that lures you into the affectionate story-telling. Stella shared that, "this song was originally written and produced by my younger sister, Angelica, who sent it to me in late 2016 and I was obsessed for a lot of reasons. First, I loved the message, which is a sassy (but not petty) story about moving on from a relationship that just wasn't good enough, choosing to direct your energy and focus inward on yourself instead of outward and on other people, or in this case, a guy. Basically, embracing when relationships aren't aligned instead of trying to force something to work that may have run its course. Secondly, I loved the production because it sounded like it was made at home, there was a raw, grit to it, that I was adamant about maintaining as we developed the track later." It's that understated raw sound in this track that reframes from any over-the-top vocal tricks or hyped-up production schemes. "Yayaya" is a real story being told by a real singer and in today's R&B pop scene, Stella's unadulterated sound and candid lyricism will continue to draw more fans looking to connect deeper with modern musicians.
The daughter of guitarist Carlos Santana and author Deborah Santana, it's clear the Marin County, California raised singer has a flood of creativity entwined in her genes. Her debut full-length album ('Selfish') in 2016 had the producers Caswell, Jared Evans, and Frankie P, and mixed by Daniel Lynas (A$AP Rocky, Das Racist). She has since released another single in 2018 titled, "Steady", and we're expecting big things from this artist as she continues to hone her craft, so keep her on your radar with the links provided below.
