Merna’s ‘Ours To Keep: Side A’ EP showcases the art of soft power

If the name Merna doesn’t ring a bell right away, maybe her voice will.

Previously known as Ayah, the Toronto-based singer has built a reputation for controlled, emotionally tuned vocals that command presence without being pushy. Ours To Keep: Side A stays locked into that same energy—low-lit, close-mic’d, and gently stripped down to the essentials.

Across all four tracks, it’s her buttery-soft delivery that lets every tension quietly dissolve—and ends up stealing every scene.

Pour My Love” starts the show without raising the volume. Merna chants the hook with the easiness of muscle memory, not like something foreign that she had to rehearse. "Let me pour you a shot of this / Steady my hand 'cause I'm new to this / I believe we got through for this / Let me pour my love."

The way Merna carries it—soft around the edges, steady through the center—lets the sweetness spill out slowly like honey.

Merna keeps that same poise across “Bet On Me.” Nylon guitar strings, finger snaps, and soft congas sway easily under Merna’s voice. There’s a tender grace in how she folds the lyric “you can bet on me” into the song’s airy groove. Strings and earthy rhythms sweep wide while our hostess sings her pretty lullaby.

“Ours to Keep” floats in like early morning light—piano soft, bass warm, percussion tracing the shape of a simple joy.

Merna stretches the lines until they hang in the air. And by the time she starts stacking the word “ours” in the outro, it feels less sung and more summoned with closed eyes and open palms. There’s gospel in the bones of this number, and that reverence is held with care. The message about a timeless love between two people builds naturally in her soft serenades and balances out the rousing soul sample backing her.

Then “TLUGLIFE (The Love U Give)” drifts in—candlelit and wrapped in sheer, delicate layers. The lines “If by chance you could stay / Oh by chance, could you say / All the things I wanna hear…” carry a pained sweetness reminiscent of early-career Aretha Franklin. She inhabits every measure with a supple voice and steady, confident control.

Overall, Ours To Keep: Side A strikes a perfect balance—it doesn’t overstay its welcome or fall flat. You can hear both the highs and the lows in Merna’s work. Merna sings as if she’s giving a piece of herself away, trusting you’ll handle it with care.

The journey may end sooner than you’d like, but it’s a beautiful ride all the way through.