London singer-songwriter Essosa brings a different essence to when it comes to the vibe of R&B. And when you listen to her EP Crush! Everything about it brings a bright, colourful vibrancy that is perfectly presented. The EP, which consists of six tracks, brings together production and songs that feel like an ode to the 90s, yet there is a lightness and airiness that travel through her vocal delivery on the project.

​Across the six tracks, she channels something somewhat unexpected and refreshing for the songstress. From songs like “Crush” to “Signs” to “He’s Not All That”, she brings a combination of relatability and self-awareness to fun and flirtatious lyrics, striking a balance between the EP's essence and what it represents to her. She is bringing something different to the R&B landscape and represents a different kind of artist in modern R&B.

​Speaking to the songstress, we discuss everything from creating the EP to her musical influences, representing her heritage, her upcoming show at London’s Jazz Café, and more.

Hi Essosa, first of all, for those of us who may not be familiar with you, how would you introduce yourself to people who are just meeting you?

​As a lover and student of music!! I’ve been a music nerd for as long as I can remember, and I’ve loved creating and discovering new sonics since I was a child. I love the idea of taking inspiration from the old and making it new. I think that's how I really discovered and honed my sound.

​You are a singer, and so when did you start singing, and how is music something that you gravitated to?

​I started singing, honestly, very young. Most singers have been singing since they were babies, so that's nothing unique. I grew up seeing my mum sing in church, and I always had the personality type to be a performer and share my talent with others.

​In terms of your heritage, you are British/Nigeria, so just in terms of your heritage and how it has impacted your musical taste and ability, what has that experience been like for you?

​I actually wouldn't say it's impacted or shaped my musical taste; however, my heritage has given me a variety of musical sounds around me at all times. My mother listened to gospel, and my dad listened to a lot of jazz and highlife music growing up. I think growing into a teenager or an adult, it just meant that I always had a varied sonic palette, and that allowed me to gain inspiration from songs/artists that are not necessarily just ‘R’n’B’.​

What sort of music did you grow up listening to?

I loved pop music. A lot of Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado, Fergie, Rihanna very mid-2000s radio pop. I was obsessed with the radio and would wake up every morning at 6am just to listen to the breakfast show before school. I also loved the ‘Club Classics’ - Show Me Love, Cece Peniston, Crystal Waters, all the club stuff. Disco too, like Diana Ross, Nile Rodgers, etc. Just good music that makes you want to dance and is easily translatable to the masses.

When you started making music, how did you know the type of music you wanted to make?

​I kind of always wanted to make music with a pop/radio structure but make it funkier or bring it back to a jazzier, R&B edge. From a very young age, I always had the idea that I was going to make a blend of Pop, dance, R&B, and jazz. It was more about amalgamating sounds that I wasn't hearing on the radio or in mainstream at all; I wanted to have a sonic USP.

You've been making music for a minute now and released your first EP back in 2021. Talk to us about making that EP as your first body of work, and how your music-making process has changed since then?​

Well, I was making a lot of demos and producing a lot of beats in school. I would produce these demos and try to find producers to polish them up, but I felt like my creative vision kept getting stamped out. At the time I was working on this, I met a mutual friend, Tibo, who was sending me these Kali Uchis-type beats. I was so discouraged when my demos were tampered with by men who didn't understand my vision. So I scrapped my first project and released Dreamworld, which contained all the work I did with Tibo.​

You released your latest EP, Crush!, which is your second EP now, so in terms of this new EP, talk to us about the process of making it and how it came together?

It's kind of similar; I was working on another project and wanted to make music devoid of chords and structure, sounding electronic and abstract. I don’t really know why I was doing this, but I wanted to experiment. Nothing I was making was working, and that’s when I realised that chords are essential to my sound. I was listening to a lot of British soul; Soul II Soul, Incognito, Hinda Hicks, Beverly Knight and then the idea of the sonics of ‘Crush!’ started to come to me.

​Your sound is very much rooted in R&B, but there are a lot of elements to it sonically, so even just in terms of how you got to find your sound and develop it for yourself, how has that process been?​

I mean, as I said, I love radio, I love pop, dance, house, and I also come from the gospel circuit, so it is less about ‘trying’ to make R&B music and more so bringing all the influences of my childhood together to create a new sound. It takes time, and I’m still working on it, but I’m glad that it connects with people and that I have been able to build a fanbase.

​With your latest body of work, what would you say are some of the inspirations behind this EP?

​As aforementioned, British Soul, as well as music from early-2000s producers like The Neptunes, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin, etc. I love Janet, Kelis and the summery feel they bring to music. I also love Quincy & Michael, so it was genuinely just a big mentoring pot of sounds.

What was your favourite song on the EP to make?

“Missing U!” I wanted to make a song with key changes, like in the old days. We banged out the whole song in one session, and the majority of the original demo made it into the final version.

What does this EP represent about your artistry and where you are in your life right now?

I think I’m becoming more specific with my sound, but I’m also learning how to translate it into this corporate music business world now, so it’s coming across better. All these things are a learning curve. You can have the greatest, most creative ideas and sounds ever, but if you don’t know how to communicate that to the people who are meant to market it, things can fall flat very quickly.

This project is very bright and colourful, with pink as the EP's main colour, both in its association and in the music and vibe. Why was that the essence you wanted to bring to the project?

My sister has synesthesia - I don’t think I do; however, I need to associate certain sonics to a “vibe”. I was feeling super girly, and the songs sounded pink to me. So I went for that vibe; pink, lingerie, feminine, etc.

​You are going to be playing the legendary Jazz Cafe in September. Talk to us about that moment and what you are looking forward to about that show?

​I remember a couple of years ago, I saw Charli XCX play at the Jazz Cafe, and I was obsessed with the idea of playing there one day. I even moved to Camden right next to it. I feel like it’s something I have been manifesting, so I’m super excited to show people what I got!!!

​What else can you tell us, anything else you want to share?

Stream ‘Crush!’ for clear skin & come see me in September :))))