I first came across Natanya dancing on TikTok at a live performance. At the time, she had black hair, bangs and was in an outfit far from the stripes she flaunts today. Feline’s Return, both Act 1 and 2, would come out two years later but from then I knew she was someone to look out for. Feline’s Return is a project that to me is helping redefine and push the needle for pop music. As someone of both West Indian and Nigerian descent growing up in North London, her music is alternative to the type of pop music that we are used to, pop music made by majority white acts. She is making this genre her own. non-conforming and standing in what she is creating.
Within this project; love, fame and career seem to be in conflict with each other. Feminist writer Bell Hooks states in her prolific novel ‘Communion: The Female Search for Love’ that “love is the foundation on which we build the house of our dreams. It’s a house with many rooms. Relationships are a part of that house but they are not everything and never could be… no group of women should feel they need to deny the importance of love”. Love is a very important aspect of human life, but due to patriarchy, young women are expected to idolise this feeling, which can cause you to lose sight of anything else that could be important to you. Which, in this case, is making art.
What I love about this project is not only the relatability of this feeling, but how she is able to tell this story through timing of release. The release dates showcase the natural development of these feelings. Act 1 was released in summer, with songs that are exciting but ending it with pop ballads, ‘Say The Word’ and ‘Daydream’. These remind us that overconfidence and escapism in career is not a cure to desiring romantic love.
Act 2 was released at the beginning of autumn, a time to slow down and reflect on what will be in the future. But there is a sense of contentment. From ‘Jezebel’ to ‘On ur Time’, we see that she understands how important her career and her want for love are. They don’t have to exist in conflict with each other but rather in harmony.
The project opens with the flirty ‘Night Freaks’. The strong guitar brings you into a world of calm as her falsetto voice says, “show me, hold me / and if I’m not sure then reassure me”. The song is about intimacy and sharing an experience with someone in the most comfortable way. It’s soft, but as we progress into the last chorus her signature stacking vocals takes us into the room where the party begins with ‘Dangerous’, a confident jerk pop song. She discusses the ways she wants this person to make their move properly, wondering if it’s because she’s ‘dangerous’. In this song, however, she is assertive, taking control and not waiting. With the outro “I’m so sick of it, I’m so sick of it / boy you’ve got to handle it” her frustrations are coming to light. What is special about this song is that it’s atypical. The minute the camera flash sounds begin you are unsure of what to expect from it. That is the magic that Natanya is brewing as an artist. Stacking vocals on a jerk beat is unconventional as the expectation is to rap. However she is proving herself to be an artist that cares to be innovative. Then we make our way to ‘Guitar’, again allowing us to dance through a catchy chorus and loving lyrics. This song is about excitement with this person, “we should get excited / throw a party dance the night away”. This is about embracing a lover and it brings us hope. Slowly we come down with ‘Say The Word’ which shines a light on the dichotomy of her songwriting. This is a true moment of vulnerability, a pop ballad, “and just say the word / I’ll be yours”. This brings us down to earth, the simple production lets her vocal ability shine here. In her breathy tone, it is almost like she’s pleading, filled with true yearning for this love interest. We have been through a rollercoaster of her emotions. But here it seems like she’s putting down the show and just being honest. Whereas on ‘Moviestar’ she is denying this. Love both pulls and deters her, “I can’t waste my time on you, love it’s like a drug /I’d rather be a movie star”. Fame and success is what she desires but so is interpersonal love, it’s a push and pull.
Once we reach the second act the tone changes. With ‘Unflirt’ she is willing to “be a fool’” for this lover. We have changed from the confident Natanya to the one willing to succumb for love, “don’t go away, it was so fun this summer…”. If Act 1 reflects the push and pull of a summer love, Act 2 is the come down from it. We later come to the folk pop anthem ‘Sofa Joy’, reminiscent of Janet Jackson. “Kp I think you want to date me / why we toy with this sofa joy” feels like a callback to ‘Night Freak’ where she speaks of this same sofa being a space of intimacy “or is it my sofa / that called you over”. This piece of furniture seems to bring safety and comfort in the relationship.
‘Meeting You Once’ is the celebration anthem. It seems that she has come into acceptance of her singleness. This dance anthem makes you feel excited, heading into autumn alone but not lonely, “I’m a single lady in the club and I wanna know if we can get it on tonight”. Though we didn’t get there easily, in ‘Jezebel’, again, Natanya is coming down and discussing her relationship to herself in the world she is building and how it’s affecting the people around her. It seems this moment is her acknowledging her growth in character not only as a person but as a female musician. “I will take away my seat at the table” via her TikTok describes this as a moment of frustration to the people around her. “It’s your birthday are you ready?” , these are whispers reminding her that regardless, her birthday still comes. “Are you ready” for another year or change?
To me, Natanya is displaying how relationships can change you and how you can enforce those changes too. She’s finding herself in real time on this project. It’s a blend of Amy Winehouse's vulnerability, alongside Micheal and Janet Jackson’s pop bounce. In ‘The Velvet Rope’, Janet Jackson was able to create an album that mixed multiple genres and make it pop, this is the same thing that is happening in ‘Feline’s Return’. She is the antithesis to the British pop tradition where songwriting doesn’t always seem to be at the forefront nor vocal stacking. She’s pulling from her influences but also creating a world of her own. The imagery is haunting and strong, allowing us to recognise who we are looking at specifically. The beauty of this project is that it can relate to any young woman understanding love in their twenties. I was listening to Act 1 throughout the summer and now Act 2 will take me through the winte
