AMAKA has released her debut solo EP, ‘Oasis’, produced by Kaytranada.
The project marks the first generation Nigerian American, California-based artist's first body of solo work since parting ways from former R&B group, VanJess. . ‘Oasis’ was created in collaboration with Canadian tastemaker Kaytranada who solely produced the project, and features R&B vocals alongside upbeat afro-futurist rhythms.
Speaking on the EP, AMAKA said: “An oasis by definition is a place you find and this oasis is one we can all find together; a vibe, an energy and a place people can escape to and let the music takes them into feeling their most confident, free and thriving self. I wrote these songs on the journey to finding that place within myself and I hope listening to Oasis brings people to it too.”
“[‘Cruisin’] was the takeoff, [‘Leave It Behind’] is what led to the take off, and [‘Oasis’] is the final destination,” she shared on the tracklist. “It’s about feeling yourself and owning your confidence in peak form, I hope people can listen and really feel that way even if they might not always.”
AMAKA and Kaytranada first collaborated back in 2019 when the Nigerian singer was performing as part of sister duo, Vanjess. Here she lent vocals to Kaytranada’s single, ‘Taste’, which featured on his GRAMMY-award winning album, ‘BUBBA’. The star-studded LP also featured contributions from Estelle, Pharell Williams, Kali Uchis, SiR, and Mick Jenkins.
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Raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Jessica Nwokike aka AMAKA moved to the United States when she was 8 years old with her family. Jessica always loved music from an early age and going to a performing arts school in Southern California fueled that passion even further. As she got older, she began to take singing and creating more seriously. Along with her sister they created the group, VanJess. Starting small on YouTube, the group was eventually discovered by Tunji Balogun and signed to Keep Cool. With Tunji’s backing they toured the world, received nominations and awards, and released 2 albums + 2 deluxe albums and a host of features including one that got them on Kaytranada's Grammy winning album. AMAKA is now venturing off into new territories and beginning her solo career as her sister steps away from music. As a true fan of music, she is taking her R&B roots and mixing it with her love for genre blending in this new era. Kicking things off, she's linked up with frequent collaborator Kaytranada for a project perfect for the summer, “Oasis”.