Following the success of her debut singles last year ‘Make Sure’ and ‘Drifting’ that have amassed over quarter of a million plays on Spotify and YouTube alone, British Jamaican R&B artist and songwriter Lishana has joined forces with Grime pioneer and Pay As U Go legend Maxwell D to release her brand new single titled ‘Self Love’. Lishana’s ‘Self Love’ also comes with a fun, colourful and wholesome music video that features a cameo appearance from her daughter, which also points to how this message of self-love is also very important for our children to embrace as well.
Produced by Yomi Brasko, who has recently worked with the likes of Donae’o, Idris Elba and Sarkodie, and engineered by Patrick ‘Hot Money’ Osei, ‘Self Love’ is a captivating life-affirming R&B and dancehall fusion track, which sees Lishana and Maxwell D opening up about a subject that is very relatable but also deeply personal to both of them. With the song calling for us to protect our energy from negativity and drama, Lishana drives home the importance of loving yourself and spreading love to others, throughout the very infectious offering.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Self Love’, Lishana says, “this song is so close to my heart because it is very important in this modern society that we live in to always feel self-love within ourselves, no matter what negativity people throw at you. People watch what we do and how we do things, and very sadly, rather than spreading love, there are so many trolls out there who want to bring you down for doing you! But if you have been blessed with something unique to offer to the world, who has the right to come and curse that blessing by throwing shade in an attempt to make you feel doubtful about yourself”.
Lishana explains further that, “Manifesting that love for yourself can bring forth positivity towards your goals and your future, build up self-esteem within yourself, and encourage a strong healthy mindset. It’s important that we believe that we can do anything we put our minds to, we deserve to reach for the stars, we are worthy. We deserve to reach higher, the way we feel is right for us, we deserve to do what makes us happy, we deserve to appreciate ourselves and how far we’ve come, we deserve to have loving thoughts about ourselves, and we should not let anybody take that away from us”.
Looking back on her young life so far, it’s no wonder why songs like ‘Self Love’ come naturally to Lishana to write and share with the world, and why the message behind the song is so important to her. A strong mental health awareness advocate herself, Lishana recently shared her own mental health battles with her fans, and how with the help of her daughter and partner, she has been able to focus on her goals and aspirations, and start her music journey properly. As we look towards 2022, the Croydon native is hard at work on her upcoming debut album, for which ‘Self Love’ serves as a timely teaser.