The Future Of R&B: Alysha

The comforting warmth of dozens of candles guides Alysha toward the light in her new music video ‘Lord Help Me.’ The rising R&B songstress exhibits a new blank canvas with the first stroke of paint inspired by her faith and spiritual exploration.

Alysha’s soothing vocals make any uproar disappear, creating room for a clean slate, stopping time with an underlined fusion of lo-fi and neo-soul soundscapes. ‘Lord Help Me’ allows Alysha to press rewind and fill the void she discovered within herself.

Described as a gospel masterpiece, ‘Lord Help Me’ marks Alysha’s return after a momentary pause. This glorious release is produced by Ivor Novello Award nominee Cassell The Beatmaker (Plan B, Akala).

Since Alysha’s debut single back in 2019 ‘David Attenborough,‘ she has been paving her own lane and leaving a mark as one of the leading names in R&B. Her calming, come-down-fitting vulnerability is delivered with elegance and immense grace. If you would like to be present in ALysha’s aura, join her at her headline show at Canada Water Theater in March 2023.

Noct chats to Alysha about ‘Lord Help Me,’ opening new doors and collaboration with Yxng Dave. Read the full interview below.

Hello Alysha, congratulations on your new single ‘Lord Help Me’, what has been the response like?

It’s been great, thank you. People seem to be surprised and are listening to it much more in a shorter amount of time than my other tracks.

What is the backstory of ‘Lord Help Me’?

It’s about my relationship with God and asking God to be this perfect person, when in reality God genuinely loves me for me.

Where are you based at the moment?

London.

Were you surrounded by music when growing up?

Yes, I grew up with music on both sides of my family. My mum would constantly be playing music like Aaliyah, Beyoncé etc, whereas on my Cuban side, my dad was a percussionist and all my family in Cuba can either play an instrument, dance or sing.

Do you remember if there was a specific song or an artist that you heard and you knew you wanted to follow in their footsteps?

I don’t think there’s a specific person but I definitely got inspired and still get inspired by all artists, songs, art, movies and fashion pieces that I like.

If your music was a movie, was would it be, and who would portray the main characters?

I don’t quite know yet, I’ve only just started my journey but I would definitely love Murray Bartlett to be in it, he’s great and I love him in White Lotus and Welcome to Chippendales. I’d also love Ana de Armas to be in it, she’s a great actress and so, so, so gorgeous.

Could you share what inspired your hit singles ‘Sugar Sweet’ and ‘Florence’?

Sugar Sweet was inspired by me having a crush on a friend of mine and knowing that my best friend also had a crush on him, whereas Florence is about having a crush on this guy who has a girlfriend called Florence. They’re all true stories. 

Recently, you took some time off from releasing music, could you share why?

I needed time away to work on myself and figure out a long term plan. I also managed to record quite a bit in 2022.

Were you still writing songs?

Yes, always. I’m always writing songs.

You also collaborated with Yxng Dave on ‘Si Me Quieres,’ how did that come about?

I was looking for someone to collaborate on “Si Me” and my manager was suggesting a bunch of people to me, she finally pointed out Yxng Dave and I heard some of his stuff and asked to meet. As soon as we were in the studio we immediately started vibing, it was great.

Are you planning to release more songs in Spanish?

I’m not sure… it doesn’t feel natural just yet.

What are your plans for this year?

To work even harder than before. I want to make a change and I want to be the best at what I do.. even open new doors. I started DJing and playing the bass recently, and I really enjoy it. I definitely want to tour but let’s hope nothing too crazy happens again this year.

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Words: Karolina Kramplova