As a child, Sela Vie was first drawn to the R&B, Reggae, and Soul music that she heard from her father’s record collection.
As an adult, she cites influences including Madonna, Chronixx, Rihanna, and Tems. Just like these artists, Sela Vie wields a sharp soulful voice, forcefully delivered with enough intensity to stir introspection in any listener.
Her rich and profoundly soulful vocals were first introduced to the world through her riveting additional-vocals contribution to Winny’s Operation, and then Anendlessocean’s C’est La Vie. The reggae/dancehall influence of her melodies was also recognized by Mavin Records’ execs who added one of her freestyles to their World Music Day appreciation post on Instagram.
After developing her unique style of writing storytelling songs, Sela Vie is finally making the transition from being merely a featuring artist to an artist in her own right. As if to make up for lost time, she debuts with two new tracks, Chasing The Paper and Money.
Chasing The Paper showcases Sela Vie as an artist who can conjure vivid moods. With a range of melodies that land at some point between breezy and intense, she narrates her personal struggle with depression. Even though she relishes in expressing herself freely, she uses every opportunity possible to detangle emotions and complicated scenarios.
Accentuated by soft sweeping acoustics produced by Outgun Onkar, her rich distinct voice is given ample range to showcase its depth as she invites listeners to her life; “Don’t know how me I guh find it/All the darkness ah blind up mi sight.” Though the lyrics are highly specific to her, Sela Vie is able to leave room for listeners to relate with her.
“Chasing The Paper draws from a note I wrote to myself during a dark period in 2022,” she explains. She best describes it as a cry for help, “The song is a call from my alter ego urging me not to succumb to life’s woes and troubles, encouraging me to keep striving for a better life, no matter how bleak it may seem.”
Her emotive take on Afrobeats follows her into her next release, Money, which is filled with lucid, distinct storytelling. The song narrates a tale of unrequited love and her lack of interest in anything that isn’t money-related.
Her evocative storytelling and soulful vocals are backed by brassy, percussive production from Outgun Onkar. Inspired by Damian Marley’s Pimpa’s Paradise, Money relies on self-reflection as Sela Vie lets us further into her world of unwavering focus on money pursuits.
Both songs flaunt the idea of Sela Vie’s strong artistic identity going forward. They showcase her ability to channel emotional honesty over the familiar bounce of memorable pop beats.
As she continues to grow, Sela Vie’s refreshing take on the sound coming from these parts will only get more undeniable—now is the right time to jump on the bandwagon.
