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Melbourne based neo-soul artist AKOSIA returns with her latest single ‘ISO’

Announcement posted by Modern Currency 06 Jul 2021

A new voice in contemporary soul-pop, AKOSIA is Australia’s answer to Erkyah Badu.

Australia’s new voice in contemporary soul-pop, AKOSIA, returns with her latest single and video, “ISO”. 

A smooth fusion of R&B, trap and soul, “ISO” explores sensuality, passion, and a boldness that comes with the intoxication of love with no distractions through Akosia’s flirtatious songwriting. Produced by grammy nominated producer Will Stah, whose past resume of work includes Ariana Grande’s “Be Alright”, Ella Mai’s “Nobody Else”, and the music of One Four: “ISO” captures the strength of femininity and sexuality through the sultry and Badu-inspired magic of Akosia’s vocals. 

Akosia on “ISO”, “writing ISO unintentionally unlocked a hidden part of me and I’m still a bit surprised by the sensuality of it all. When I write I unfold myself and create music not only to reflect my own experiences but to explore the complexities of the heart, the private mind and in this case shameless passion. I now feel so bold, and free to express my ideas about love and sexuality and want to share that feeling of playful confidence with my fans.” 

Arriving alongside the single, is a visual that is an otherworldly fantasy which depicts intimacy, longing and passion as the characters make their way towards each other. From controlling the waves, to whisking them away into outer space, the video for “ISO” developed by film director Dale Crawford, sees Akosia as a magical intergalactic siren, enchanting and calling her lover towards her.

Akosia on the video, “when I wrote ISO, I was living in a beautiful haze where I wasn’t always able to distinguish one day from the next and honestly, I didn’t care. Those moments released me from the pressure of time in lockdown and they can be felt as the sun rapidly rises and sets. Dale Crawford and I created a magical world in which two lovers are seduced by each other, isolate in their love and together forget the world. ISO is about freedom, playfulness and being confident with the person you want to be that is actually there waiting inside.” 

The ISO music video also allowed Akosia to be costumed in the stunning couture of Jason Gretch and Simon Hartman London (who has worked with Beyoncé on her project for Disney, Black is King) and jewellery from Parisian designer Philippe Ferrandis. 

“Fashion is a crucial element of my art and creativity. When I had my fittings for ISO, I felt regal in a very ethereal kind of way. It was really mind expanding to see myself in such splendour and I caught a glimpse of my full potential. Being able to work with designers like Hartman and Grech is inspiring and elevates my artistic vision. I am so grateful for the experience.” 

Alongside writing and recording her music, Akosia has a passion for live performance and is already turning the right heads. After releasing her follow up single, “Speechless” last year Akosia was chosen to perform as part of Mushroom’ The State Of Music, series, where she was introduced by Tones & I. This year Akosia shared the stage with Julia Stone at the Portsea Hotel and performed at the Forum in Melbourne. Akosia is headlining upcoming shows at Carriageworks for VIVID Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria. 

Akosia has just begun to share her lush afrofuturist vision with the world and we are on the launchpad. Keep an eye on this one, her next step will be big.

The new single ISO, from the soul-pop enchantress, was released July 2nd 2021. For interview opportunities please get in touch.

ISO can be found on Spotify hereThe video for ISO can be found on YouTube here.