On her approach to songwriting, Caribbean-American artist TALIA explains: “I am a storyteller, everything I create is made with a focus on black, brown, and queer lives.” The classically trained artist – whose influences span reggae, R&B, and rock – signed to independent label Quadio Records after impressing them with her last single ‘Shiver‘.

Drawing upon on her time studying in London, TALIA’s latest single ‘hyde park’ – named after TALIA’s favourite place to visit in the city – is charged with the ecstasy of romantic infatuation. With an almost imperceptible melody, the piece manages to captivate with its gentle patchwork of guitar and strings. TALIA sings with a gossamer tenderness, pining for intimate moments with a loved one. Her lyrics blend romantic platitudes (‘you’re all I dream about‘) with flashes of specificity (‘The sun came out in London town / When you walked by Queensgate & Hyde / And I know you caught me staring at your smile’).

She says: “I wrote the words to feel like a daydream, a longing for someone. All the ways that love can bring color and inspiration to your inner life. The violin swells are the butterflies in my stomach. The guitar percussion is the heart beat. Love can be so colorful and delicate. This is just a glimpse into the world of love for me. It’s such a magical experience to discover parts of yourself in a new place simultaneously with someone else.”