London-based singer/songwriter HAYLA has been making waves in the dance world recently. She has sung on hit tracks by John Summit, Kygo, and Kx5 (aka deadmau5 and Kaskade). She joined Summit during his Coachella 2024 set to perform “Shiver,” and also sang “Where You Are” and “Shiver” at his Madison Square Garden concert in June. The singer separately joined deadmau5 and Kygo as their special guests for shows this year in New York and LA.
Videos by American Songwriter
Now is the time for HAYLA to shine on her own and not just be another guest singer. Her solo debut album Dusk is a collection of atmospheric dance cuts exploring themes of heartbreak, hope, and self-esteem. These aren’t typical dance pop tracks at all, venturing into more moody territory, and they were concocted with different co-writers/producers on each track. The electronic singer/songwriter will promote Dusk with her first-ever major headlining performance at LA’s famed Roxy Theatre on December 4.
Here are our picks for the three top tracks on her debut album. If you’re a fan of lush electronic music or moodier synthwave, you might appreciate their aesthetic.
“Only I”
This haunting track launches the album with ruminations on a relationship that’s faded and the stark reality of being alone again. The emotionally aching, mournful quality to HAYLA’s singing drives this shimmering track, whether soaring over ambient spaces or dance beats that gradually build up at the outset.
“Treading Water”
While the album plays off of lighter and darker tunes, the latter are ones that actually sparkle more. This song feels like it’s about a relationship that isn’t progressing forward, but HAYLA has said it’s really about insomnia and the moments of bliss when dreams arrive. There are those who enjoy the vivid world of dreams, but they don’t come as often as we might like. HAYLA’s multitracked vocals are front and center here, with the grooves underneath accompanying without dominating the mix.
“Dusk”
The album’s closing composition and title track is an ethereal, experimental piece featuring angelic sounding, wordless vocals stacked up in 12 parts with a gentle groove serving as an appropriate undercurrent. “Dusk” is the first song HAYLA has written, produced, and recorded by herself, and the title refers to the time of day she thinks you should listen to it. It feels like much of this introspective album is something to absorb at a time of fading light or even deep at night while submerged under headphones. This is a great track to end the album on.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.