‘One to Watch’ riser Aiyana-Lee shares her slick debut project Wednesday’s Child (Side A) – the first half of her debut album released via L.A. Reid’s HITCO label.
Creating a cohesive, unique project defined by Aiyana-Lee’s spectacular vocal stylings and a timeless yet fresh sound dripping in retro soul, highlights on Wednesday’s Child (Side A) come via the groovy funk-soul of “Make You Love Me” and slick R&B-pop stylings in “Love U Later”.
The seven-track project is marked by the fiery funk of “Rich Kids” (2M+ streams) – which expands on the British-born artist’s struggles with poverty – and the Top 10 US R&B Radio hit “Gangster of Love” (1.5M+ streams), a classic ‘90s-style R&B ballad driven by Aiyana’s flawless vocal belts.
Also out today is the stylish “Gangster of Love” music video; directed by Nayip Ramos, the gritty visual shows a playful Aiyana-Lee strutting through a jail cell as a wanted criminal while professing her innocence and her title as the “Gangster of Love”. Ramos previously directed the video for “Killa Killa”, Aiyana’s single with KSI, which racked up over 8 million video views and hit #27 on the UK Singles Chart.
On ‘WEDNESDAY’S CHILD (SIDE A)’, Aiyana-Lee taps an impressive list of collaborators including GRAMMY Award-Winning producer Neff-U (Michael Jackson, Doja Cat), Sebastian Kole (Alicia Keys, Alessia Cara), Nathalia Marshall (Kiana Lede, Bebe Rexha) & multi-platinum singer-songwriter Nicole Daciana Anderson (BLUE), who is also Aiyana-Lee’s mother, manager and creative partner.
Aiyana-Lee shared the following on the project: “WEDNESDAY’S CHILD takes its name from a popular nursery rhyme that predicts a child’s character based on their day of birth. It says, ‘Wednesday’s child is full of woe.’ Although I wasn’t born on a Wednesday, I believe we are all Wednesday’s Child. We’re all dealt a tough hand in life, no matter who we are. Going through troubled times and being an outcast, feeling like the world is out to get you, is something we can all relate to.”
Growing up in London surrounded by music – her uncle was David Ruffin of The Temptations, and her grandfather was famed American soul singer Jimmy Ruffin – Aiyana and her mother moved to Los Angeles when she was only fifteen in a bid to pursue Aiyana’s dreams; they struggled financially to make ends meet as the two poured everything into her career.
Now twenty-one, and after being discovered by legendary music executive L.A. Reid (Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, TLC), Aiyana-Lee continues to gain international heat and anticipation for her album, with global co-signs already coming in from the likes of VIBE, Wonderland, Rolling Stone India, Entertainment Tonight, Billboard Italia, and Zane Lowe alongside radio and DSP playlist support building in the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, Portugal and Turkey.
With athletic vocals that are both powerful and emotive, Aiyana-Lee’s voice is a refreshing, powerful sight to behold – stay tuned for more to come from Aiyana-Lee this year.