Forrest City, Arkansas artist AKIA knew singing was her calling from an early age. And after hearing “Soft Girl Era,” the world is learning too. The June single is a relatable call for comfort that showcases her potential to be the voice of a generation of young women living and learning through love.
AKIA, born Jatavia Akia Lamb, was influenced by crooners like Beyonce, Jodeci, and Chris Brown, and also sang in her church choir. As a teen, she got her first taste of the industry when she auditioned for American Idol and appeared on the reality show Ms. T’s Music Factory. AKIA gained a following with viral live streams of her vocal skills, which led to collaborations with GloRilla and Swagg Jazz of Memphis group the Savages. After forgoing a scholarship to the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, she fully pursued her music dreams by moving to Atlanta, where she signed with Since The 80s.
The first single of that new chapter is “Soft Girl Era,” a Needlz-produced flip of Kleeer’s “Say You’ll Stay.” She worked with songwriter Jirou Will to craft the track from a pensive poem she wrote about embracing her femininity. Poem-to-song isn’t a typical process for Akia, who prefers to figure out a song’s emotional tone and melody before refining the lyrics. “I gotta feel what I’m saying to make the people feel it too when they hear,” she says. “It has to have passion.”
AKIA recently released her debut album Dumb, Crazy, Stupid, a play on TLC’s CrazySexyCool dedicated to love’s rollercoaster of emotions. The album’s first single “DNA,” a raw and hypnotic R&B anthem that dives deep into the chaos of a toxic relationship. The project exemplifies her diverse romantic experiences, as well as her vocal range and sonic versatility. “My Girl Gina” and “Nobody” are downtempo broods that show off her storytelling ability as she mulls whether her man is being faithful. “Pajamas”, a sultry glimpse of enraptured homebodies where she sings, “I know we got work to do, but I’d rather stay home and work on you.” “Love Somebody” is a classic lovelorn ballad; on the latter she croons the ever-relatable, “how come no one’s able to give me what I’m lookin’ for?” “Back In Bed” is the standout track from AKIA’s album, a sultry, late-night R&B record that captures the tension of desire, vulnerability, and the magnetic pull of a love you can’t quite walk away from. Whether they’re true stories or not, Dumb, Crazy, Stupid’s songs feel real, which is a testament to her vocal gifts.