Music/Album Reviews

Falling into Place
Genre: R&B
Rating: NNNN (out of 5)
Sound: Silky vocals with raw lyrics that simultaneously evoke nostalgic R&B vibes with a fresh and modern twist.
If you like: Coco Jones, Mahalia and Bryson Tiller
Best track: Wolf
Why you should listen: Aqyila takes a huge step forward with her debut album, Falling Into Place and showcases versatility with a cohesive genre-bending album that is raw and introspective.

AS 2024 DRAWS  TO a close, fresh from headlining the Drake Underground last week, our print issue cover star, Toronto-born artist Aqyila reflects on a whirlwind year that has seen her elevate her career to the next level with great new music to come.

Born Taahira Aquiyla Duff, Aqyila, has been an exciting prospect in the Toronto R&B scene for a few years, following co-signs from Monica and Lizzo in 2021 and the viral success of songs like Vibe For Me.

However, 2024 has seen the artist go global with viral hits, such as Bloom and Most Wanted, performances across the world and impactful music as she develops as an artist.

 The rising R&B star continues her impressive form with her latest single, Limbo. The song showcases Aqyila’s silky vocals and raw lyricism as she continues her evolution as an artist.

The introspective track was inspired by journal entries that the artist wrote in June as she grappled with the complexity of relationships.

“I felt that my heart was caught in two places at once, and I didn’t know how to deal with what I was dealing with,” said Aqyila. “The song is about the uncertainty of where the destination is; you have a feeling of where it’s heading, but you never really know. Life can come at you in so many ways. Sometimes I know how my heart feels, but other times I just don’t know how to feel.”

Journalling is a powerful tool for Aqyila, not only for songwriting but also for mental clarity and the ability to process complex emotions.

“I started journalling in Grade 6, and I was able to get a good grasp on my emotions, and I learnt that instead of holding feelings in, it felt like such a relief when I would express them onto paper.

“When songwriting came into effect, I found that there were ways I could express how I’m feeling through music. It felt like a weight off my shoulders,” said Aqyila.

 Limbo caps off an extraordinary year for the Canadian-born artist as she won the JUNO Award for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year for her song Hello and the success of singles like Bloom — which has amassed almost 30 million streams on Spotify alone.

Following the whirlwind year and life-changing experiences along the way, the Canadian has grown to realize the importance of staying grounded.

“My family keeps me grounded. I value being at home and around my family, as it reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing and why I’m working so hard for an even better life for them is what’s driving me. I’m really content where I am in life; anything else that happens is an addition but I’m really proud of where I’ve brought myself so far,” said Aqyila.

Speaking with NEXT before her  headline show at Toronto’s iconic The Drake Hotel on Dec. 3, she says it is a moment that the Canadian artist has been dreaming of for many years.

“I’m really excited for the show; I feel like I’m probably going to cry! It’s going to be really surreal. It’s a moment that I’ve always thought about from my bathroom when I’m singing with a hairbrush, looking in the mirror, pretending what I’d do if it was my own headline show,” said Aqyila.

The crowd in attendance will be one of the first few to hear Aqyila perform music from her upcoming debut album, Falling into Place, which is slated for early 2025.

The album gives the listener a journey inside Aqyila’s mind as she lays bare for an intimate portrait of love, heartbreak and her personal journey.

“There are constant themes of love [within the album] — you have love within relationships but also the idea of self-love too. There are introspective songs and songs about actual situations that I’ve been in. It’s a mix of life experiences. All of these things are pivotal and relatable, people go through heartbreak and experience happiness and grief.”

The album contains the dancehall-inspired, Most Wanted, which not only showcases Aqyila’s versatility as an artist but it’s also a track that pays tribute to her Jamaican heritage.

Aqyila’s parents immigrated to Canada from Jamaica, and she vividly remembers being immersed in dancehall and reggae in her household from a young age.

“It’s a great way for people to connect with me, especially those who might not know I have Jamaican descent and for those who aren’t familiar with some of the vibes and mixing that with R&B elements is really fun,” said Aqyila.

Throughout Falling into Place, Aqyila showcases her versatility with the aforementioned dancehall-inspired, Most Wanted but also pop tracks such as Wolf.

“The artists that do really well are the ones that can genre-bend and are fluid and aren’t afraid to try different things,” said Aqyila. “From listening to all different genres myself, I feel like you should want to try new things. It’s a good idea because you never know what will resonate and maybe people will remember you for all these different [genres] and not one specific [sound.]”

Aqyila has her sights set firmly on stardom in the R&B scene and looks set to take a big step towards that with her debut album. However, her ambitions stretch far beyond music as she is interested in an acting career.

The artist launched her acting career with an appearance in an upcoming episode of the Canadian crime drama Murdoch Mysteries and has dreams for future roles in big franchises and movies.

“It’s on my bucket list to get a role in a Transformers movie. I am a huge Transformers fan because of my mom; she had us watch the old retro TV show. I think I would do an amazing job!” said Aqyila.

“I would love to voice a character in a Disney movie as well or at least have a song synced into a Disney movie.”