JUNO AWARD-WINNING R&B SENSATION AQYILA RELEASES STEAMY SUMMER SINGLE “MOST WANTED”
JUNO AWARD-WINNING R&B SENSATION AQYILA RELEASES STEAMY SUMMER SINGLE
“MOST WANTED”
VIDEO PREMIERES TODAY ON
BET SOUL AND BET JAMS
[July 26, 2024, Toronto, ON] – Today, rising R&B superstar Aqyila opens a new chapter, with the release of the slinky and infectious, Afro-Caribbean-inspired “Most Wanted,” an Island-flavoured summer soundtrack. Listen here.
The song, co-written by Aqyila and produced by Kasey Phillips (Ciara, Chris Brown, Lil Baby, Machel Montano), is an assured and undeniably sexy summer jam from one of Canada’s most confident R&B hitmakers. “Most Wanted” began in the studio with a guitar riff that Aqyila used to build an Afro-Caribbean earworm layer by layer. “All [of the collaborators] are Caribbean, and so we wanted to do a Caribbean-leaning song,” Aqyila says. “It was so nice just being in the room with people who are from the Islands and get it.”
“Most Wanted” is accompanied by a showstopping music video, directed by Nathan Burland (Fela) and has a broadcast premiere on BET Soul and BET Jams today. Says Burland, “the video originated from the vibe of: we want to dance. The song is infectious; there’s a beat. The challenge was weaving in a narrative which doesn’t take away from that infectious beat, but also enriches that idea of being most wanted.” Aqyila is both wanted and wanting – starring both in a police lineup and as the interrogator of her object of desire. The video explodes in a party, featuring Tribal Carnival’s Celena Seusahai alongside other Caribbean talents. The result is the perfect visual accompaniment to the song of the summer, celebrating Aqyila’s Jamaican roots and uplifting a community of creators and collaborators. Watch here.
Tribal Carnival (the pre-eminent mas camp, producing costumes for Caribbean festivals across North America) and Aqyila continue to collaborate in Nike’s upcoming Carnival-inspired national social campaign, featuring “Most Wanted” as the soundtrack to Carnival. You can check out the collaboration here.
“Most Wanted” follows on the astonishing viral success of “Bloom,” and a 2024 that included a JUNO Award for ‘Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year’ for her song “Hello.” “Most Wanted” showcases Aqyila’s deft vocals and a new depth of songwriting ability as the artist continues to up her game and prominence.
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About Aqyila
Toronto R&B artist Aqyila is continuing a strong 2024. With the release of the highly anticipated single “Bloom,” Aqyila built on the success of her debut EP, For the Better. In 2021, her first single “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me)” landed her first JUNO Award nomination for ‘Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year.’ Since then, Aqyila has only seen more growth and success. For the Better featured the hit single “Hello,” which won the 2024 JUNO Award for ‘Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year.’ Both “Bloom” and “Hello” have been certified Gold in South Africa and “Bloom” has charted on the Spotify Daily Viral 50 chart in 21 countries. Aqyila has over 100M worldwide streams, and since its February 2024 release “Bloom” has racked up an impressive 40M streams. Aqyila is set to become an international star in 2024, and she’s just getting started.