After putting out a couple of EPs under her government name, Elle Watson is back as Elle Yaya with a slightly different sound for her new single "Bleedin". Written herself and produced by Rahm, the new single should strike a chord with fans of classic '90s pop and R&B with deftly executed melodies and a snappy R&B production, but beneath that, however, there's a darkness to her lyrics.
I'm pulling out my teeth / While everybody runs free, she tells us in the first verse and it's not an affectation, either. After signing to Paul Epworth's Wolf Tone label at 15 she ended up skipping uni and heading to London. However, things soon unraveled and she found herself in recovery as she dealt with alcohol addiction and depression, all before her 23rd birthday. The impending Pharmacy project (due later this year) was written during this time and sees her exorcise her demons on her road to redemption.
The video, directed by Triple Bonnie, while seemingly fun and energetic, takes on a new edge when viewed with the knowledge of her back story. Quick to describe herself as a self-saboteur, the barely-contained chaos bubbling away beneath the surface is palpable.
