Canadian-Nigerian singer-songwriter Falana has shared “Joy,” her first single of 2021. Inspired by Jamaican songs playing at breakfast, the track is uplifting and soul-filled, with a pop-inspiration that keeps the music moving. The soft guitar lines paired with Falana’s assured vocals make “Joy” an air-light track with a feel-good energy throughout.
Recorded at Geejam Studios in Port Antonio, Jamaica, “Joy” is the first song to come from a series of recording sessions held all over the world. Adding layers of self-discovery to her music, the track is drenched in positivity, acting as a mantra of Falana’s affirmations.
Though she grew up in Brampton, Ontario, Falana is currently based out of Lagos. Her parent’s love for Yoruba music influenced the way she interpreted rhythm and melody. Blended with unmistakable flares of R&B, pop, and hip-hop, she now has a sound she feels is completely her own.
Falana is remaining true to her ethos of incorporating her personal style into her art. “Joy” represents her coming into her eclectic set of influences not only musically, but visually. The music video for “Joy” pairs choreographed segments with scenes of people in Port Antonio holding balloons.
“The balloons were in the original treatment from the director Mykal Cushnie and we loved the symbolism of the balloons and how it captured the feeling of Joy,” Falana tells Complex. “Joy is light, and easy like balloons.”
“The song is uptempo so I wanted that energy to also be captured with movement. So the dancers in Jamaica had fun creating choreo with both Afro and dancehall influences, whilst I, in Canada, worked with Mekelah Minott, an amazing Toronto-based dancer, to bring my own vibe and movement ideas to life in the video.”
Falana fans can expect an album in 2021, as well as new performances “virtual or otherwise, as often as possible, anywhere in the world.”
