Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "HAPPY" and the story it tells?

I wrote this song inspired by my personal experience of feeling overwhelmed with my thoughts and ambition. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself and I’m also a very ambitious person, so it’s often hard for me to give myself credit for everything I have already done and accomplished. Because of that, I sometimes feel down especially when I’m on my own and have more time to overthink certain things. This is what this song is about - despite its “happy” title, it’s actually about not being able to feel happy and falling victim to personal frustrations, as well as getting too much in your head. Originally the song was meant to be one of my solo tracks on my upcoming album, but later I decided to invite Jake (my producer and an incredible artist!) to record the second verse. I think this song being a duet and talking about an issue that I’m sure a lot of artists experience, makes its message more powerful!

How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "HAPPY" to life?

“HAPPY” was produced and mixed by Jake Tavill, with whom I’ve been working on my album (which comes out in June!). I usually have a pretty clear vision of how I want my songs to sound, but I’m always open to suggestions from my collaborators. Jake coming from a more jazz, soul, funk-influenced background has definitely influenced the final sound of “HAPPY”. We had a general idea for the song - we wanted it to have a classic R&B vibe. As opposed to my other songs on the album, which were made primarily using synths and drum machines, “HAPPY” is the only acoustic song we recorded featuring live drums and piano. We invited our mutual friend and a talented jazz drummer, Alex Quade, to record drums in the studio. I think they added a really cool laid-back vibe to the song. Jake also recorded live piano on his Victorian-era late 19th Century Steinway Model B Grand with an incredible history, which in my opinion made the song sound much more emotional. We decided to keep the production of “HAPPY” relatively simple to allow the vocals to take the lead. I recorded layers of vocal padding which made the song sound very soothing and smooth. I’m really happy about the final sound (no pun intended:) ). It’s probably one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s also a favorite among my close friends and family who have heard the entire album already.

How does this song fit into your overall artistic vision and what can listeners expect from you in the future?

“HAPPY” offers a pretty unique sound as a lot of my other songs tend to lean towards a more modern, synthy sound drawing inspiration from Pop and R&B - think artists like RAYE, Banks, Finneas, or The Weeknd. Growing up, I was influenced by primarily Pop/R&B artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyonce or Mariah Carey, but also more classic R&B artists such as The Black Eyed Peas, Lauryn Hill, or The Fugees. My dad listened to a lot of R&B and I think it has directly impacted my early music taste. Later, I also went through my fascination phase with Jazz. “HAPPY” in a way pays homage to my very first and early music inspirations with its more acoustic, classic Soul/R&B/Chill Pop sound. Nonetheless, you can expect from me in the future a pretty versatile music offering that oscillates in the greater Pop R&B genre. I love experimenting with music and am inspired by various genres and artists so I believe each song on my upcoming album has a unique sound.

Can you tell us more about you as an artist?

I am a Pop R&B artist based between London and NYC, born in Warsaw, combining a modern, yet organic Pop R&B sound with sweet, but powerful vocals. I began my music journey at just 12, inspired by pop powerhouse artists, including Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston that evolved into a lifelong passion for singing, and pushed me to pursue a career in music. My debut album is set to be released in June 2024 and sets a precedent for my unique sound and impactful lyrics that will continue to develop with my career. I also have a passion for empowering women and alongside my music career, modeling, and art/tech entrepreneurship, I also started the online Gen Z women’s collective FemZquared in 2020 to uplift women through storytelling.

What is your songwriting process like? How do you usually start crafting a new song?

It really depends! For my upcoming album, I wrote a lot of songs from scratch on the piano. I would play various chord progressions and test out various lead melodies that would come to my mind as I was playing the chords. I’d then simultaneously write lyrics that in some cases would alter slightly my initial melody idea. With “HAPPY” specifically, I started writing it to a beat and later added my own chords. Any sound has a potential to inspire an idea and potentially even become a lead theme in some of my songs. Sometimes when I’m truly inspired by certain feelings, I can just sit by the piano and sing out a melody that exactly hits the emotion I’m experiencing. There are a few songs on my album that were written in this exact way as I was going through a lot of feelings at the time of writing them. Because I don’t have a strong background in playing the piano, I heavily rely on the melodies that I sing while writing a song. Once I have that figured out, I usually add the chords that fit the melody that I came up with. Sometimes, I also write down my thoughts that I later turn into lyrics and come up with a melody based on the rhythm they dictate naturally. I’d say my songwriting process is as versatile as my songs. :)

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