When you look at the South African music landscape at the moment, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to it than just amapiano.
Some hip hop stars have been so influenced by the genre that that is all they are producing.
Yes, amapiano has taken the world by storm and we should be proud of that, however, pop, gospel, R&B and musicians in other genres are still releasing chart-topping songs.
One such musician is Johannesburg based singer, Evida who recently released his debut album, Mirror for a Miracle.
Born Liam Elliot Jones, the 24-year-old musician is a SAMA nominee. In 2017, he was nominated as a producer for the Best Remix category at the South African Music Awards for his remix of, “The Woods” by Tresor and Majozi.
He was also nominated that year for the Best EDM track at the Dance Music Awards South Africa.
“Mirror For A Miracle” is a candid album that deals with all the pitfalls of life, as well as the music industry as a whole. He started working on the album in late 2020.
“This album is definitely a piece of me in that a lot of the stories I'm telling are from the heart and are from myself.
“I only really started to see what the final outcome would be about halfway through the actual process, then I sort of built around my new understanding,” he said.
He described the lyrical content of the album as raw, real and still fun and easy to listen to, while describing the sound as a “very eclectic album in the sense that it’s pop but on many fronts”.
Working on this album saw Evida collaborate with fellow musicians Omi Kobi and Nissa Seych.
“I believe in a talent over hype approach, so if I feel you are a talented artist I will work with you and see what ways we can blend our sounds into something new and original yet still fresh and poppy,” he said.
Speaking on why he named the album “Mirror for a Miracle”, he said: “Over the process of the album I realised I was always going to be the one standing in front of myself, so the best way to reach my goals was to look in the mirror and remember who I really am what are the things I want in life and how will I get them. Only you can decide to do the things you want to do.
“It's a huge milestone for me in the sense that not only is it my first project but it's also a new side of me. Most people who do remember me think of the DJ guy rather than the artist. I wanted to show them I can be both and still be playable.”
He hopes that fans take away a sense of self and a sense of higher purpose after listening to the album.