Rasharn Powell and Ojerime have come together to create an intimate, late-night jam that we are absolutely loving at the moment. Play 2 is the first release for both artists this year, and both the song and visuals, it transports the listener to a world where nothing else exists but them and the object of their affection.
Rasharn Powell has been getting a lot of buzz after the release of his mixtape Dusk & Dawn last year. His unique take on R&B with Soul, Alternative, Hip-Hop and a touch of rock infusions, combined with his sultry vocals and his avant-garde visuals, has rightfully earned him a spot as one of London’s most exciting new artists, as well as a sold-out headline show at Colours Hoxton. Similarly, Ojerime has established herself as one of the most interesting acts in the scene, with her 2020 mixtape B4 I Breakdown and subsequent singles. Ojerime’s music is filled with honesty, ’90s nostalgia, and soulfulness, establishing her as a force to be reckoned with.
When we created the song it was just natural, no forced energy or anything and I think that’s a testament to Ojerime and I’s relationship.
– Rasharn Powell
Speaking to The Blues Project about making Play 2, Rasharn said: “When we created the song it was just natural, no forced energy or anything and I think that’s a testament to Ojerime and I’s relationship. It’s beautiful that we’ve now got this single out and people are living with it, and enjoying it, and we’re just very grateful.“
Co-produced by Sam Taieb and Niels, also a very talented rising artist on his own, with recent singles 3 AM and Raw capturing our attention, Play 2‘s instrumental has a futuristic feel to it, which compliments really nicely Rasharn and Ojerime’s soulful vocals.
We also caught up with the song’s producer, Niels about the session when Play 2 was created: “It was amazing. Rasharn came, he brought Ojerime with him and she had her dog… I co-produced this with my best friend, so it was just a very cool session. We did most of the work in that one day. I remember that at the end Ojerime saying, ‘I need to leave in like 20 minutes’, and she’d stay another hour doing vocals. And then she’d say again, ‘okay, it’s getting late, I don’t want to be walking alone at night’, and she’d stay another hour.“
With regards to producing rather than taking centre stage Niels shared, “… I really took a step back to see how the two of them would interact, and they literally pushed each other! I saw a real ping-pong effect between them, and Sam and I’s job was to keep it all together and suggest little ideas, but not interfere too much with their flow, which is sometimes really hard – as a producer, you also have ideas but it’s the artists’ vision, so you can’t be too much in the way.”
The music video, directed by Preston Tietjen and Rasharn himself, is set in Joshua Tree in California and it’s unlike anything we have seen this year. Speaking on the visuals, Rasharn says “Making the video was just magical! We went to the desert over in Los Angeles and found this perfect spot. I wanted the boulders to kind of be reminiscent of the artwork and take us out of somewhere that you would deem to be an earthly space, and I think we captured it right.”
Making the video was just magical! We went to the desert over in Los Angeles and found this perfect spot. I wanted … to take us out of somewhere that you would deem to be an earthly space…
– Rasharn Powell
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two and we are looking forward to more extraordinary releases like this one!
Other new music we’re loving…
DESTIN CONRAD ft. Kiana Ledé – UNPREDICTABLE
Lil Silva ft. Sampha – Backwards
Karl Benjamin – Selfish
Debbie – Stay
Mack Keane & ESTA ft. Joyce Wrice – Thought of You
LAYA – On Sight
Sunni Colón – Universe 4 Two
Tia Gordon – Call Me
