Born and raised in Etobicoke, Toronto, Aqyila grew up rollerblading around her neighborhood cul-de-sac with her old friend Caleb before going home to her parents, who regularly played Gospel, R&B, and Rap music around the house. Aqyila remembers, “I would hear a lot of Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston as a kid, and I vividly remember imitating Whitney’s runs that she’d do in ‘Try It On My Own’… Whitney Houston inspired me so much as a kid. I feel like through imitating her music I was able to teach myself how to sing.”

From an early age, Aqyila was passionate about music as a fan, and still is as much as ever today: “Music gives me the happiest feeling. When I’m not creating it, I love discovering new rising artists on Spotify and making playlists.” Like many music lovers growing up on the internet during the 2010s, Aqyila began translating her passion for music into songs and uploading them because it was something she enjoyed, not anticipating a career would come out of it:

“I started posting songs I had written to beats on Soundcloud in 2015. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and turning them into melodies for people to listen to. Although my audience wasn’t massive, I enjoyed sharing covers and original songs there.”

The track “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me)” was Aqyila’s definite breakout moment and an impressive display of her talent, and it came from an effortless, inconspicuous spark of inspiration: 

“I was in my bed, scrolling through YouTube searching for beats to write to on TikTok. I stumbled across a beat created by Thomas Crager & PDub the Producer. I started singing about a bob wig, just for fun and had put it in my drafts. A few minutes later I decided to post it and went about my night. I was making dinner when my phone started to go off like crazy on TikTok. Since this day I haven’t turned my notifications back on TikTok.”

Aqyila paints a positive picture through anthemic R&B songs. Since her breakout track “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me),” an infectious viral hit featuring island-style melodic nods to her Jamaican roots, earned Toronto-native a nomination at the 2022 Juno Awards for “Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year,” the singer-songwriter has turned heads with her distinct blend of R&B featuring innovative upbeat production, glossy vocals and moving lyrical themes about the power in sisterhood, positivity, introspection, and self-love. 

Released today, Aqyila’s debut EP For the Better introduces the world to the Canadian artists’ contagious optimism and catchy melodies through a series of tracks that don’t shy away from change. “Hello” delivers a moving message on letting go of the past to welcome a better future, reflecting a central theme of continual self-improvement by accepting a positive transformation. 

The EP’s production welcomes change through an engaging sonic variance, surrounding Aqyila’s euphonious vocals with different colors from a radiant palette. The neo-soul jam “We Keep On'' laments the everyday struggle of heartbreak over fuzzy retro synth keys. On “Moving Like That,” Aqyila’s voice glides flawlessly over glamorous trap-pop beat, while “OH!” layers vocal samples with wobble synth swells and visceral lyrics about hitting “7-Eleven for Excedrin” to deal with the hangover of love: “I heard that hurt people hurt people who they love the most / And hearts never break equal, I hate that now I know.” The talent packed into this 6-track debut, along with the strides Aqyila’s made in such a short career thus far, is more than enough to make it evident she’s an artist worth giving a listen to if you want to feel something–especially hope. 

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