An intimate portrait of the complexities of falling in and out of love, Valentine’s Day release II: La Bella Vita sees Niia wear her heart, and influences, on her sleeve.
The jazz club-worthy slow number No Light kicks things off with dreamy backing vocals arriving after Niia’s only verse. The standout Face sees her experiment with trap beats and drums, her vocals occasionally a near-whisper, for musings on a former flame.
The most obvious nod comes on Obsession, a reimagining of Mariah Carey’s hit Obsessed which keeps the pop diva’s R&B stylings and opening line, but swaps out the male antagonist for a (light-hearted) take-down of a female rival.
Niia’s well-honed piano skills accompany If You Won’t Marry Me Right Now, which confronts an ex-partner who retracted an offer of marriage. On Black Dress she lists her faults (“Lost in love or lust / l’m a f**king nightmare”), while Whatever You Got’s modern sound blends chart-friendly pop beats and electronic grooves to provide the backdrop for candid reflection on being drawn back to infidelity.
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