Yours to Keep
The vocal colors of autumn flow through the acoustic mellowness of “Yours to Keep”, Shalisa Taylor’s new single exploring the consequences of falling in love with the idea of love. This is her third release after her debut in 2017, taking a new, pop-oriented musical direction by the hand of producer Fabián Santacruz and the post-production of Alexander Asp (better known for Cold Winter Love).
The introverted Nordic nostalgia conveyed through Taylor’s velvety vocals and the almost-naked acoustic production serve as the perfect background for a difficult confession: When the fantasy created by the idea of being in love breaks, you’re basically left with the guilty realization that it’s best to leave.
“This song is basically an apology letter, where it is explained that hurtful choices were made and that was never the intention. But the promise of “yours to keep” was never actually said.”, Taylor explains.
The soul-influenced character of Taylor as a songwriter draws inspiration from artists like Adele or Norah Jones. But however timeless the vocals may sound, rather than narrating relationship stories, she uses lyrics as a paintbrush to depict different impressions. “Yours to Keep” has a youthful touch to the lyrics and a subtle flirting with catchy, upbeat pop choruses that makes you associate her with Scandinavian acts like Sigrid or Miriam Bryant.
Shalisa Taylor’s debut as a solo artist in 2017 took her to Swedish national radio station P3, with her song ”Fight” getting her a feature on the top 10 on their program for unsigned talents for several weeks. She got signed to Rexius Records later that year and is currently preparing the release of an EP that explores her introspective impressions on young love. ”Yours to Keep”, the first single included in the EP, will be released on October the 5th.
Cover art by: Albert Frykman