Hot Artist Alert: Samsaya — playful pop R&B that is quite intoxicating

Samsaya has been playing shows for much of the last decade, dating back to the release of her sole studio record Shedding Skin. She is set to release her forthcoming self-titled EP on July 15. The four-track EP is produced by Roc Nation producer Fred Ball which features the uptempo pop-funk of her hit single “Stereotype” (watch the video below). Samsaya’s fun and upbeat R&B and hip hop has been compared to M.I.A. by many, but Samsaya’s sound has a bit more traditional approach while maintaining a certain playfulness that is a bit intoxicating.

Samsaya also wanted to correct a misconception regarding her heritage:

“People assume that we are both Indian-decent when in fact MIA is British Tamil and I am Norwegian Indian,” Samsaya told Grimy Goods in an interview. “We are different artists making different music.”

The 34-year old feels much more at home while on stage in front of an audience rather than being in the studio.

“I’ve always felt like my music is born live and that I’m still adapting it to recordings,” said Samsaya.

“To me they are still two different worlds and I definitely feel more at home still on stage then in a studio. I love the new portable recording solutions and I’m playing more with different ways of recording my emotions. It’s all about the creative and surprising journey. I want to keep leaping into the unknown and exploring new ways to share my emotions.”

One wouldn’t fault someone like Samsaya for having trouble getting psyched for each individual show that she performs as things fall into a seemingly never ending rhythm for live performers. Samsaya embraces it and tries to outdo herself at every show.

“I look forward to every gig we play, and I always think of each performance as my last,” said Samsaya.

“I just love to lose myself in it and try to tap into that live energy we create together in the moment with the crowed. I’m really excited to be playing for a whole new audience and love the thrill of not knowing what they will be like. It’s like a blind date, and from what you’re telling me I’m thinking it’s going to be pretty wild.”

Interesting Tidbit: Samsaya’s song “Dodge It” was used in the Darren Aronofsky directed masterpiece The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. The song plays when Rourke is in the strip club to see Tomei.

“I was pretty stoked when I got an email requesting it to be in a Darren Aronofsky movie,” said Samsaya.

“I’m a huge fan! I still didn’t know if it was really going to happen so I was blown away when a friend of mine called from NY telling me he heard my song on the pre showing of the movie The Wrestler. I’m a huge fan of Mickey Rourke and I’ll never forget seeing the scene with him and my song blaring out in the cinema. It felt unreal and still does.”

Three Words to Describe Samsaya: Quirky — Confident — Catchy

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Words: Mark E. Ortega