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Photo: Karolina Pran Photography

You love that feeling, when it all falls into place, the groove hits, the melody soars and the vibes are maxed out. On Aqyila’s new EP, it’s by design that the good times are Falling Into Place. This Toronto songstress has been popping ever since her debut single "Vibe For Me (Bob for Me)" earned her numerous accolades, including a Juno award. Curious about her immediate success and what's in store for her in the near future, we reached out to dive into dream tour destinations collabs, and more. 

OnesToWatch: Who is Aqyila?  

Aqyila: I’m a singer and songwriter from Toronto, Canada. Family is really important to me. My parents are both Jamaican, so I’m a Caribbean gal at heart.

We love the afrobeat R&B hybrid on this record. How did that all fall into place?  

Really just through collaboration with everyone who worked on the album. Both of those genres are sounds that I love, so naturally it felt like something that would end up working creatively.

Any writing collaborators? Who produced the album?  

Oh, so many talented people. Some of the featured collaborators are Sam Hook (Ne-Yo, Miley Cyrus), Monro (Jhené Aiko, Tori Kelly), Charlie Coffeen (The Weeknd, Rae Sremmurd), Mike Sonier (Noah Cyrus, The Weeknd, Julia Michaels), and Soaky Siren (Tiesto, Jason Derulo, Maroon 5, Tinashe).

Can we expect more of this style in the future? Or are you constantly evolving? 

I’d definitely say it’s possible, but like any person and artist, I’m always growing and evolving, so the next project will likely be a reflection of where I am at that time.

If you could have anyone feature on this album, dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

Oh that’s a tough one, but I will say I’m a big fan of Masego, so maybe if I could have had him on the album that could have been cool. Maybe the next one!

Besides this excellent album, what else should we be on the lookout for? 

I’m excited to get back on the road after the Junos. I’m heading to the UK for The Great Escape music festival and will do Osheaga in Montreal later this summer. I’ll definitely be back in the U.S. this year too, so you guys should stay tuned for that. I’m trying to find the right time to do some more US shows. I did my first U.S. shows at the start of this year as the support for Pink Sweat$. It was a cool experience. I have so many fans in the U.S., so I’d love to build more there.

What’s inspiring you right now outside of music?

I love to try new things that I see online or even just out in the world. It could be something as simple as a good dish that I had at restaurant, I’m the kind of person that will go home and try to figure out how to make it myself. Stuff like that. Creating things that aren’t always linked to music is fun and where I may find some inspiration.

Dream place to tour you haven’t hit yet? 

I’d love to get to South Africa.

For maximum vibes, where are we and what are we doing while listening to your record? 

Oh, you’re probably chilling with friends, it’s a warm day on a rooftop with a nice drink, maybe some rosé or a good cocktail to set the vibes.

Who are your OnesToWatch? 

A few artists on my current OnesToWatch list are; KWN, Shae Universe, Benita, Sherie, FLO and Lewis Sky.