Title: “New Light”
Artist: Alicia Lena
From: TBA (2024)
Release Date: December 31, 2023
Format: CD Single, 12” Single, Digital Download, Weekly Airplay, Worldwide Streaming
Recorded: Fénix Home Recording Studios, Phoenix, Arizona, USA / Record Plant Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre(s): RnB, Soul, Contemporary Pop
Length: 4:28
Label: FREEDOM
Written: August 2023
Writer(s): Alicia Lena
Producer(s): Alicia Lena, Neveah Martinez
“New Light” is a single from American RnB singer-songwriter Alicia Lena following on from two previous singles that served as her comeback releases “Here We Stand” and “Home” in 2021 and early 2023 respectively, marking her first single releases in five years having taken time out of the spotlight to become a mother and live a more private life away from the music industry. Although teased frequently since her comeback in 2021, the recording of her accompanying studio album has taken some time which is something she hinted at during her only major interview since her return, where she stated that she will be returning to the music industry but on a very different schedule to how she worked previously at the height of her fame, indicating that it was important for her to find the balance between her home life and her career which goes some way in addressing the fact that it’s been three years and we’ve still not seen the release of her long anticipated fourth studio album. However, a recent Instagram post appeared to indicate that alongside this upcoming single in the new year we would also see the album release and a subsequent world tour, leading some to speculate on whether this would be in the early stages of 2024 or in the later stages of 2024. Either way, the post appeared to signal a renewed focus on finally getting her work released in the coming year.
In terms of style for this upcoming album, although different songs tackle various topics and emotions it’s been discussed that the general tone of the album will focus on self-deconstruction and inner emotions, finding ones own path through an ever-changing modern world. In a recent Q+A in her now home state of Arizona she talked about the new song in some detail and how it fits within the grander whole of the album,
“It’s crazy to me to look back on my career and the singles I’ve chosen to release and how there’s a certain thread that seems to run through the majority of the songs I’ve released as singles. The overriding tone that I find when I look back through the tracks that made it as singles is constant questioning of self. I think if we discount the first album since it’s so clear to me that we were looking for the obvious big songs to release but after that, it was tracks like “Clichés Come Easy”, “The Butterfly Effect”, “Who I Am, Who I’m Not, Who I Wanna Be” and “Another Face In the Crowd” and so on and so on. There all songs of constant self-examination, it’s literally spelt out in the title of half of them when I looked back.
So we come to the next single “New Light” and it’s constant self-exploration once again, I mean the opening line is “When you hear the words so many times you start to believe them.” But I think I’ve always either tried to do one or two things with my music, either a) try to find the faith and light within the song and push that to the forefront of it or b) attempt to tell a story that is fundamentally honest and with those two sort of manifesto’s I feel like I’m in keeping with bringing exactly what I want to bring into this world as a creative artist or performer. I’ve never wanted to just write sad songs because that’s the easiest way to a listeners heart and if they are quote unquote sad songs then there’s a meaning or reason for it. If they’re not part of that grouping, then I believe you will see that I generally tend to look for the light or the faith within the song and push that to the forefront. I hope that sort of makes sense, I feel like I’ve probably just said a whole lot without really saying anything much at all.”“New Light” is the eighteenth official single to be released in Alicia Lena’s career, taken as the third single from her upcoming album it’s likely to serve as a re-kindling of anticipation for the record having had a period of zero build in the past six plus months since the release of the previous single. It’s generally seen that this latest effort will see the beginning of a more stacked calendar in terms of pre-album build up and promotion as we move ever closer to it’s eventual release. The track is a relatively fresh one, having been written in August 2023 by Alicia at her home studio in Phoenix, Arizona and later recorded and produced at Record Plant Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California alongside her recording team headed up by Alicia alongside her long-time friend Nevaeh Martinez. The track is set to be released on 31, December 2023 through FREEDOM records as a CD Single, 12” Single, Digital Download and will be made available to Weekly Airplay as well as Worldwide Streaming, leading Alicia into the new year with fresh momentum and anticipation ahead of what is sure to be a busy 2024.
Song Description;The song begins with the sounds of a strong and dramatic piano intro and is quickly accompanied by a powerful and soulful vocal from Alicia Lena, with the somewhat moody introductory tone of the piano matching the vocal delivery and the early lyrical content perfectly as the singer delivers her opening lyrics to the song,
“When you hear the words so many times you start to believe them/Whether spoken out loud or all in your mind/You have to fight the feeling/They have a way of sitting with you, manifesting and moving/Before you know it, you’re a shadow of your old self/With internal scars and bruising.” as the brief but impactful opening verse sets up the track, it’s piano instrumentation adding a dramatic backdrop to the song that at times feels almost acapella due to the production decision to hone in on the vocal delivery early on, to the point where it feels like you can hear every breath before each vocal delivery. The highlight of the song is immediately the sense of intimacy that you feel from the very beginning, almost like you’re the one receiving a very exclusive performance. The vocal tones of Alicia during the opening verse play to her strengths completely, as talented and accomplished as she may be as a piano player and songwriter, the primary standout throughout her career has been her soulful old-school vocal delivery, drenched in the desperation of true blues vocal delivery and with just enough vocal range to compete with just about anybody in the current modern musical landscape.
As we then arrive at the pre-chorus/chorus one-two punch we see a slight shift in vocal tone from controlled soulful delivery to complete RnB vocal powerhouse as she opens her vocal chords fully to deliver her impassioned statement, slowly building in the pre-chorus to a full on almost orchestral crescendo during the songs chorus, with the dramatic piano tones weaving just enough around the vocal delivery to offer enough musicality to let the song flow naturally but not so much as to attempt to compete with the songs main source of focus which is the vocal delivery, once more continuing in a slightly controlled manner at first
“For a while there/I lost a little part of me/Maybe strayed too far from the path I was on/Obstacles of self-doubt and anxiety.” before shifting in momentum and as we move into the songs chorus and primary selling point of positivity out of darkness,
“But I’ve found it now/Feels like I’m being guided by a new light/Got a sense of purpose now/And I’m ready to fight.”The songs chorus is followed by a brief refrain that serves to bring the drama back down however briefly, again a softer and more restrained vocal delivery required
“For all the things I wanted before/Doesn’t matter how big my dreams may seem/I believe in manifestations/I’ve got faith in my own dreams and destiny.” which once more signals the general tone of the song about fighting through your own internal battles, worries and insecurities about not being worthy of chasing the things you want and believe in and finding that self-appreciation to believe that you are worthy enough to go after your dreams however big and small in order to truly take control of your own life and destiny. It’s once again followed by the songs pre-chorus, once more slowly building towards the big crescendo of the songs positive message within its simplistic chorus.
Once more Alicia brings in the calm and composure following the powerful delivery of the songs chorus, it’s another message of believing in yourself despite what you’re told and taught, once more with the music of the piano just serving as an emotive backdrop to a message of finding your way. There’s something beautiful to take from both sides of Alicia’s vocal deliveries as once more as she brings the energy down once more it’s a vocal delivery that is drenched in soft and soulfully spoken emotion, where it feels like you’re very much in the room as she sings,
“When you hear the words so many times you start to believe them/Support and positivity creates a healthy mind/You have to embrace that feeling/They have a way of passing by so very briefly, manifesting and move on/But if it's repeated enough then it'll finally start to sink in/With eternal faith and thick skin.” and once more we’re given a taste of the songs pre-chorus which leads into one final refrain and dramatic delivery of the songs chorus, ending the song in a shower of positivity.
Lyrics;“New Light”Written by Alicia Lena
Produced by Alicia Lena, Neveah Martinez"When you hear the words so many times you start to believe them
Whether spoken out loud or all in your mind
You have to fight the feeling
They have a way of sitting with you, manifesting and moving
Before you know it, you're a shadow of your old self
With internal scars and bruising
For a while there
I lost a little part of me
Maybe strayed too far from the path I was on
Obstacles of self-doubt and anxiety
But I've found it now
Feels like I'm being guided by a new light
Got a sense of purpose now
And I'm ready to fight
But I've found it now
Feels like I'm being guided by a new light
Got a sense of purpose now
And I'm ready to fight
For all the things I wanted before
Doesn't matter how big my dreams may seem
I believe in manifestations
I've got faith in my own dreams and destiny
For a while there
I lost a little part of me
Maybe strayed too far from the path I was on
Obstacles of self-doubt and anxiety
But I've found it now
Feels like I'm being guided by a new light
Got a sense of purpose now
And I'm ready to fight
But I've found it now
Feels like I'm being guided by a new light
Got a sense of purpose now
And I'm ready to fight
When you hear the words so many times you start to believe them
Support and positivity creates a healthy mind
You have to embrace that feeling
They have a way of passing by so very briefly, manifesting and move on
But if it's repeated enough then it'll finally start to sink in
With eternal faith and thick skin
For a while there
I lost a little part of me
Maybe strayed too far from the path I was on
Obstacles of self-doubt and anxiety
But I've found it now
Feels like I'm being guided by a new light
Got a sense of purpose now
And I'm ready to fight"
Credits & Personnel;
CREDITSProduced by Alicia Lena, Nevaeh Martinez
Engineered by Aniyah Jordan
Mixed by DeAndre Patton, Aniyah Jordan
Recorded at Fénix Home Recording Studios, Phoenix, Arizona / Record Plant Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California
PERSONNELAlicia Lena – vocals, piano, lyrics, composition, production
Nevaeh Martinez – production
Aniyah Jordan – engineering, mixing
DeAndre Patton – mixing
Sound Alike;
Andra Day – “Rise Up”
