August 25, 2023 |
Highlyy, 19, has music in her blood. Sharing her family’s collective musical fervor – her mother is a singer and her brother is a fellow artist – Highlyy was basically raised in the studio, even heading there with her guitar-playing father as a fresh-faced five-year-old. Flash forward a decade and a half and the Afrobeat aficionado dropped her – now global – debut single ‘Soldier’. Indicative of a shifting music industry increasingly reliant on TikTok to identify and catapult rising stars to knee-wobbling heights, the Essex-raised singer is the perfect poster girl for the power of virality. Racking up over 240 million global streams, to say Highlyy burst onto the scene feels like an understatement. At its height, a 15 second clip of the track was generating around 600 new posts a day. Forget bursting, Highlyy outright bulldozed. Let’s not forget that in contemporary culture, those viral hits have a formidable weight, with the likes of Ice Spice, Pink Pantheress and Doja Cat largely owing their rapid ascension to fame to a hit social media sound.
Now – after a series of similarly infectious tracks like the catchy self-reflection ‘Time Like This’ and multi-artist heartbreak bop ‘Hate’ – Motown Records’ new signing is gearing up to release a bouncy yet heartfelt melody entitled ‘Peace’, dropping August 31.
Despite being in noteworthy company, Highlyy draws on her Congolese descent to bring a multi-language element to her sound that feels uniquely fresh and carefully considered. Listen to one of her songs and you will be greeted with a softly upbeat rhythm interlaced with lyrical transitions from English to French to Yoruba so smooth you barely notice. The hype around ‘Soldier’ isn’t overstated either. It’s so infectious that the young star has released three versions – the original, the slow and the stripped – accumulating millions of streams on Spotify alone. Brit Awarded Nominated rapper Tion Wayne even hopped on for a feature. The stage for her new single has sufficiently been set. Promising to sit pride of playlist for any lovesick listeners, ‘Peace’ is a welcome addition on Highlyy’s exciting pathway to bona fide celebrity.
Highlyy’s star power isn’t going unnoticed. Having been co-signed by industry heavyweights such as Dave, FLO and Rema, she has also been featured by taste-making publications like Notion and British Vogue. If this early success means anything, it’s that the best is yet to come. We managed to grab a moment with Highlyy to ask her about her guilty pleasures, what’s in her festival bum bag and the upcoming single.
1. Hey Highlyy! Where does the pseudonym come from?
“Highly is my real name!”
2. With cosigns so far from none other than Rema, Ms Banks, Flo, Unknown T and more, and having supported the likes of Oxlade and Buju (BNXN), you’ve working with a whole slew of the best in the biz. But who would be your dream collaborator?
“Burna Boy, Tems.”
3. You’re only 19! What’s it been like rising to fame at such a young age?
“It’s been amazing to know that a lot of people know me through my passion at a young age! It gives me a lot of motivation.”
4. What’s your guilty pleasure?
“I eat edible kaolin clay from Congo.”
5. If you built your own club, what are five things you’d be sure to put inside?
“Studio, Wifi, Rollerskates, Swimming Pool, Stage.”
6. Who would be your dream three dinner guests, dead or alive?
“Beyoncé, Rihanna and Drake.”
7. What would we find in your festival bum bag?
“Bank Card, Sunglasses, Lip Gloss, Cream, Phone.”
8. When was the last time you cried and why?
“Probably two days ago, crying at how good my [upcoming] EP is and I can’t wait for people to hear it. It makes me sad that people can’t hear it yet.”
9. What artist dominates your pre-drinks playlist?
“Anything afrobeat – from Wizkid to Burna Boy, the list goes on.”
10. What’s next for Highlyy?
“The takeover is next! It’s time to show the people what they’re dealing with.”
Photography courtesy of Highlyy. ‘Peace’ is available for pre-save here.
