Vocal powerhouse FRYA has arrived! From having five of her songs featured on the popular African original Netflix series Blood & Water to finally releasing a full body of work, the songstress’s rise to stardom has been nothing short of inspirational. The Zimbabwean-born singer-songwriter recently dropped her genre-bending debut album Balance. FRYA’s candid masterpiece follows the releases of its lead singles, āBack It Upā and āChangesā, which were both released in September 2021.
The 11-track album consists of R&B, Soul, Reggae & Afrobeats elements. Balance is also ambiguous in its nature and subject matter. Not only does FRYA showcase her versatility but also her modifiable vocal range. From a mezzo-soprano, heartfelt ballad such as āChangesā to a buoyant club banger such as āFire Fireā, she gives us the best of both worlds throughout this complex body of work. The songbird sings about love, heartbreak and vulnerability while also singing about liberation and assertiveness.
In the sultry intro, āChandelierā, FRYA sings: “I’m here for legacy, to build a dynasty”, along with a shimmery electric guitar. This lyric corresponds with FRYA’s assertive tone across the album, a confirmation that the rising star is intentional about utilising her talent to make an imprint in the music industry.
Romantic acquaintances are taken to task in this body of work, yet it’s far from being a pity party. The fourth track – āYou Can’tā – captures the complexity of FRYA’s emotions; it is a sonically-nuanced song, sampling American R&B singer H.E.R’s canzonet, āI Wonātā. FRYA harmonises how she has options and doesn’t need a particular romantic interest’s half-hearted efforts. The chorus of the recitative song says, “you can’t make me love you if I don’t”, alluding to having high standards and not being willing to settle for anything less.
āMasterpiece (Freestyle)ā ushers in with amplified guitar strings, accompanied by FRYA’s symphonic vocals. The songstress sings that she is a masterpiece, further asserting that she knows her worth.
The album’s melancholic ballad āChangesā is an expression of heartbreak and grief, which serves as a tribute to FRYA’s late mother. In the heartfelt tribute, she mournfully expresses her pain in a crystalline soprano voice, accompanied by a monotone piano. The heart-wrenching ballad also comes at a time when many people around the world have lost their loved ones to Covid-19, making it coextensive.
Balance‘s paradoxical nature is a testament to FRYA’s limitless multifacetedness and star power. It is the dawn of the songstress’ rise to the top, which is doubtlessly imminent.
