Natanya is a 23-year-old singer from west London who has emerged in the last year thanks to 2YK-sounding R&B singles like ‘Foolish’ or ‘Dangerous’, viral on TikTok, or ‘On Our Time’, which has reached the ears of SZA, who has recommended her on her networks. And that one of the most extremely mainstream artists in the United States recommends the music of an unknown British artist is no small feat.
By the way, Natanya is the first to be surprised that ‘On Ur Time’ has caught on, since it is the song that closes her EP ‘Feline’s Return’; a double EP, if this concept exists. It’s not an album, it’s an “EP in two acts.”
Natanya’s music draws from the R&B of the 2000s, and if ‘Dangerous’ uses Brandy’s own harmonies, ‘On Our Time’ uses typical Aaliyah beats. It’s today’s Song Of The Day because of its catchy chorus, which Ashanti or Destiny’s Child could have sung in their time. The basis of ‘On Ur Time’ is so typical Timbaland that it uses two of his key tricks: acoustic guitar and syncopated rhythm.
Natanya, who studied piano as a young woman, soon discovered that playing Chopin or Rachmaninov was not her thing. She names two key albums in her musical education, Amy Winehouse’s ‘Frank’ (2003) and Tyler, the Creator’s ‘Cherry Bomb’ (2015), for their vulnerability and musical flexibility.
‘On Ur Time’ is the typical song about two former lovers turned strangers. But Natanya approaches the subject not from drama, but from carelessness: “It’s funny that we don’t talk anymore, it’s funny to dream about what could have been.” ‘On Ur Time’ conveys that same relaxation and impassivity. In English they have a better word: “carefree.”
