In a world where vocals often play second fiddle to the beat, DUSK, HAYLA‘s highly anticipated debut album, flips the script.
From start to finish, the project presents an intimate journey through vulnerability, heartache and triumph, all while tethered to pulsating dance rhythms. HAYLA’s voice becomes the central force, an instrument as dynamic and commanding as any synth in its own right.
‘It’s amazing to work with so many of the collaborators I’ve worked with, but when you go at it alone it does feel quite exposing,” HAYLA tells EDM.com. “Because of the audience from the DJs I’ve worked with potentially coming over to listen to my music, I hope I live up to people’s expectations… I’m so fortunate to have these audiences listen to my music and support me.”
“I’m really proud of what I’ve created… It’s something, for once, where I can say, ‘I have something tangibly mine’ and I hope people get to know me more.”
From the opening notes of “Only I,” DUSK makes one thing clear: HAYLA is here to claim her place as both a vocal powerhouse and a compelling songwriter. The album kicks off with a somber tone as gentle arpeggios bubble beneath her soaring voice, delivering a heart-wrenching yet resolute message. It’s a delicate balance, one that showcases her gift for turning pain into beauty.
Elsewhere, HAYLA stuns with “Freefall,” a track that encapsulates the emotional core of the album through throbbing basslines and shimmering synths. Co-produced with Grammy-nominated musician Carl Ryden, the song navigates love’s most precarious moments in a surefire highlight that feels like both a confession and a catharsis.
The depth of “Freefall” is beautifully contrasted by the airiness of another standout track, “Visions of You.”
“The song story behind it is really when you’re starstruck by infatuation and the thought of that one person that gets you through the day,” HAYLA explains. “That one person that you can’t wait to see again that makes you feel good. It was a really fun thing to write. It’s probably the happiest track on the album.”
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But HAYLA’s strength lies not only in her ability to captivate with anthems of heartache. She also offers profound moments of introspection, such as on the hauntingly beautiful titular track, “DUSK.” Produced and written entirely by HAYLA herself, the album’s closer invites us into a sonic twilight where languid strings build as her vocals hum in ethereal waves, creating a dreamlike soundscape that drifts into darkness.
It’s a track meant for quiet reflection, best enjoyed, as HAYLA herself suggests, just before the world fades into night.
“I won’t lie, I was incredibly nervous about showing that side of myself,” she tells us. “It’s something I’ve done behind closed doors to broaden my musical horizons and to have a more integral part of ownership of a track. I would really like to do more production. Working with so many amazing producers, to say what you want a track to sound like or integrally be a part of a track is amazing, but to actually do it myself felt like something I wanted to experiment with.”
“It’s a completely experimental piece,” she continues. “It’s an instrumental piece. I suppose its more of a vibey piece. It was something I could actually, for once, put a bit of a, ‘This is my body of work’ and try to get what’s in my head out into the open. Experimentally, that freedom was great to do.”
Fans have more to look forward to from HAYLA as she’s set to take the stage at LA’s Roxy Theatre for her debut headline show on December 4th. In the meantime, listen to DUSK below and find the new album on streaming platforms here.
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