Rising Star Tai’Aysha’s Second Pop Gem Is Nothing To Be ‘Sorry’ About
Share
Everyone has that one friend… the one that you know you can count on to always have that positive spin when things seem bleak. The one that will greet you with a beaming smile and lift you up without missing a beat?
That’s Tai’Aysha.
View this post on Instagram
The Boston-born and Miami-based Dominican-Cambodian singer, songwriter, and dancer radiates confidence, speaks without filter, and will always brighten your day.
Her music weaves R&B, pop, bachata, merengue, reggae, and hip-hop moods with a nimble and natural elasticity tailor made for the dancefloor.
After amassing half-a-million followers on social media, she attracted the ear of super producer and Icon Music Group founder Steve Morales [Enrique Iglesias, Céline Dion, Beyoncé] to her corner.
Over the past year she’s introduced herself on a series of singles.
“My music should make you feel fun, excited, and sexy,” she says. “Everything is so serious all of the time. So, I’m going to make you dance.”
Tai’Aysha started dancing almost as soon as she could walk. Born to a Dominican mother and Cambodian father, she recalls “crazy family parties” as a kid where she absorbed rhythm from every angle. Growing up, she followed her mom’s lead, watching her dance bachata and other styles. She also knew exactly what she wanted… “I’m the first person in my family on either side to be born in the United States,” she says. “So, everybody would always ask, ‘Tai’Aysha, what are you going to do? Are you going to be a doctor? Are you going to be a lawyer?’ I’m like, ‘No guys, I’m going to be a superstar.’ ”
View this post on Instagram
And no one doubted this preternaturally talented sprite who lit up every room she walked into and started modeling post-high school. Juggling a day job at a flower shop and turning out dance videos, she built an audience of hundreds of thousands on Instagram and local buzz from her hometown.
Early on Morales saw the excitement radiating around her and felt compelled to reach out. He saw a rhythm in her dancing that he believed underscored an innate tonal sound that would translate into vocals and he was right.
Following a magical recording session in Miami he signed her and they recorded at a phrenetic pace that landed her a deal at Atlantic Records.
View this post on Instagram
Inspired by and echoing her icons Lauryn Hill, Rihanna, and Sade she cultivated her own raw signature style. She describes her sounds as a little bit of everything, “dancehall, reggaeton, pop, hot heavy beats that flow.”
Speaking of her debut single “One Night Ting” [feat. Saweetie] she says it rides a dancehall beat towards a red-hot hook. Co-produced by Stephen MacGregor a.k.a. “Di Genius” [Drake, Shakira], alongside hit-making duo, Money Well Spent—comprised of Verse Simmonds [Chris Brown, Kelly Rowland, Justin Bieber] & Akil “Fresh” King [Brandy, Beyoncé, Teyana Taylor]— the track embodies Tai’Aysha’s energy and samples Shabba Ranks’ legendary dancehall record “Ting-A-Ling.”
The song got a major push when it exclusively debuted on PEOPLE.
Although she says the song is “About cutting loose, letting go, and throwing yourself into the night,” she actually reveals. “I feel like I’m a fraud, because I’ve never actually had a one-night stand. I’ve wanted to have one, but I need to connect to be honest. I need to know something about you as a person and I want you to feel the same way. I want to be here for you and make you feel confident, cool, and sexy.”
View this post on Instagram
This confidence didn’t come from nowhere. It was instilled in her by the love and support of her trans brother who always had her back and would throw down if anyone ever did her dirty. The two were super close growing up and even though he was younger he acted like big bro.
It’s why she spent much of her summer lighting up LGBT Pride events across the country, including New York City’s annual PrideFest and NYC Youth Pride event at Rumsey Playfield at Central Park.
No virtue signaling here, it’s a stems from a real connection to the community and a way of acknowledging her brother, her family.
Her new single “Sorry” is cut from that same cloth.
CONNECT WITH TAI’AYSHA
