Establishing the mood with a dimensional, hyper pop meet glitch adjacent soundscape with astral textures and cerebral nuances, Angel Aoba opens WILDFIRE with situational and relatable prose as he shares his lived experience.
In essence, WILDFIRE feels hugely personal, but also universal thematically as it touches on experiences that many of us have lived. We appreciate the metaphor the burning match which serves as a mantra, and we connect with the emotional depth that Angel Aoba imbues.
The production is intricate and futuristic, whilst the message of the song remains timeless. We love the balance between the vocal production and the raw honesty of Angel Aoba‘s performance. With reference to the meaning of the song, Angel poignantly confesses, “[It’s] just a song about an ex-lover there was a time where I felt I was never going to get over her. I felt like I was still in love with her even though she wasn’t anymore so, just a song about how felt a couple years ago when our breakup was about three years old, a bit tragic, right?”
With reference to his influences, he adds, “Surprisingly, I was listening to a lot of Roddy Ricch, OsamaSon and GIVEON, I love how all three use their voice, I love how OsamaSon navigates harsh trap beats and finds a melody. I think Roddy’s vocals are nothing to be scoffed at and GIVEON is just one of the most passionate singers out there right now.”
Angel Aoba is a Seattle-based artist who blends emotive vocals with pop-driven soundscapes. Working from his own room, we learn that he crafted WILDFIRE using accessible tools while experimenting with vocal compression and front-facing mixes.
Naturally, we have added WILDFIRE to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Angel Aoba including the entirety of his album, ALL-STAR ANGEL.