@Txwela's Debut EP 'What Happened In 2020?' Was A Pleasant Surprise

Most of the time the algorithm on Spotify gives me gems but this time Apple Music gifted me Towela and I couldn't be happier. I think 'What Happened in 2020?' is a great name for an EP btw. The EP starts off with a soulful feel with the first two songs, 'Sun Moon Beam' and 'Happi'. Towela's songwriting ability is the first thing that jumped out at me with these two songs. 'Sun Moon Beam' is stripped down and leaves no room for error and she does an amazing job penning melodies that you can't help but sing along to. In contrast, 'Happi' has a lot more intensity in terms of the production but her songwriting was still the main attraction. Towela never seems to be out of place or overwhelmed at any point throughout the EP. She manages to effortlessly deliver songs with a more traditional R&B feel with 'Ocean' and 'That Girl' with the former being my favourite song on the EP. 'In My Head' is another strong song on EP and I wanted to highlight this song because she showed an understanding of vocal layering and it serves as the 'cherry on top' to her songwriting. If I'm being objective, 'Round My Way' is where she is at the peak of her powers on this EP. The production gives her enough space to give us a variety of flows and cadences. It's the song where she shows you everything she can do, whereas the rest of the EP she gave us bits and pieces of different lanes within R&B. I'm always really impressed by artists who have debut projects that are a genuinely pleasant listen and Towela is one such artist. Stream 'What Happened In 2020?' below.