Essosa: Into the World of 'Crush'

The British pop and R&B singer talks to us about taking fans deeper into her world with her newly released EP 'Crush.'

“Future icon, Superstar.” To most, this would be audacious to say, but to artist Essosa, it’s a stake in a commitment to pushing her sound and artistry further with each body of work.

The British-Canadian-Nigerian is returning with a new EP entitled “Crush”, digging more into her lane within the Pop and R&B landscape and further cementing her place among the best in music.

From her influences of Michael and Janet Jackson, to Mariah Carey, and Madonna, to Kali Uchis and Kaytranada – Essosa’s music blends both old and new sounds to create a mix of nostalgic moods and new perspectives.

This sound can be felt in her first EP, Essie’s World, which spawned the viral hit “Waste My Time.” Delivering smooth vocals over production that felt reminiscent of the best of the Neptunes, Essosa started to craft her own signature sound with that first project.

“I made Essie’s World in the span of three months; it was my first time ever in the studio all the time. I just felt like the world was my oyster.” Essie’s World felt like a peek into where Essosa is going in her musical journey, while Crush is further putting her stamp on her place in pop and R&B music.

To do that, she made sure this new Crush EP was made without any outside noise. It also has a larger backing of support that should help take the rising star further beyond the scope of Essie’s World.

“I came in with a vision before, but now having a team to help execute that as well. Everyone is on board, and everyone is like how do we execute this in the best way possible?”

The Crush singles, like “Touch bby”, “Signs”, and “He’s Not All That”, dig deeper into the main ethos of her new EP.

“‘Crush’ is often used to describe an infatuation with someone, but it also means destruction and ruin. That juxtaposition really hit me last year. I wanted the project to live in that tension. Everyone understands what a crush is, but the word carries both sides of that experience.”

The EP blends sweet R&B and Pop melodies, conveying the emotions of having a crush and processing the ups and downs, as in the centerpiece, “Missing U”.

Drawing on a sound similar to “Together Again” by Janet Jackson, the song tells a story of reflection and resetting after a situationship in limbo. This song, along with this EP, carries motifs inspired by Essosa’s life.

“It was really in the time when I met someone and thought, okay, this is actually a bit stable. I felt girlie, which is where the whole pink girly thing across the singles came from.”

Adding to this new EP, Essosa recently wrapped up supporting Rochelle Jordan on her “Through the Wall” U.S. and Europe tour, spreading her artistry to new listeners. One of the things she learned while on tour with Jordan was resilience and how her music can speak to new audiences.

“I noticed how songs connect with people. So, how do upbeat or catchy songs connect with people? It made me want to know how I can keep making music that connects with people, especially in the context of life.”

Having found this initial connection with “Waste My Time” (which spawned over 70 million streams and over 19,000 TikTok videos), her new EP Crush goes beyond the timeline and takes listeners deeper into Essosa’s world.