LUCIIA - WITH II EYES (EP)
WITH II EYES is a journey of self-discovery, the story of an artist baring her soul both to herself and to her audience. With the assistance of London-based executive producer Maleík Loveridge, LUCIIA has managed to forge her own sound, where classic 90s R&B blends with a futuristic sonic vision.
The EP opens with swagger on intro track ‘GETS LIKE THAT’, before the entrance of lead single ‘SAME THING NEW MAN’, a silky-smooth jam that merges classic 90s R’n’B. The core of the EP deals with LUCIIA’s grappling with relationships, both with others and herself. Whereas sultry slow-burner ‘WE KNOW’ finds a “moment of clarity” in its spaced-out funk groove, the swooning strings of ‘DON’T GET IT’ match the emotional conflict in the lyrics, before ‘CARRY ON MY LOVE’ bodes a wistful farewell to a relationship with light keys and ethereal vocal harmonies.
Finally, the show-stopping EP focus track ‘U FOR A MINUTE’ closes the release with a deep-dive into childhood emotions, summing up the core themes of the EP. "Suddenly during the session of writing ‘U FOR A MINUTE’, I realised that I was pouring out my frustrations from childhood days”, LUCIIA says. “It became obvious to me that I wasn’t able to love without knowing how to be loved."
“‘U FOR A MINUTE’ is about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, this time it became clear to me that I didn’t have any sympathy. I wanted the people to feel the hurt I have been suffering and hopefully have them try my shoes for once.”
Speaking about the EP as a whole, LUCIIA says: "The songs reflect a newfound perspective of mine. My vision has cleared up. My relationship with myself has in a way become more natural than my relationship with others," she says. "Previously I struggled to accept myself or to know who I truly was, which led me to engage in destructive relationships. I suspect much of this stems from having a strained relationship with my father. As an adult, I have had to teach myself to be deserving of good things that come my way."
To say LUCIIA literally grew up on stage is no overstatement. Shaped by equal parts Havana, Cuba and Möllevången, Malmö, her father toured the world with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, and her mother ensured her daughter participated in talent shows from the age of four.
The stage is where LUCIIA feels most comfortable and at ease, something she demonstrated in front of 70 000 people each night during 4 dates opening for Coldplay in July Previously performed with an international crowd at the Brilliant Minds Symposium in Stockholm, headlined Debaser with Dr Martens last year and secured two official showcases during SXSW 2023. London - Soho House White City, Tempo & Flow & Notting Hill Arts Club.
Last year, LUCIIA released her debut EP 365, which garnered attention from Rinse FM Jordss, Reprezent Rellik and BBC Raffella and earned her nominations for both the Grammis and Manifest awards in Sweden. In another testament to the growth in global interest for the Cuban/Swedish artist, she was handpicked by Coldplay to open four consecutive shows at Ullevi Stadium in Sweden in July. The songstress has also had two SXSW performances hosted by DJ Rosegold and Crxssroads Music, as well as shows in New York and Amsterdam for brands including Volvo and Northzone, and has multiple Monitor Live sessions released. Reaction carpool videos recorded with LUCIIA having guests like Cherrie, Mapei, Sabina DDumba & Awa among other artists in Sweden will be released soon. Throughout 2023, LUCIIA began to tease tracks from the EP, releasing ‘SAME THING NEW MAN’, ‘WE KNOW’ and and ‘DON’T GET IT’, which racked up praise from the likes of DJ Ace, Dotty, Rebecca Judd, Ellie Prohan, WONDERLAND and more.
WITH II EYES is confirmation of LUCIIA’s fast ascent to stardom. A striking sophomore EP that delves deep into the emotional core of this uniquely talented artist.