photography by Jhana Parits
LUCIIA is back, and this time she’s teaming up with none other than the legendary soulqueen Sabina Ddumba. Today, August 29th, they release the Brandy & Monica-inspired track “HAPPENS,” marking LUCIIA’s first collaboration with another Swedish female artist.
“I’ve been inspired by Sabina for over a decade and have always dreamed of making music with her. Last year, during a session with the London-based producer Maleík Loveridge (Jess Glynne, Stormzy, Dave, among others), it felt like the right time, so I reached out to her. I sent her Toni Braxton’s ‘Long as I Live’ as a reference and asked if she wanted to help create something inspired by that sound.”
‘HAPPENS‘ is a song that captures a conversation between two women. It’s a track that brings this dialogue to life. While it recalls Brandy & Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine,” LUCIIA and Sabina support and uplift each other, sharing their unique challenges as female artists in this industry.
LUCIIA adds, “We wanted to invite the listener into an intimate conversation between two Black, female, independent artists. We intentionally made the song conversational rather than just taking turns with verses. The core of this story is really about stepping back and being okay with life not turning out the way we once imagined. It’s also about sisterhood and having someone to share these experiences with. In the end, we’re not alone. Sabina has always encouraged and supported me throughout my career, so everything about this process felt natural, and I appreciate her both asa person and as an artist. It’s fascinating to think that we come from such different backgrounds in the industry, yet we connect on so many emotional levels.”
“I love LUCIIA, and ‘HAPPENS’ feels like a win-win. The song is the result of a conversation where we talked about life, and I want people to create their own interpretation of the song.The process itself means so much to me—we really connected during the creation, and it came from an authentic place. That’s why it turned out so great,” says Sabina.
LUCIIA has been praised by none other than Timbaland, as well as tastemakers like DJ Aceon BBC 1Xtra, Rebecca Judd on Apple, Ellie Prohan at KISS fm, Per Sinding on SVT, Etti on P3 Radio, Marius (YLTV), Jordss (Rinse FM), and Rellik Da Don (Reprezent Radio).
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