London-based emerging artist Jewelia shines bright with the release of her bittersweet new single “Second Best,” out now. Influenced by the likes of nineties pop star Natalie Imbruglia, there is definitely a nostalgic edge to Jewelia’s music, however it is brought into the 21st century with Jewelia’s butter-soft vocals and relatable lyricism at the forefront.
Talking about the single, Jewelia explains, “From a young age, we watch stories of success against all odds and are besotted with the chosen one, while getting accustomed to look down on the average people and their struggles—the irony being, of course, that we are them.
We are told that we can achieve anything, if only we try hard enough. As inspiring as this sounds, it also implies that we only have ourselves to blame (regardless of systemic disadvantages, biological limits, financial difficulty etc.) for having an average life, in a world where mediocrity is viewed as being worse than utter failure. Something is messed up here, and I thought it was worth exploring.”
“Second Best” is taken from Jewelia’s upcoming album Strong in My Own Way, due in stores in Spring of next year.
