EP Review/ R&B : Shanay Morant’s ‘The Elements of NaySoul Vol.1’

Shanay Morant is a singer-songwriter and R&B/ neo-soul artist who projects her emotional experiences into pieces of music that you can absorb into yourself. She flows across the soul spectrum, drawing from hip-hop beats, soul, blues, dreamy melodies, and everything in between. All of it molded to create a lofi atmosphere of song and feeling, her songs can be quite wonderful to expand into. Her latest release is ‘The Elements of NaySoul Vol.1’ EP, a collection that has an autobiographical feel to it. Like she’s composed it with moments of her own life, strung it into a system of faith, power, and peace. 

The collection is introduced by ‘These Waters’, a track that is plush and airy with tinsel melodies and smooth vocals. That aqua swirl is pretty prominent, but the track also explores the theme in the context of new love, its excitements, fears, and how pushing through might yield a dreamy romance. ‘These Waters Interlude’ builds on this energy and expands it into a prolonging thematic expression. 

‘Not Again’ is the third track of the EP, featuring Luke Waldron. The track is instantly colorful and whimsical with sprinkling melodies, emphatic hip-hop beats, skating grooves, and vocals that are soulful. They are forged out of emotion, and it gets to be quite affecting. ‘Fall For You’ featuring DNA Picasso is more poppy with lyrics that will get your attention so fast. They are catchy, fun, and the hooks are easy to flow with and make your own. The soul pop is bolstered with dance beats in ways that are so pleasingly asymmetric. Vocals are flighty, drifting and wandering. 

‘What Now’ concludes the EP. In a very circular way, it seems to be a collation of all the preceding tracks, building into a whole new dimension of soul music. We see a blend of SZA, Doja Cat. The contemporary verse flow is so refreshing as they streak through the artists' lilting vocal expression. And it seems to be the perfect note to end the EP on. Listen Now! 

The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to ‘The Elements of NaySoul Vol.1’ by Shanay Morant here -