Hypasounds released Come Nuh last week and it has already registered over 10,000 views on YouTube. That number does not include hits for Spotify, Apple Music, Tik Tok and the other streaming platforms where it can be found.
The single, which the singer promises is one of more to come, was written by himself and Romell Marquis aka Cold Chizzle. It was produced by G6 Productions, mixed and mastered by Andrew Denny and recorded at Boommuzik Studios.
The singer, whose real name is Damian Etienne, sat down with Bajan Vibes in an exclusive interview to talk about the new tune.
“Cold Chizzle wrote Fair Sa and Squat Gal with me. G6 is from St Lucia and he also worked with me on Fair Sa. I had brought him in to do some work with me in January. From the time I heard the rhythm, it was something that caught the ears. It was Dennery, but it was still sweet. It was a change in the style at the moment in St Lucia because everyone knows Dennery to be more aggressive but we gave it a sweet twist,” said Hypasounds who is of St Lucian heritage.
The track, which was released on May 20, was not affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic since it was already recorded and put down to be released for Crop Over 2020.
“Everything started in January. I came back from St Croix because I was over there for a month. I spent the Old Year’s and stuff over there. I came back and went straight into the studio and started to work. I sent it to Cold Chizzle and when he heard it he was like: ‘Yea I got a style for this’. The lyrics were actually something he wrote six or eight years ago. It just fit that beat that I sent him. I tweaked it and gave it the chorus. I also gave it the Come Nuh hook line and made it into me…”
The Bajan sensation, who is a huge hit with a large overseas fan base, admitted that while he “loves” the song he was still unsure about how fans would receive it.
“Every year, I still get this feeling like a nervous feeling whenever I got to release a track. But I fell in love with this song from the first time. I first fell in love with the beat and then we got the lyrics together, I fell in love with it all over again. It is something I would play while I am washing and while I am doing my chores around the house. I know that I loved it, but I didn’t know if it would have been accepted from the fans.”
He continued: “My first release is always something that I pay very much attention to. It sets the pace. But I loved it and I couldn’t stop singing it. My daughter couldn’t stop singing it. When I realised that people couldn’t stop singing it after hearing a teaser from it, I was like well, I know that this could be it. But when I released it, words couldn’t explain the response.
Hypasounds said he remains pleasantly surprised since the response is beyond what he envisioned.
“There is something about the song that topped and exceeded my expectations as a first release. I get a different set of people that start reaching out and commenting. It was more than just the usual fan base that reached out. There was a big thing in St Lucia where it was a topic of discussion, basically saying this could be the new sound of Dennery.
“So the response to it was crazy. I checked all the streaming platforms and I could see the dashboards to see the stats on it and it is doing very well. It is still a week whole, so there is a lot of work to be done on the song still.”
The entertainer said he intends to release all the songs he recorded throughout the year and another one is coming this month. There could be six tunes in all. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, live shows have been cancelled. However, Hypasounds admits that he is embracing the new way of pushing music.
“Being a world traveller and a frequent flyer it may sound strange for people hearing me say that I kinda like this method. It gives the fans more time to take in the music. Of course, I miss going out there and performing it. But on the other hand, it allows fans to learn the music, and it introduces them to a streaming platform.
He explained: “I got verification for Instagram; for the Apple Music I got artiste’s profiles. I spent a lot of time creating and signing up for these things so when I get the music I can see where the music is going. So after COVID, I know the markets that need some nursing with the music. I started to think of different ways of marketing. I just went full force. I think I went harder. I learned some new things in editing, photoshop. I can create a lot of promo.”
The deejay-turned-singer confessed that he was saddened when the cancellation of Crop Over was announced. This would have been the second staging of his show Soca For Her.
“It was a sad moment. I had a game plan for Crop Over and for Soca For Her. It had me depressed a little bit. I think that I was reaching a stage where the fans wanted to see me. We had spent a lot of time promoting and telling people why they should come home for Crop Over.
“We were trying to get people home so they could come to Soca For Her. I know the kind of things that happen during Crop Over. You don’t only get to make money but you showcase to the world. That is when you get plenty of interviews, people that come in get to see the artiste and put a face to the music. It is a branding and marketing process.”
But the announcement was not enough to keep him down. He knew he had a duty to his fans to deliver music, especially during a trying time such as this.
“The brand Hypasounds is more than Crop Over. I still have fans all over the world who I have been connecting with. We ask fans all through the year to vote for us, to share this, to do all kinds of things. Not every fan might know how to get through this so it is important now to give them what they ask for, music. Your music could change a lot so you give the fans the music.
“I will release the music because it has to go beyond. We have people listening now, [and now] is the perfect time to drop music. The thing is to maintain and be consistent during a hard time. Entertainers should bring the music.”
Hypasounds was proud to report that he successfully took the limes from this COVID-19 period and made a tall pitcher of ice cold lemonade.
“There are a lot of things I have achieved that I would not have had the time to enjoy. I am getting time to reconnect with family and friends. There is a lot more relaxation time. I get to be a handyman. I’ve been doing some handy work. I am cooking a lot more.
“Sometimes, I sit on the patio, take in the breeze and relax. I am not thinking about how I am going to perform later, what I am going to wear, what time I will leave home. I have even been paying more attention to budgeting. On the road, I was living the fast life – leave a show, get on a plane; everything was a fast pace with little time to pause,” the entertainer said. (IMC)
