The first time I ever came across Frya was a couple of years ago on the Kure remix. The singer was alongside some big local names and she only had the briefest of moments to make her mark but that was enough for me. It was a 15 second performance that instantly made me a fan.
Since then, Frya has featured on the Netflix Blood & Water soundtrack, released her debut album and amassed over 100k shazams in the process. Most recently she was featured on Sauti Sol member Fancy Fingers' latest album, "Love Language". Everything points to Frya being well on her way to becoming another female music superstar.
Never having had any musical training, Frya approaches music guided by intuition. A key ingredient to how she's constantly willing to explore different sounds. Something central to her latest body of work "Lifetimes EP". Emotionally charged and expressive, Frya's recent project gives us another gaping window into herself.
Where "Balance", Frya's debut album, carried a message of self acceptance, "Lifetimes EP" feels more like an album of carthasis. It is 5 tracks of Frya releasing long held emotions into the world in the hope of healing.
Mhanya kicks things off and it's a love song that talks centred around running together. It's not in the sense of running away together but more taking on the rat race of life with an undying loyalty. The vocal dance track has an ethereal feel to it that builds up to a crescendo with a heavy bass drop.
Leader goes back to what we've come to expect from Frya, smooth Contemporary RnB. Still on the subject on the love, Leader is a song of desire. The instrumental has a gentle but lively rhythm that is perfectly complimented by Frya's vocals.
I Waited is a marriage of African rhythms and Electronic Dance Music. Frya weaves together a story of heartbreak in both Shona and English. She sings about waiting for a lover for eons, but she's now finally reached her breaking point. Lifetimes EP has the trademark of each track being different from the next. The tempo is raised, then calmed and then elevated again, with the guiding melody of Frya's vocals.
Characterised by the strum of piano keys and powerful vocals, Nyaradza is a song that feels extremely spiritual. It makes reference to God being able to silence all pain. Frya speaks about people she's lost and how her pain doesn't go unnoticed but heaven is going to war for her.
River gives Lifetimes EP a befitting summation. It is an expression of emotional battles that leave behind a body of tears so deep you could drown in it. If Lifetimes EP is taken to the story of Frya's life, then it tells a story of fierce loyalty, a never ending love and loss. Yet the desire to carry on despite everything remains palpable.
Frya gives a beautiful vocal performance in everything, and that's what binds together the different genres presented on Lifetimes as a project. It is the story of relatable lived experiences, with a strong expression on how those moments felt. Undoubtedly cohesive in subject matter, it is bold but actually feels a little too short.
Greedysouth rating: 6.8/10
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