“AREA 97”: AQUARIUZ FOUND!!

Music, is the food of the greatest form of the human senses. And when its gets fed something as delectable as the recently dropped “AREA 97” by Detroit based artist, AQUARIUZ, you must pay homage to the chef herself. Its been a long 5 year hiatus between projects. With her debut EP the heavily streamed, self titled “Aquariuz” dropping back in 2019, AQUARIUZ made a name for herself and gained a solid dedicated following for her brand of insightful, smooth and eclectic music. She kept music and name floating for a growing fanbase, with a few timely released singles like “Tried to Call” in 2020, and at long last AQUARIUZ, has returned in the form of the EP “AREA 97”. According to AQUARIUZ, “The title of the EP is called Area 97 which incorporates my birth year and is a play off of Area 51 and just like the overall concept feeling alienated.”, Which was inspiring to the songwriter in her often conceptualized creations. And it was worth the wait and its weight, in heavy doses of new soul and even some EDM to quench the thirst for some new music from the singer and songwriter out of Detroit. The 8 song project finds AQUARIUZ, the creative force behind not just the music, but the visual content as well, and answers the obvious question of, Where has she been and why we had to wait so long for more music is simple. She was cooking. The Chef was far from out of the kitchen.

Picking up where she left off enforce, and out the gate starting with “Love Aside” produced by KXDE. An up tempo rider that uses AQUARIUZ’s vocal as a smooth layer that lifts the banger to a steady and smooth ride.. Next up “ICU Enterlude” Produced by DOBBSDOOD, with a lullaby-esque layered arrangement, and a rhythmic thick stutter beat groove. Kind of puts the song the vein of Aaliyah’s “One in a Million”. Add in AQUARIUZ, who echoes both Brandy and Aaliyah in the same song in approach. And, is at home and in the pocket vocally, both bouncing on, and swaying within the grooves of the Lushy Smooth and winding song..Picking the pace back up, The aptly titled “Headfirst” courtesy of Producer Tunga, offers a steady punch and groove, almost techno influenced beat, for AQUARIUZ to layer with a bed of searing vocals, arranged so her mid range delivery on this cut, can dance on the rhythm. She is in her vocal bag hitting Brandy like curves on this joint… Next up, “Sertraline” with an assist in the seasoning from Producer Quentin “Que Soul” Sparks, who has also worked with R&B vocalist Summer Walker among other artists. On the atmospherically and beautifully arranged bop, AQUARIUZ offers a glazed, serenading breathy vocal that soothley wraps around the ear. A Lulling and alluring creation, is one of my favorites with its cleverly bedded Deep 808 bass synth, and melodic horns, charming the listener into a dreamstate euphoria with its sound… AQUARIUZ is an Ultra Creative who often visualizes and conceptualizes on her projects in every possible aspect in order to assure that her point and ideas were understood. Like the concept for the song called “Sertraline” – which is a prescribed medication for depression. According to AQUARIUZ, the Song is about vices and co dependency which people unfortunately fall into when abusing drugs or pills, but can also be a form of being in love and being co dependent in Love. And using them when you want something from it just like a Vice, which led me to Sertraline (as a title). “Think 2 Feel” another collab with Producer Quentin “Que Soul’ Sparks, is also a collab with fellow Detroit artist Curtis Roach, who had a viral hit in the Timely Pandemic joint , “Bored in the House”. On this mellow and bumping groove, AQUARIUZ weaves thru and laces her vocals around the Thumping Beat Heavy production, while Roach delivery in his verse, puts him in the atmospheres of Big Sean and Lil’ Wayne with a steady and stacatto rapid wordplay that fires right thru…

This next one got uhh stuck on multiple repeats, intentionally . “LifeLine”, from Producer Hey Caleb, is definitely an Aaliyah inspired creation. Which does not disappoint, and in fact hits its mark out the gate and never lets go. An aggressive and steady thick punch beat, keeps thing a float with a bounce that is as addictive as it is driving. And AQUARIUZ grabs hold and rides every turn with ease and confidence. Almost replying in tandem to the swing of the patterns and melodies of the Beat Heavy that offers an ode to the Isley Brothers with its Summer Breeze inspired bells in the vamp of the song. Yeah I dug this one on first listen!!.. Followed by the Zech Ezra produced “Mr. Fickle”, which in my opinion is one of the more interesting and intricate lyrically written songs on the 8 song EP. Singing ..“You used to be my Dawg, Hound me like a pedigree. Stimulate me heavily, Amphetamine. Now you petty, steady keep..” She not only layers her vocals in an all engulfing wrap, but her lyrics are metaphorically and thematically descriptive in their imagery, as they are in her delivery. And as if your palette wasn’t thoroughly nourished. She closes out “Area 97” with the Elevating Mac Kay produced “Down 2 Mars” featuring Junii, another of my favorites that is both comfortably in a pocket, with a thick percolating beat and guitar strum that allows AQUARIUZ to Fly along in a bounce rhythm on the verses, and a Lithe and searing Chorus, ” I can feel your energy from 2 planets away…Are we in Retrograde.. Head in the Stars, Come Back Down 2 Mars..” Fellow artist Junii jumps in and drops the perfect companion rap verse that rides right along to the effervescent and soulfully induced song.

The EP “AREA 97” as a whole is a trip thru the mind of AQUARIUZ. But it was not just something she threw together. “These were beats that I collected over time so once I came up with the concept for Area 97, I just looked through my inventory to find sounds that were alternative R&B vibes with little sprinkles of lo-fi and sci-fi influence to go with the overall theme. I wanted it to feel very nostalgic and spacey. Even though almost every song is by a different producer, it came out to be really cohesive and get that point across.” explains the vocalist who took her time to make sure she got what she wanted. Although each song strongly stands well on its own, the project as a whole, is its own statement and delivers on her intended concept. The thing about an artist like AQUARIUZ, you don’t just get music from a dope vocalist and songwriter. You get an experience of her her talents combined, which she offers in abundance on this beautiful and addictive project. Terry Martin for RnBInTheD.com

Linktre.e – https://linktr.ee/aquarivz

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