Dominique Fils-Aimé Shares Defiant 'Mind Made Up'

Today, JUNO Award winner Dominique Fils-Aimé shared "Mind Made Up," the final single off her album Three Little Words, out this Friday via Ensoul Records. Premiered via Under the Radar, Fils-Aimé explains the punchy, brass-fueled track: "It's a bold and introspective metaphor about mental health and the all-important moment where we decide to put in the work towards feeling better about ourselves." It's the last sneak peek of the final chapter in Fils-Aimé's trilogy of albums exploring the roots of African American musical culture - from blues confronting historical silences & sorrows on Nameless to jazz exploring the civil rights movement of the 1960s on Stay Tuned!, Three Little Words embraces the emotional lushness of soul music to inspire societal change. She'll also be hosting an album release show live on Bandcamp this Saturday, February 13 at 3pm ET - tickets here.

"As we try to rid our lives of toxic relationships, striving to evict intrusive thoughts that occupy our minds is one of the biggest challenges," she says. "'Mind Made Up' is an encouragement to accept that challenge in all its forms and manifestations. The dream of getting better comes with a leap of faith where we have to accept our vulnerabilities in order to get to the source of the problem. When we allow ourselves to fall into our emotions and accept that we have a problem, we can truly begin the arduous yet necessary task of bettering oneself."

Three Little Words is Fils-Aimé's most musically diverse and eclectic album to date, largely thanks to acclaimed record producer, musical arranger and mixer Jacques Roy. On the album, Roy connects Fils-Aimé's voice with the multitude of other sounds, from the heartwarming doo-wop harmonies of "While We Wait" to the spellbinding groove of African percussion, horns, synthesizer and expansive bass lines prevalent in first single "Love Take Over."

It is soul music in the truest sense of the term: music that comes from the depths of Fils-Aimé's soul and is meant to challenge and enrich the souls of her listeners. Three Little Words is at once both an acknowledgement and an appreciation of the different musical genres that live within her head and flavor her own soul. The album uses this musical backdrop as Fils-Aimé earnestly addresses the importance of love, empathy and mental health in the long march towards social justice.

Based in Montréal, Fils-Aimé draws inspiration from soul icons of the 1940s and 1960s such as Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Nina Simone. Her first album Nameless was released in 2018 to critical acclaim and received placements on shows like Hulu's Woke and Netflix' Tiny Pretty Things. Her sophomore record Stay Tuned! won the 2020 JUNO Award for "Vocal Jazz Album of the Year," as well as the Félix Award for "Best Jazz Album" at the ADISQ Gala, was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, and featured among the 19 best Canadian albums of 2019 according to CBC.

Listen here:

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