Wafia's VIII EP Out Today On Future Classic
By: Caryn Robbins Jan. 19, 2018
VIII, the new EP from rising vocalist and songwriter Wafia, is out today on Future Classic. The EP is the Netherlands-born, Australia-based, Syrian-Iraqi artist's sophomore release and features singles "Bodies," "Only Love" and "83 Days." Named for the atomic number of oxygen, the new music explores themes of transparency, necessity, simplicity, and intangibility through the lens of Wafia's lived experience as a young, queer, Muslim in today's world. Listen to VIII here and stream/download here.
"Writing this EP, I got really obsessed with the realization that nothing I ever make will be tangible," says Wafia. "Even my voice, the only instrument I use, is intangible but so are any feelings and emotions that I write about. VIII is an exploration of that, as well as necessity and transparency."
The EP's singles have been streamed more than 15 million times to date, been played over 250 times on Australia's tastemaking triple j radio, and been performed at sold out shows in Sydney, and Melbourne, at New York's Baby's Alright and LA's Echoplex, and on a European tour with BØRNS. Next week, Wafia kicks off her first headline tour of North America in Vancouver on January 22, with further stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and more.
Recorded in Los Angeles and Australia, VIII features collaborations with Ben Abraham (Kesha), HazeBanga (Beyoncé, M.I.A., Syd) and Rogét Chahayed (Halsey, D.R.A.M.), Future Classic labelmate Ta-ku and more. Watch the video for "Bodies" here.
Wafia has partnered with with social action platform Global Citizen to raise awareness of an issue close to her heart-the conflict in Syria and treatment of its refugees. Fans who join the Global Citizen movement to end extreme poverty go into the running to win free tickets to a show. Visitglobalcitizen.org/en/collections/wafia/ for more information.
Wafia is 24-year-old Wafia Al-Rikabi. She rose to prominence after posting a Thrupence-produced cover of Mario's "Let Me Love You" online. The release of Wafia's debut EP XXIX, which featured the viral hit "Heartburn," followed in 2015.
WAFIA LIVE
January 22 Vancouver, BC The Cobalt
January 24 Seattle, WA Barboza
January 26 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
January 27 Los Angeles, CA Masonic Lodge
January 29 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
January 30 Toronto, ON Drake Hotel
February 1 Brooklyn NY Rough Trade
February 2 Boston, MA Great Scott
February 3 Washington, DC Songbyrd
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