Sanya N’Kanta

If you’re following the indie R&B and hip-hop beats, there’s a strong chance you’ve already heard some of what Sanya N’Kanta has been up to in the studio lately. Fusing elements of reggae, alternative R&B and an anti-trap style of rapping together with pop songwriting at its most relaxed and unassumingly cerebral, Sanya N’Kanta isn’t interested in following trends in his music, and his new single and music video “I.C.E. at the Door” demonstrates this beyond debate. “I.C.E. at the Door” is as much a call to arms as it is an introduction to his artistic identity, and for me, it’s one of the hottest tracks out this month. 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sanyankanta/?hl=en 

There’s a strong reggae element to the rhythm here, but I like that it isn’t overstated to the degree of feeling a little recycled (as is the case with a lot of similarly-stylized college radio fodder out at the moment). Truth be told, none of the different tones and influences over this song are particularly indulgent in style - I get the feeling Sanya N’Kanta cares a lot about efficiency when it comes to songwriting, and if this wasn’t true, I don’t think we’d be hearing as meticulous a debut album from him as we have in 2020.

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOCr1JFSy0g&feature=youtu.be

The bassline in this track and its companion video isn’t bloated, yet it shapes the groove far more than the percussion ever could. These drum parts have plenty of volume - don’t get me wrong - but they just can’t compete with the wallop of the bottom-end tonality seeping up through the midsection of the mix. Sanya N’Kanta’s vocal is tying everything together, but without the bass to back them up, the lyrics it offers us probably wouldn’t be as weighty and unforgettably chilling as they are in this instance. 

I-HEART RADIO: https://www.iheart.com/artist/sanya-nkanta-33470039/?autoplay=true 

“I.C.E. at the Door” isn’t the only gem from The Counterfeit Revival, but from where I sit it’s nonetheless one of the best underground gems you’re going to hear from an R&B musician this season. There aren’t many talents like that of Sanya N’Kanta on either side of the dial in 2020, but while he’s exhibiting a genuinely rare skill in the studio, I’m personally more thrilled at the idea of hearing what he can do in concert right now more than I am anything else. If his presence carries over from the studio to the stage, I would expect a smooth transition from the underground to the mainstream a lot sooner than later. 

**********

Trace Whittaker

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

9/2020