So we've a self-described "daughter" of Jai Paul and Aaliyah's here, at least, for sonic identification purposes, but eclectic Dutch producer and singer-songwriter Gia Koka makes accurate on her assessment with debut single, "FCUKU". There are certainly some elements in her sound the harken back to the former individuals': electronic-laced hip-hop beats, experimental, strongly alluring R&B, and upholding bass and basslines all throughout—and they all sound great, whether raw in spots or not. Gia's a tremendous tone supplementing them all, anyway, and you'll surely be paying as much attention to that as you are the instrumental behind her, so there will be plenty of reasons to get lost in this one. Oh, and did we mention that there's some rapping on the effort as well? It's not by her, but it's an amazing addition to the track, regardless, and it makes it about as all-inclusive as an effort can get (peep all our tags of the track above). It's interesting to note that Gia, too, was once a signed pop artist, working with Grammy-winning producer Martin Terefe to write songs for several others until an ill fate took her younger brother's life at the age of nineteen. Through the tragedy, however, Gia's been able to acquire all kinds of inspiration to reinvent her artistic self—having created and dedicated an album in her brother's name to the tune of international success—and now, gearing up to release a proper debut in the form of an EP, she has us (and we suspect many others) eagerly anticipating what more sonic creativity she has to offer the world. "FCUKU" seems to be the first taste of the body of work, and if it indeed is, Gia's surely in for some breakout potential. We wish her the best on the road she's on, and can't wait to hear more material from her.
Gia Koka