Nigerian-born, UK-based singer Nino Mayanna follows on from the success of her hit sing “Aje” with a brand new seductive release, “Waiting”, a strong Afrobeats and R&B fusion that draws on the anguish, frustration and heartache felt when facing deep emotions for a person that is not ready to reciprocate those feelings.
As a young woman, Nino Mayanna’s personal life story serves to inspire those facing hardship and those with a sense of not belonging. Raised on the streets of Lagos with humble beginnings and suddenly being thrust into the limelight at an early age, she felt uncomfortable with her identity and had to find a path of life that she felt was her calling. As she began to find herself and work towards achieving her dreams, her life took an even worse turn when a major house fire left her heavily scarred both physically and mentally.
The African Princess faced an even bigger battle to regain her inner strength and fight on. Taking solace in her music, she poured her feelings and sense of determination into the lyrics of her songs. Every life experience Nino encountered became a lesson and a building block towards self-belief and raw determination to succeed. Writing music became her sanctuary and her source of healing, ultimately shaping her into a genre-blending, boundary-pushing artist and a pioneer in incorporating the talking drum into contemporary R&B.
Now a celebrated multitalented performer and a First Class Master’s degree graduate in Performing Arts Research, Nino continues to grow her artistry, collaborating with respected creatives across the industry. Her commitment to authenticity and originality sits at the heart of her latest single.
Speaking on the inspiration behind “Waiting” which has a strong Afrobeats sound, Nino explains: “‘Waiting’ was written at a time when I was really learning about what it was to be in love. Relationships can be tricky to negotiate, especially as a young woman who has a defined path in life. I was unsure whether the feelings I had were mutual and how to negotiate such a confusing feeling. It’s not always straight forward in the early stages of a relationship as emotions can come slower from one side than the other. They say that patience is a virtue, well I guess I am just not a patient person!”
The single is a screenshot of a time in Nino’s life when she used music to help her through tough situations. Having learned to use her creativity as a crouch of support and an outlet for her thoughts. Nino recalls how she felt at the time: “Neither of us had much experience of relationships and were still finding our way around when it comes to how to show feelings. The nervous feeling you feel when you realise there is more to this than just friendship and you have no idea where it will lead. With the nerves come anxiety and I guess frustration. I tried to describe those feelings when I wrote this song, I’m sure it will resonate in some way, after all we all go through this at some point in our lives”
A real sense of anticipation and deliberate positivity shines through “Waiting”, shaping its romantic mood while holding a passionate vibe. It’s a soundtrack for anyone looking for confirmation and reciprocation of love – a revealing insight into the reality of a young relationship. “Waiting” is available to buy/stream now on all platforms.
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