VELLA Dives Into Her R&B and Soul Sound in Self-Titled Debut Album

As long-time fans of singer-songwriter VELLA, he had some very big expectations of the artist's debut album, and the hard-hitting collection of songs does not disappoint.

The self-titled VELLA dropped last month, showcasing the artist's soulful and timeless vocals and her emotional approach to songwriting across 12 stunning tracks. Created over the course of two years, these songs blend soul and R&B sounds with VELLA's unique musical sensibilities to create retro vibes while still feeling fresh and exciting. It's everything we could have wanted, and more, and we had the pleasure of catching up with VELLA to learn all about the album, its process and how she feels now that it's finally out in the world. Read it all below!

Sweety High: What made you decide to self-title your debut album?

VELLA: The reason I wanted this album to be self-titled is to let people know, "Hey! It's me, VELLA, and this is my first album!" I wanted to emphasize that.

(VELLA via L3V3L)

 

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SH: What do you feel are the overarching themes of the album? What kind of feel do you hope fans take away from it?

VELLA: Some themes on this album are breakups, but like you're in your acceptance/comeback stage, but mostly, this album talks a lot about empowerment. A lot of these songs talk about that. I want my fans to feel that they can relate and feel good when they listen to them.

 

SH: How would you describe the album's sound? Production-wise, how did you go about bringing these tracks to life?

VELLA: If I were to describe the album's sound, it would definitely be R&B and soul! We had to take our time with it production-wise since we wanted to change my style a bit, which was super interesting. When bringing these tracks to life, I wanted to put my raw emotions and the feelings that are in these songs!

(Image courtesy of VELLA)

 

SH: How do you feel that these songs represent where you are in life right now?

VELLA: Honestly, it feels empowering. At the time of recording this album, I was in a dark place. Dealing with depression and heartbreak at the time took a toll on me, so that's when I decided to put all these feelings and emotions down and make songs about my situations—feeling empowered and showing off that you are that b**** and you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Honestly, it felt like a weight off my shoulder once I was able to sing and write all my feelings down. I'm in such a good place right now and I couldn't be happier.

 

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SH: What's your favorite song on the album? Why?

VELLA: "Pushin"! I wrote this song about this person that I clearly didn't like and they just kept going on and on about pushing their feelings on me, declaring their love, which personally, I was really uncomfortable with, because I didn't like this person. When writing this song, I wanted to share that it's okay, and it's so important, to put your foot down and create boundaries. That's what I love about this song. No means no!

 

SH: Was there anything that surprised you about the process of recording and producing your debut album?

VELLA: Definitely the direction that we decided to do with the album, which was changing my style a bit. At first it was challenging, but as we started working on this album, I got more and more comfortable with these songs and I absolutely love how they turned out! Hard work pays off!

(Image courtesy of VELLA)

 

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SH: How are you feeling about releasing this debut album to the world?

VELLA: It feels weird but amazing! In these songs I talk about a lot of personal stuff that has happened in the past year, and now people know about it! At the same time, it feels amazing because I know that my fans can relate to these songs. wwI can help them understand that they aren't alone and are not the only ones dealing with relationship struggles, putting their feet down and moving on for the better!

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

VELLA: Yes! I will be performing at The Viper Room on Feb. 23 and I also have a show at Hotel Ziggy on Feb. 27 with We Found New Music. Hope to see you guys there!

(Image courtesy of VELLA)

 

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