Things light up for Nyla
SINGER Nyla is experiencing a career revival thanks to Major Lazer’s remix of her song Light It Up.
The remix, featuring British hip hop artiste Fuse ODG, is currently hot on European charts.
Light It Up is number 60 on the United Kingdom pop chart, five in Norway, seven in Belgium, eight in Germany and nine in Finland.
It is from Major Lazer’s current album Peace is The Mission. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer Nyla revealed how she got involved with the project.
“My publisher at Sony knew their manager and asked me if I wanted to write to their tracks and I ran with it. Being a fan of theirs, I knew the potential of the opportunity and I was really excited at the prospect of being on a Major Lazer album,” she said, adding that the song is not about ganja.
“It so funny because a lot of people think the song is about weed, but that’s not the case, even though I can understand why they would have that kind of misconception.”
Nyla wrote the song as a ‘boy-girl’ affair with Phillip ‘Tbaby’ Fender. When Major Lazer came into play, they suggested a more edgy direction.
“We decided to make it more redemptive, I guess you could say, in a revolutionary way. We wanted it to feel both empowering but fun at the same time. I think subconsciously I was writing the song for my empowerment as well,” she said.
International recognition is not new to Nyla. She is part of the duo Brick and Lace, and once signed to neo-soul singer Akon’s Kon Live label which had distribution through Geffen Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music.
Nyla competed in the Tastee Talent Contest in the 1990s. She later formed Brick and Lace with sisters Nyanda and Tasha.
Tasha left the group but Brick and Lace went on to score hits as a duo with Done It To Me, Never Never, Love Is Wicked and Take Me Back. They opened for Gwen Stefani on her Sweet Escape Tour in 2007.
Prior to working with Major Lazer, Nyla released singles including Stand Up and Body Calling. She also collaborated with Kenyan dancehall artiste Redsan on the track, Touch Me There.
