Learning to find strength within herself, Wafia has created an EP that is confident, strong-willed, vulnerable and ultimately honest. ‘Good Things’ is the singer-songwriter’s most pop assertive release yet, and hears her re-defining her sound and sonical vision. But at the heart of it, the moody undertones of classic Wafia are still there, she’s just grown.
Each song transports you into a different moment of the past twelve months for Wafia which has seen her leave a toxic relationship, lose friends, fall in love with herself again and travel a lot playing shows.
Opening with ‘Hurricane’, she begins post break-up as she deals with losing friends and being on the other side of world away from her family. “Cause sometimes all I’m tryna say is I’m lonely. You’re a million miles away and it weighs me down. But everything stops when you call me. I’m a hurricane, could you hold me down?” she sings during the groovy chorus.
With an RNB-pop heart driving it’s production, the strong baseline immediately captivates you along with the organic feeling of the guitars and syncopated drums. ‘I Pick Me’ continues that RNB injected vision with a song that celebrates putting yourself first, always. Leaving that toxic relationship behind, she confesses; “Every day, every night, every single week, I pick me”.
The timely song is so fresh, catchy and empowering and immediately has you reflecting on your own current and past situations. Pondering on those heavy thoughts, the light production has a summery layering that rolls from your ears down to your feet as you start grooving along.
Cohesively getting more pop with each delivery, ’Butterflies’ feels like a ultra nostalgic 2000’s pop song. The chorus feels like a euphoric release of stress as she opens up about dealing with the realities of adulthood during a break-up and living in another country away from her immediate support system.
“All my bills are sitting on the counter. Can’t even afford a quarter pounder” she playfully but honestly admits. And it’s this vivid imagery that keeps you hooked from start to finish.
Transitioning into ‘Flowers & Superpowers’, this is the EP’s most DIY and experimentally charged moment away from the pop realm. Beginning with a swooping indie-pop beat that is layered with birds chirping and nature elements, the song then has a progressive shift with a psychedelic pop twist in the chorus. Inspired by the production quality of Tame Impala, she brings her own psychedelic dreamy twist and will have you feeling like you’re on your very own trip.
Then getting down right funky on the title track ‘Good Things’, Wafia gives you her own Justin Timberlake moment. Sonically it feels like the sequel to ‘I’m Good’, but with more of a risk taken in going deeper into the sound and honing those groovy elements. It has hit written all over it with it’s infectious hook and it’s empowering stance on cutting away the negativity in our lives. “Cause there’s nothing like an enemy to bring that good shit out of me. Boostin’ up that energy, to remind that I got good things goin’” she sings.
With all of this pop experimentation happening on the EP, she perfectly closes it with a tender ballad that is all about losing a friend. It’s raw, vulnerable and highlights her pure vocal strength as she plays up to the minimalism.
‘Good Things’ captures Wafia’s growth as an artist, along with her creative ambition to continually get bolder as an artist with each release. Every song is captivating in their own way and gives you a vivid peak into the past twelve months of her life. From having you dancing to having you heavily reflecting, this EP will thoroughly impress you.