After a monumental year making numerous strides – even while the world was at a standstill – Polaris Music Prize-winning (2019) Toronto artist, Haviah Mighty, kicks 2021 off with “Antisocial”. The track was produced by Haviah and Devontée, and features Denver, CO-based rapper, Old Man Saxon, who Haviah was set to tour with last year. Focused on reflections around self-confidence and deep introspection, the song arrives in a timely manner as society continues to evaluate life from a more independent perspective. You can listen to “Antisocial” and watch the visualizer by BlackPowerBarbie below.
About the track, Haviah explains:
“I remember listening to the beat months ago, feeling really energized by the hard cuts and bouncy percussion. That energy within was bottled up as I sat on my bed, hanging out alone, socially distancing – something I spent a lot of time doing around the time I wrote this song. As I got comfortable and familiar with being alone, I focused on self-help and self-care. As someone who generally only felt comfortable on the go in the messy hustle and bustle that is life, this time of slowing down to better get to know myself was important.
This song focuses on those emotions of self-confidence that we feel inside, the desire to be alone, the desire to sit with one’s thoughts and to validate oneself. Friends don’t validate you. Once you’ve validated yourself, they can reinforce those feelings – but first, you must validate you. I remember watching Rhythm & Flow (Netflix), and seeing this interesting contestant who wore suits and had a quirky, almost poetic flow, and I remember rooting for this guy. On this song, I wanted to feature somebody who could embody an off-the-cuff energy, and someone who is non-conforming and self-driven – Old Man Saxon came to mind. We chatted about what it means to be ”Antisocial” – enjoying one’s own space, especially as a vulnerable creative.”
”Antisocial” follows two tracks Haviah released to close out 2020, including “Atlantic”, a track examining the ugly truths of money, the roots of unequal labour, and its impact on marginalized communities worldwide, and “Occasion”, a song produced by Haviah, Mighty Prynce and Sauce Junky, and initially developed during an Instagram Live session in March just as the pandemic set in. Sauce Junky, who was on the livestream, sent Haviah the stems, which she later flipped into a beat, including guitar arrangements by Ben Foran and percussion crafted by Mighty Prynce.
While international touring remains at a standstill as Haviah eagerly awaits to get back on the stage to perform, she is staying creative in the studio and actively advocating for change in the community.
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