"STRAIGHT OUTTA BRADFORD" - Vanessa Maria releases her R&B single, 'Forest'.

Credit: Rosie Butcher

At the beginning of this month (International Women's Month) the rising, talented R&B artist, Vanessa Maria released her debut single, ‘Forest’. Vanessa moved to Manchester three-years ago from her hometown of Bradford, to start her music career. Since then, her music has been appreciated by many; she recently supported Kate Tempest and played at Manchester’s beloved festival, Dot-2-Dot. Her music has also been supported and played by BBC 1Xtra and BBC Introducing.

‘Forest’ will be one of the reasons why Vanessa will climb the industry tower - and will definitely be recognised by more and more people for her flawless music. It’s a haven for fans of melodic trap, dream-pop, hip-hop and R&B. Produced to an exceptional quality; the single shows off Vanessa’s silky, pop-soul vocals. Her vocals tell many emotions, and express the vulnerabilities that we feel as a generation. Throughout the song, she stays true to herself - letting you into her world. The hazy, laid-back undertones with the dreamy guitar; are a contrast to the deep story the song is telling. It’s humble, with a memorable rhythm - that instantly entrances you.

‘Forest’ is undeniably audacious and powerful. Vanessa addresses the issues the youth have faced with their mental health due to social media, even her own. “Social media has directly had an effect on my own mental health - in particular, how I connect with other beings.”

Credit: Smogg Artist

“When I was writing ‘Forest’, I began with imagining a world without social media, in which one could simply run away to the woods and escape.”

This single highlights the pressures and anxiety that may come with social media, but also comes from a place of overcoming that. It’s liberating to hear and feel, that there is someone that is trying to break away from the toxicity of social sites. Even though social media is good in many different ways - it has been proven to have a direct effect on people. Detaching yourself from it can not only be good for your mental health but also, help to find out things about yourself that you didn't know. Your true self can shine, when you aren't picking up the phone a lot of the time. You can create and connect in different ways with the outside world.

Throughout this single, Vanessa is advocating (for herself and her peers) that self-confidence is key. You can start to feel incredibly small, when you see glimpses of other people’s “perfect” lives. It can make you lack in self-esteem. You start to doubt yourself and who you are. This single addresses that feeling fully, and makes you think about taking a step back from social media. It shows that there are other people out there feeling what you feel. She takes steps to find solutions for social media related anxiety.

An amazing and empowering track from Vanessa Maria. Go and listen to ‘Forest’ now on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Tidal. Make sure to follow her on social media - to see upcoming live dates and news.