Introducing 22-year old West London singer and songwriter EMIKO, with his brand new single titled ‘Is It Real’. Highly recommended if you like Daniel Ceasar, Ray BLK, and DVSN, and with a velvety smooth, beautiful and piercing voice, an infectious artistic personality, and undeniable storytelling and songwriting skills, Emiko is the fast-rising new UK R&B power voice you will fall in love with this year.

Produced by South London musician Hilts and his frequent Turtle Basement collaborator Monks, and taken from Emiko’s forthcoming debut EP to be released in the autumn, ‘Is It Real’ is a smooth Jazz-esque R&B opus, backed by lush piano arrangements and exquisite horns, over which Emiko’s glorious vocal dexterity comes to the forefront, as he sings about finding freedom in love. In his own words, “it is about wanting to feel love, provide love and portray a real image of love”.

Speaking about how ‘Is It Real’ came about and its inspiration, Emiko says the record “came about very spontaneously. My friend Hilts had sent me the instrumental and once I heard it, something really touched me. I knew I wanted to sing about love, but I let my subconscious decide what kind, by just putting pen to paper, and writing what I felt. I’m singing to a girl, who is kind of hesitant to leave a toxic relationship behind, where love is non-existent, and I’m asking her to trust in me to show her what true love feels like - freedom”.

Heavily influenced by great artists such as Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, and Erykah Badu, Emiko possesses a glorious voice that is nurtured in his distinct blend of R&B and Soul music, as well as an infectious energy and character that shine through in his songs. The Notting Hill native expresses his musical hopes and ambitions in one simple statement, “bringing people together, from far and wide, to experience something so special that words alone can never truly encapsulate the feeling”.