ARTIST: Bahja Rodriguez
ALBUM: It Gets Better
RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2015
In November 2015 Bahja Rodriguez released her debut EP entitled, “It Gets Better” as a solo artist. The title of the EP was chosen as a key reminder to inspire young women to keep pushing, no matter the obstacle. With six of the seven songs being written by the blooming artist, the entire project showcases her state of mind throughout the time of the project. During the early stage after its release, “It Gets Better” made its way to the Top 10 of iTunes’ R&B/Soul Chart.
One of the best songs on the album is a love song ballad that is completely transformed by Bahja. Bahja approached the song ‘Place’ from an empowering position, taking the relatable, catchy song to another level. Throughout the song she is telling the guy- “If you won’t treat me with the respect and love I deserve, I will do me and find someone else.”
Throughout the album Bahja plays with EDM and different bass levels. In songs like ‘Crashing’ and ‘Chill, Turn Up, Party!’ the artist explores the many possibilities within her genre of music. Seemingly creepy and eerie, she reveals to listeners the troubles of her music career through ‘Crashing.’ In the song she uses her writing skills to incorporate rapping and singing to display her strong vocals. ‘Chill, Turn Up, Party!’ is one of the few upbeat songs on the EP.
The only feature song on the album includes sexy vocals from long time friend of Bahja, Jacob Latimore. On ‘Ride or Die’ the two seamlessly rock listeners. The beat of the song resembles a modern mix between R&B and Hip-hop. Leaving only one feature on the project helped to bring more attention to Bahja as an artist. Ultimately, her latest project has established Bahja Rodriguez as a solo artist who is here to stay.
The project was originally intended to debut in August, but she kept it longer to work on it a bit more. Delaying the EP definitely paid off in the end. Though some songs like ‘Don’t Need Your Money’ and ‘Chill, Turn Up, Party!’ are a bit amateurish in the writing, this EP receives 8 stars out of 10 stars. You can buy “It Gets Better” on iTunes.