#streamcaribbean - "HLN" by Olivyah (March 2024)

I discovered Olivyah through her collaboration with Jahlys on the single "Naughty" in 2020. I was a fan of the singer Olivia in the early 2000’s, so seeing a singer from Guadeloupe with a similar first name intrigued me, but I'm a 20th century woman, I prefer listening to albums to a succession of singles so I didn't particularly follow her career. So I was stuck with the image of a dancehall Olivyah, hence my surprise when I listened to her debut album "HLN".

Musically, the productions respect the codes of "French urban pop". It's a pop R&B universe with Afro on rather dark themes around resourcefulness and love. The three collaborations reflect this diversity. With 1da Banton (Nigeria), Olivyah sings about seduction in "Accélère" [Speed up]. With Marginal (Martinique), she describes the addictive love of the ride or die relationship in “Junkie Love”. With 26keuss (France), "Sans Plastique" [No Plastic] recounts a purely physical intimacy where desire knows no barriers, not even a condom. 

Olivyah's Caribbean identity subtly slides in at the turn of a verse in Creole or a rhythmic sequence. In fact, I find it interesting that the song with the closest Caribbean flavor is the one about bisexuality...

To be honest, porn has influenced sexual norms so much over the last 15 years with certain taboos being lifted, that this song is perhaps not as sultry as it could have been. But it’s still an opportunity to present sensuality in a different way. 

In conclusion, Olivyah is one of those female artists with the potential of a Rihanna, i.e. to conquer the international market without being pigeonholed as an "island girl". Musically, she's ready if she builds her brand and markets herself without caring about what the French industry has to say... The ride-or-die image has its limits because it's always defined by the male gaze, so it remains to be seen how she'll manage to stand out... 

My Karukerament tracks

“Bi” - for the combination of the dancehall vibe with a bold theme. 

“Aime Encore” (Love Again) - a saxophone intro, R&B with a rhythm between Afro and dancehall, gimmicks that are easy to pick up.