Following the release of her smooth R&B track, ‘You Know’, we caught up with Nora Lani and asked her the top 5 tracks that have influenced her musically. For those who don’t know, Nora’s a singer/songwriter whose atmospheric R&B sounds, honest lyricism and smooth flow create a dreamy aura. Influenced by her experiences and life challenges her music tells stories of growth, love and empowerment. Find out her top 5 tracks below:
Ivy by Frank Ocean
This song is such a masterpiece. He’s one of my favourite artists of all time and I could honestly list so many of his songs. “Ivy” has such a vulnerable and relatable feel to it. Just like in a lot of his other tracks his lyrics don’t follow a linear story. Instead, they mirror thought processes that don’t always follow a straight line from A to B. It’s also hard to really put him into a box as a “Y artist, he really built his own lane and that is super inspiring to me. It inspires me to make music that sits right with me instead of worrying about fitting in.
Still Talking To You by Nujabes ft. Pase Rock
I’m in love with Nujabes’ work. His legacy is incredible and his music always takes me to a whole different world. He is one of the people that literally invented the whole lo-fi sound that really influences my music. Growing up listening to his music I can definitely tell that it has really shaped my taste in music and even my own production that often has lo-fi elements.
Happens by Sampha
Sampha’s voice is so raw and super unique. “Happens” is a story almost everybody can relate to – a story of love but also timing and pain.
I’ve never felt so good by Mura Masa
I just love Mura Masa’s style. How he uses vocals, samples and how he incorporates different styles into his music is super inspiring! I love when artists take older tracks and interpret them into today’s music.
Only U – Ashanti
I’m a huge fan of the 90s and early 2000s RnB and Ashanti’s “Only U” is a track that to this day I can’t sit still when I hear it. I feel super inspired by music that doesn’t sit perfectly in a genre. In this track, the rock elements took the song to a whole other level in my opinion. Beyond that Ashanti is just overall an amazing artist and businesswoman.
