Nia Ray is on cloud nine, and we’re on cloud nine too. Her new single, ‘Hearts in the Clouds’, is a sweet and uplifting song about watching clouds that look like hearts, drifting overhead. It was then that one of those moments became a song about a beautiful idea, love is everywhere, if you slow down enough you will see it.
The song tells the story of young love, and its inevitable ups and downs, and is based on Nia’s own experiences, and of how we see our man through rose coloured glasses. It’s all feeling very nostalgic, very butterfingal and very full with remembrance of the first crushes.
Musically, it’s Nia taking herself to a brand new territory. I would say it’s bubble pop inspired, but it is! Although the work was done in a completely new style, the final product is effortless and has a lot of character.
Heartsears in the Clouds’ message is what makes it so special. In times of confusion, Nia is a reminder to see beauty and to love the world. A fun, heartfelt release where Nia Ray can do it all and with a bit of whimsy.
Listen to Hearts in the clouds
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Hearts in the Clouds is such a vivid and imaginative title. What inspired the name, and what does it mean to you personally?
Of course it stemmed from the lyrics, which came from a real life moment. But I’m a pretty observant person and I feel like hearts are one of the most universally common symbols you can find in your day to day, especially in nature. Rocks, leaves, patterns in buildings, there are hearts everywhere when you just pay attention, and of course hearts symbolize love so in turn it means there is love everywhere… sometimes you’re just not looking.
Every song starts somewhere. Can you take us back to the very beginning and walk us through how Hearts in the Clouds first came to life?
I spend a lot of time outside, smoking, pondering and just enjoying natures beauty. I love watching the clouds move through the sky. There’s always shapes and faces and if you watch long enough you can even find little stories in them. So one day I was sitting outside as I do, smoking and thinking about my life while admiring the beauty of nature around me and I saw some liter heart shaped clouds.
The title suggests a feeling of being lost in emotion or caught between reality and dreams. What kind of mood or atmosphere were you hoping listeners would feel when they hear this song?
I like to think of this song as the peak of a trip. If you’ve ever experimented with ‘magic mushrooms’ you’d know it’s fun, giggly, happy. Everything becomes brighter and more colorful.. but at the peak it can start getting scary. What was fun and bright can start to become overwhelming. I want it to bring a feeling of nostalgia to the first time you were young & dumb in love. That feeling when you had your first crush, before you realized ‘butterflies in your stomach’ was actually just anxiety, and not a sign of true love. I want it to feel like escapism, finding enjoyment even in the most confusing moments.
Lyrically, where did you draw your inspiration from? Is Hearts in the Clouds rooted in a personal experience or something bigger than that?
It’s definitely rooted in a mixture of personal experiences. A lot of inspiration comes from my previous dating experiences that seemed to all have similar themes. While in the relationship I would have on rose-colored glasses, seeing people for potential and allowing people to forge a world around me that didn’t match reality. In hindsight, those people were never as great as I made them up to be in my head, I was young & naive. And I know I’m not alone in these experiences.
How would you describe the sound of this single to someone hearing your music for the very first time?
This is actually my first time diving into this sound in general so I think I would explain it as bubble-pop meets powerpuff girls theme song. Of course the first artist that comes to mind is PinkPantheress, although it wasn’t intentional, I believe I actually found the beat while looking for more Black eyed peas-esque instrumentals to write to.
Were there any artists, sounds, or life moments that quietly influenced the direction of this release?
I think this entire song release has been made up of chunks of my life. I am already ‘Y2K’ to the max, and growing up in the 2000s every toy, show, game, sound, I took in in those years has influenced how I approached releasing this song. It reminds me of jumping around in my room as a little girl, so I’ve just gone back and am working off of what I knew and loved at that time.
Every creative process has its challenges. Was there a moment during the making of Hearts in the Clouds where something surprised you or pushed you in a new direction?
In terms of the actual recording and mixing portion I think I ran into some complications, since I technically have never made music in this style or genre before I found myself overthinking how to approach things like stacks/backing vocals.
How does Hearts in the Clouds compare to your previous work, and what does it say about where you are as an artist right now?
I don’t know that it can compare to my previous work, I think each song is a separate piece of art but they all work together. I hope this song shows the musical range and that I’m not just an r&b ballad singer.
When a listener finishes hearing Hearts in the Clouds, what is the one thing you hope stays with them long after the song ends?
I hope it adds a little more whimsy to their life and they start looking for hearts in their surroundings just like I do because there really is love all around us all the time
What comes next for Nia Ray? Are there more releases, performances, or projects your fans should be excited about?
Yesss this is actually the 2nd single off of my project, projected to release in October, so we have a couple more singles to drop before summer is over that I’m excited for and I think they will enjoy as well!
