NC Grey got on my radar shortly after arriving Dublin in 2013. For a while, it was hard to nail her style of music as it was neither black nor white but safely tucked away in the grey area. Pun intended.
Influenced by Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone, and Sade Adu, NC Grey has gone ahead to take the best of Jazz, Swing, Soul and Motown to create her own sound.
4 years later and she’s all set to release her first EP — Magic at a live event. Tickets here. So I reached out to get the story behind 3 of her songs. Perhaps that’d give more light to demystifying the artist we’ve all come to know and love [or now you do].
Afrodubs: Tell us about “Smoke & Glass” — possibly, your first big song.
NC Grey: Smoke & Glass is a satire which I wrote while on vacation in Nigeria. I was intrigued by the sudden rise of the ‘Runz babe’ a term used to describe millennials who were in actual terms prostitutes but were being praised for their lavish lifestyles. While it’s all smoke and mirrors (glass) on the outside, people know what these girls do and […..]
Afrodubs: What about “Choose Me” — perhaps the feminist in you?
NC Grey: We all crave love and sometimes we are willing to sit on the sidelines till our love interest decides to reciprocate. Or not. ‘Choose Me’ is written from a place of acknowledging your worth and deciding not to sit in an indefinite queue, competing for someone’s love.
Afrodubs: We can’t wait to hear “Magic” but what’s the story?
Magic is about the pure experience of love. It hones in on the micro moments like the electricity that’s felt from a lovers touch or the seconds that seem frozen in time when your gazes meet; the feeling of being complete in that moment.
There you have it — the story behind 3 of NC Grey’s biggest songs. Magic isn’t out yet but from what we hear it’d definitely be big. We’ve got tickets to the EP Live launch and will be sure to circle back with a review in good time.
Till then, grab a ticket — will you? Don’t forget to tell a friend to invite a friend too.
