I'm super excited about the release of my new EP which to be honest if you'd asked me at the start of 2023 whether or not it would happen, I wouldn't have been able to give you a definitive answer.
I love the fact there's an eclectic mix of stories, messages and production styles on the EP but overall you leave feeling uplifted and with loads of good vibes.
Anyway I thought rather than wax lyrical ('cos I'm really a shy girl at heart), I'll leave it to the music industry professionals to share their views. This review from the team at Talk About Pop Music gives a really insightful review of all the songs and their take on the EP as whole.
Happy reading!….and drop me a line to let me know what you think of the songs, the review, anything Bisola music. Much love xx
I'm pumped about my new track ‘Liar’…….but it's just the beginning (of good things I hope). The big target is the release of my first EP in like 6 years! How crazy is that? Can't believe it's been that long.
Anyway here's a little video interview where I share a bit about the meaning of Liar, my musical journey and what's to come.
Is it just me or does it feel like time's speeding up exponentially. I mean think about it - we're now in March yet New Year's Day feels like it was just last week.
I sometimes feel like what we've been through the last 2 years has collectively messed around with our the sense of time - almost like that whole period was one long mash up. I can't recount the number of times I've found myself trying to remember what year something happened between 2020 and 2021. Anyone know what I'm talking about?
I recall people saying back in 2020 things like - 'cancel 2020 and let's restart afresh in 2021' but guess what? 2021 came but it didn't mean things went back to normal. If there ever was a lesson about making the most of time this experience we've all been through the last 2 years has proved it.
Honestly if you wait till everything's perfect, till everything's just right, till the weather's good, till you've done this or done that before taking the plunge and doing those things you've been promising yourself to do, you might wake up one day and realise time's flown by and unfortunately time isn't something you can bring back. When it's gone, it's gone.
When I was working on my new release 'Where did the time go' it hit me just how timely the message of the song is and how it could resonate with many of you. It encourages all of us to make the most of every moment and to make our time on this earth count.
I also love that the song talks about living with no regrets and pursuing a higher purpose than just the temporary things that's here today, gone tomorrow.
Anyway I do hope 'Where did the time go' inspires you to go further, higher, faster and to be thankful for each and every day we get to live 'cos it really is a blessing.
You can listen, stream or watch 'Where did the time go' below.....and while you're there, if you could do one amazing thing and follow or subscribe to my channels that would be soooo awesome! Thanks so much
About 3 months ago I was reflecting on how we've heard so much about heaven most of our lives but do we really know what it's like? Is it real? What does it's existence mean for us as we journey through life? It inspired me to write 'Heaven Feels Like' as a way to process these questions. I know many believe there's life after the one we live here on earth and it's a source of hope for many, particularly after losing a loved one. The knowledge that while someone may no longer exist here on earth, the promise of being reunited with them someday in heaven is a source of comfort for many.
It takes faith to believe that and sometimes as we journey through life our faith can take knocks and shocks but there's always a reward at the end of it. I wanted to highlight this truth in the song as sometimes people think having faith means everything will always work out as you expect and if it things aren't working out you need to believe harder or there may be something wrong with you. I've had my share of lows as I'm sure you have, but I'm grateful for faith even as small as a mustard seed which helped me keep hold on in the middle of life's storms and even when things haven't worked out as I would've liked I'm still standing and I've hopefully become wiser, stronger and better for it.
Everyone's got their story of pain, loss, failure, things they've experienced, things we can't undo, but the thought that a place exists where we'll one day be free of all the human fragility and issues we've experienced sounds like a place I want to be, it sounds like something worth believing and holding on to - that definitely sounds like heaven.
What do you think?
'Heaven Feels Like' is out now on all digital music platforms catch it on:
I'm dedicating my newly released track 'Let the Healing Begin' to everyone who's battled through the lockdowns and pandemic over the last 18 months - I think that applies to a good chunk of the world to be fair. Many have been either directly affected or knows someone who's been affected in some way - it's an experience we won't soon forget. Even now we're still navigating our way through the change it's brought to our lives.
When I started writing 'Let the Healing Begin' song it was in recognition of the fact that at some point we all need to rise up and begin picking up those pieces of what's beautiful that's been left behind and to begin re-building, re-framing and resetting our lives. I wanted to use it as a way to help us heal from what's happened and to give all of us hope for a better tomorrow.
Everyone has had their own experience of what they've been through and as the song says 'no one can tell your story, no one can walk a million miles in your place' but I hope that whatever the case may be, we all come out or are coming out better, stronger, wiser and kinder.
It really touched me deeply when someone who first heard this a few days ago said the song resonated with her in a personal way after a recent loss in her family. It reinforced in me the sense of responsibility I have to share this song as far and as wide as possible because who knows what the song might actually mean to someone out there.
One final thing worth mentioning - if there's anyone reading this who's still in a dark place, you may be struggling to see a light at the end of the tunnel, I hope that this song gives you the strength to keep fighting and holding on tightly until things begin a turnaround for the better. I pray that once again you and all of us will see even more clearly, brightly and widely the hope, possibilities and joy that lie ahead of us.
The Olympics has started I do hope it brings some joy and good vibes to the everyone on the world.
I've always loved the Olympics and have fond memories of it as a kid. I remember watching a few Olympic opening ceremonies with my parents when I was growing up. I remember all the build up to the big day, I remember the theme songs (yep there used to be Olympic theme songs!) and I remember superstar athletes being talked about and showcased on TV ads, on billboards and just about everywhere you looked in the lead up to the Olympics. Just seeing these amazingly talented people getting (in some cases), their once in a lifetime opportunity to shine was always so exhilirating, so magical.
Of all the Olympic sports, athletics has always been my favourite sport to watch. I don't quite know why - may be because it's pretty straight forward to understand. The athletes just have to run the fastest, jump the highest or throw the longest in the final show down and then a winner is crowned. Nothing too scientific about that.....unlike me trying to understand the 'offside' rule in football (i.e. soccer for my American friends). I'm pretty sure those who've tried to explain it to me in the past were not even sure exactly what it is otherwise I'd have understood it by now surely! Lol
That said during the Olympics, my sporting preferences go out the window. I just want to watch everything and see everyone giving their best and winning. Come the Olympics I'm suddenly a connoisseur of Swimming, Gymnastics, Taekwondo, Weightlifting - you name it I'm there, glued to the TV watching and living all the highs and lows with the athletes. And when they win I've got tears of joy streaming down my face like I'm watching some soppy romantic movie. I get more teary eyed when I see those gut wrenching moments when athletes fall short in their quest but every now again something more beautiful comes out of their tragedy. Like the year when one athlete got injured in the middle of his race and couldn't finish his event. His Dad immediately ran on to the track and pretty much carried him all the way to the finish line.....oh dear I've started welling up already remembering that!!!
All in all I’m extremely fascinated and inspired by all athletes irrespective of their sport and how they go about accomplishing their goals. They train and work hard day in day out far away from the spotlight for their one moment at the pinnacle of their sports like the Olympics where they get to shine. When that moment comes, they have to make the most of it as it could literally make or break their careers.
I guess I was thinking a bit about that as I was writing 'Go Massive' my newest track. Even then as I was writing it, I wanted to turn it into something that could inspire anyone no matter what it is they do and giving it their best shot. Many of us have been touched in some way by COVID and the pandemic experience and for me it’s helped bring a lot of things into focus - like how we shouldn’t take life for granted and the fact that we need to make the most of every opportunity as we may not get a second chance. So whilst I first wrote Go Massive back in 2019 it's only now that it felt right to get it recorded and released. It feels like it can now fulfil that bigger vision I had - a deeper purpose of inspiring all of us as we navigate our way out of lockdowns and the impact of COVID all around the world.
This song is a bit about me speaking to myself and saying ‘girl you can do it’ whilst at the same time it's saying to everyone listening that they can do it too. Today could be your moment and wouldn't it be amazing if you totally smashed it and one day in the future I get to hear your story and then I get all teary eyed and start sobbing like you'd just won an Olympic medal!
So what inspires you to keep going? What is that thing you've been working hard at in the background hoping one day for your moment to shine?
I hope 'Go Massive' can do a little bit to inspire you. It's out on all the usual music platforms but I'll leave you with the link to a montage video someone helped me put together to bring this song to life:
Hope it gives you a boost and if it does please do share. Big hugs xx
I had only just woken from sleep Saturday morning when I had the shock of being greeted with the image of Chadwick Boseman on my Instagram feed with the message that he'd passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning.
My mind took a few moments to process this and for a while I thought perhaps it was hoax but a quick look on other news and social platforms proved the news was real. I rang a friend who I knew was a fan of his to see if she'd heard the news, she confirmed and said she'd been crying for the last few hours about it.
Wow! What an unexpected shock. Obviously Chadwick had kept his battle with cancer well hidden from the public eye all these years as there was genuine shock from all corners. That brought another level of respect for him in my mind and I guess for so many that even while he was fighting an almighty battle to be free of this horrible disease, he continued working hard at his job, he didn't make a song and dance his health condition, he just kept moving forward and tried to make the most of his life until at last......it was all over.
The tributes from all corners of the world where amazing to read, watch and hear about. Lewis Hamilton dedicated his F1 race that day to honour Chadwick's memory. I particularly enjoyed a short clip that was going around on Twitter which was from a few years ago showing little kids dancing and celebrating in their classroom when the Black Panther movie came out. It was such a heart warming story and so were many others about Chadwick the man, his influence through movies and so on - until I saw the viral news thread about how Denzel Washington was the secret benefactor behind Chadwick's theatre school course in Oxford.
I watched the video attached to one of the viral tweets where it showed Chadwick on stage thanking Denzel for his generosity and how it obviously made a significant impact on his life. It was truly moving and I had tears in my eyes thinking what a beautiful story it was, but hours later this news article was still trending and then it got me thinking........
This actually didn't seem like the right time or place for a story like this to take centre stage. Yes it's amazing Denzel did what he did. Yes possibly because Chadwick was able to attend the course paid for by Denzel that this set off his acting career on an upward trajectory. Yes it's amazing that Denzel did this act of kindness without Chadwick or the students being aware at the time - and Yes I love Denzel Washington. But, I couldn't help wonder who thought it was a great idea to bring up this story and let it take centre stage in a moment when the full focus should've been 100% on Chadwick and HIS legacy, HIS generosity, HIS accomplishments. The story that was trending more than the news that Chadwick himself had just passed was the story of Denzel paying for Chadwick's school tuition. Errr how does this make sense under the circumstances?
I'm sure whoever started the viral thread meant well but how it became the news in place of the actual news of the person we lost (Chadwick), left me puzzled as the Saturday wore on. Knowing how private a person Denzel is traditionally, I wonder if he himself cringed when he saw that his act of generosity was trending online that day. Any other day would've been okay but something about this day when a hero to many had just fallen didn't seem like the appropriate day.
I know at the moment everyone may prefer to hear good news stories seeing this has been a crazy year, but out of respect for the dead, let their moment be THEIR moment.
Okay, okay fine, may be it's me. May be I'm a little too sensitive. Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe. However I do think there's a right time and place for everything so waking up the next morning to still see the same thread trending on my Twitter feed forced me to write about it to let off some steam and to find out if any one thinks the same or may be they can help me see this in a different light!
Music Blog About The Noise wrote this beautiful review of Bisola's new track 'Breathe' . The team said they had fun writing it and we hope you have fun reading up all about it too! Click to read all about it
I have a story behind all my songs - Where I was when I wrote it? What I was thinking? How I was feeling? What emotion I was trying to convey?..........so of course there's a story behind my new track 'Breathe' Ha!
So Breathe is all about overcoming adversity and breaking free of the hold that fear and life's challenges can sometimes throw at you. I used to suffer badly from Claustrophobia up until a few years ago. Being in enclosed spaces would sometimes set me off in panic attacks - this meant travelling on the London underground or being on an airplane could be a nightmare experiences for me.
I knew it was all in my head but it didn't stop me feeling the way I did. I was sure people would think I was absolutely nuts for feeling this way so I kept it to myself and suffered in silence for years. Have you ever struggled with situations in life where you feel you're fighting an uphill battle, you're all alone and you can't see a way out? Well that's the story of verse 1 of 'Breathe' in a nutshell.
Verse 2 focuses on the fact that we've been living life at 1,000,000,000 miles an hour for ages and then suddenly the Corona pandemic hits and almost everything suddenly grinds to a screeching halt. The pandemic has been tough for many people and my heart goes out to those who have been hit hard. That said one good thing that the lockdown has done is that it's forced many of us to slow down, reflect, take the time to be more present and appreciate life and the people around us.
Life can be so much more meaningful and fuller if we take this more relaxed approach to life. You only live once and when it's over it's not the size of your house, car, money in the bank that'll truly matter. Does this strike a chord with you? Or is this too much deep thinking?
Anyway on to the bridge: Yay! This is my absolute favourite part of 'Breathe'. It's about the joy of breaking free of fear and the lies your mind can sometimes feed on to take you off track. I have to say in my case, it wasn't like I had this moment when suddenly everything became ok in my life (in reference to the Claustrophobia experience), but I realised that I had to keep moving forward and not let the negative stuff put my life on hold. It was about 'feeling the fear but doing it anyway' as they say......and I guess that's what faith is about. Faith is not the absence of fear, it's about not letting fear, life's challenges (insert your issue here), stop you from living. It's knowing that no matter whatever difficult stuff you're going through, you're never alone. God is with you every step of the way and somehow you're going to make it - even if it doesn't look or feel like it.
So I snuck in a 3rd verse after the bridge which you don't find in many contemporary songs these days but I just had so much to say! 2 verses and bridge just didn't cut it!!! Also I think it just added that extra touch to raise our eyes up a level. Verse 3 is about us elevating ourselves to do better and be better. I believe we all have a purpose for why we've been put on this earth so let's strive to make every day count and be a force for good wherever we are. As the song says 'Let's join forces and break down those walls that hold us back from being the best of us' (paraphrased)
So what's the conclusion of the matter? What's this song ultimately about? Well I think the chorus sums it up best: Break free of those things that have held you back in life. Through faith and love let's tear up the old rule book and let the new, better way take it's place. Take a deep, deep breath in, then breathe out and go start living and being the truly special person you were created to be!!
Hope this inspires someone out there!
Click below to enjoy the music video with the lyrics or hop on over to my home page where all the options to stream/download the track on Spotify, iTunes etc is available.
