Claudillea’s mission to spark a new era of relevance and inclusivity for the world of opera continues to go from strength-to-strength. Her recent singles ‘Release You’ and ‘Don’t You Know?’ have earned tastemaker tips and a growing following for her self-described Oppop genre - an experimental hybrid of in-vogue pop styles with her dazzling operatic vocals.
Now Claudillea takes that approach to another level with the new single ‘Controlla’, which features Philadelphia rapper Armani White. ‘Controlla’ is Claudillea’s most compelling culture clash to date, as she switches naturally from the razor-sharp rhymes of its verses to the piercing operatic high notes of its hook. The restless energy of its barbed trap beats is then exploded by Armani White, as his fluid flow once again raises the track’s heat.
Claudillea says: “‘Controlla’ is about how the media and powers that be, try to control us; which leads to conspiracy theories and a lack of trust in the system. Off the back of my last track, ‘Release You’, I'm continuing to explore the idea that people are awakening to the realities of the world and systems we live in.
“We have leaders in power, but actually, WE the people have the power. There is definitely a shift, with my generation and the next; we are not going to be controlled.”
Armani adds, “Claudillea is one of the coolest voices I've ever worked with to date! The song sonically and thematically shows how fearless she is when it comes to her craft, which made me even more excited to help her in pushing the margin."
‘Controlla’ was produced by Leo Nankawa and SLUMBERJACK’S Morgan Then. It was co-written by Claudillea with Leo Nankawa, Clement Marfo and Armani White. Claudillea and Armani White first met when they were introduced by Morgan Then backstage at a SLUMBERJACK show at Brooklyn Steel, New York.
‘Controlla’, ‘Release You’, ‘Habanera’ and ‘Don’t You Know?’ all feature on Claudillea’s debut EP ‘CHAOS IS MY FRIEND’, which follows on April 8th. In addition to those three singles, the EP will also introduce a brand new track.
Claudillea adds: “I want my EP to show that we all have different layers and the importance of embracing all those different sides. When I was choosing what songs to put on the EP, my first thought of doubt was that the songs sounded too different.
“But all those styles are just different expressions of myself, and I wanted to embrace everything about myself. Nina Simone is a big inspiration for me, because of her stance on how art should reflect the times.
“I feel very passionately about equality across the board, and that everyone should be given the same opportunities. So it riles me that people in power are benefitting at the cost of millions.
“But change is coming!”
Many fans first discovered Claudillea via her show-stealing performances on The Voice, where she made such an impact that Will.I.Am poached her from Meghan Trainor’s team. It was an unconventional path for a classically trained artist to take, but one that reflects her unusual story. Born in England, she has lived in Borneo, Kuala Lumpur and the USA. Those globe-trotting experiences surely fuelled her passion to take reposition opera as an artform for the people, rather than simply for the elite.
Armani White first stepped out of West Philly with the punchy, one-take video for ‘Stick Up’ leading to early acclaim from Pigeons & Planes, Hotnewhiphop and MTV, while influential connections included airplay from Pharrell Williams and shows with Big Sean and GoldLink. He took some time away from the scene when his father became ill, and returned by reflecting upon his late dad’s life experiences on tracks such as ‘Public School’.
Armani White has been generating hype of late with huge anticipation for his upcoming track ‘Billie Eilish’.
