Essosa on her new EP Crush! - New Wave Magazine First Listen

Fresh off a breakout few years that saw her glide from viral momentum into global co-signs and sold-out rooms, Essosa steps into a new era with her new EP Crush!, released May 1st, a project that feels as light on its feet as it is emotionally sharp. Glossy, 90s-tinged sonics, airy production, and honeyed vocals characterise the six tracks that make up the EP. 

From the first listen, Crush! immediately feels like a world built on lightness, nostalgia and emotional clarity, a 90s-leaning, glossy soundscape where everything is soft-edged but still sharply felt. There’s an instant sense of ease in Essosa’s delivery which is airy as her honeyed vocals decorate each track. Things seem simple, but underneath that is a clear emotional thread about attraction and the illusion that often accompanies it. Playing on the double entendre of the word ‘Crush’, Essosa explores the effects of proximity and the longings of the heart that can’t be quieted over six tracks that fuse expansive production with candid lyricism. 

From the hopeful spark of the title track ‘Crush’, to the reflective distance that characterises songs like ‘He’s Not All That’, upon first listen, Crush! feels timeless in its influence, yet contemporary in honesty, balancing flirtation with self-awareness in a way that makes the whole EP feel both playful and grounded. 

Conversations around love can feel quite heavy these days, so I was drawn to the title of this EP. It feels light, playful, and almost escapist. Talk to me about the world you wanted to create with this EP. 

A crush can be an infatuation but at the same time, to crush something is to destroy it, to ruin. When I was writing the project I had just exited out of a bad situation with someone I cared about a lot. The duality of the word crush really resonated with me, and the onomatopoeia in the EP’s title really reflects how intense the word feels, from both meanings. 

You started releasing music in 2021, then ‘Waste My Time’ really took off in 2023. What has the journey been like for you since that moment, both personally and creatively? 

The journey from ‘Waste My Time’ - it's been interesting. A lot of ups and downs, but I’m grateful because I’ve learnt a lot of lessons. Before releasing that song I was studying pharmacy, didn’t know anyone in the industry, and didn’t have any way in, I didn’t even have a manager. After releasing that track I went from being a student one day, and then being at J Hus’ party the next day. It was my dream to become an artist, but understanding what the industry is like and regulating my emotions around the industry wasn’t as straightforward. 

I’m in a healthier space than I was back then, and I’ve learnt so much. The high highs in this industry don't prepare you for the low lows. With entering adulthood, I wasn’t prepared for how up and down life can be after university. I’m grateful nonetheless.

The title track ‘Crush’ feels so upbeat and playful—it really captures that giddy, all-consuming feeling of having a crush. “I think I'm ready to love again, and I think that you should know”— this lyric encapsulates the whole EP. Explain what this line means to you? 

‘Crush’ is about liking someone that you shouldn’t like - but you don’t really care, because you think it’s worth it. I’m based in London, and I'm always meeting guys who don’t live here, and I’m thinking ‘I probably shouldn’t like you so much,’ 

This song really reflects that feeling you have when even though you know you can’t be with someone, you can’t help but still like them. 

‘He’s Not All That’, a song about mistaking proximity for connection, sounds timeless with that ‘90s-inspired quality. Have you ever experienced something similar in your career, proximity that you mistook for connection? 

One situation I can think of that sounds like a mismatch due to proximity happened with someone I used to work with. I felt like I needed them in my life - but they didn’t treat me very well. But I couldn't let the person go because I felt like my career was in their hands. I prayed and fasted for two weeks and was able to let that person go from my team. As soon as I let them go, I realised I could exist and hold my own without them, and things really turned around for me from there. 

The visuals for ‘He’s Not All That’ match the song beautifully—the colours, the softness, the choreography. Can you bring me into the creative process behind the video, and how important visuals are to you in shaping your music? 

Visuals are so, so important. I sit and watch music videos from my favourite artists all the time - Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Doja Cat. There are so many artists with amazing visuals and I want to be an artist known for putting my foot in my visuals. When I listen to music I see images. The music invokes imagery in me, it's how I know a song is going to be a single or not - whether I see imagery that is vivid enough for that song to have a world of its own that predates a project. I was very specific about my vision to Curtis (Lewis) who directed the ‘He’s Not All That’ video. Usually I never like seeing the first draft of a video, but with Curtis, I loved the first draft and it ended up being one of my favourite videos I’ve ever done.

The ‘Crush!’ EP has such a cohesive, feel-good sound, and you’ve worked with producers like jkarri and WAVSDNTDIE. How did you go about building that sonic world and finding the right collaborators for these songs? 

I started making beats at the age of fourteen, and I’ve always been very specific with sound and the sonic textures I like. I’ll know the specific baseline or effect I would like - I studied musical engineering in school so I know what I want to hear. I started writing this project with jkarri and having him work on the first song we did, ‘Missing U, I knew from then the exact template for the project was that song. Having that north star was helpful. We knew we wanted a 90’s synth with 2026 drums - I was very specific and everyone I worked with understood the vibe. 

You’ve been on your own headline tour, with upcoming shows in London and Paris, and you’ve also been selected by Rochelle Jordan to join her on tour. How do you want this EP to translate into a live setting? 

Although I’m not in a position to have a band, I’m still involved in the making of the music - I make most of my backing tracks - but I do want people to see I’m someone who knows how to put on a show. Dances, choreography, a performance rehearsal, I want to consistently bring these for people alongside my music every time without fail. 

From ‘Crush’ to ‘He’s Not All That’, there’s a real journey across the EP—from excitement to reflection. 

It's the journey of a crush. 

You have it, it’s debilitating, and then you get over it. You hope for the best, but sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way - it’s life! 

Talk to me about ‘Favourite Liar’ 

People love this song. I went to a pool party a couple years ago, and I always bring it up - everyone knew each other and it was one of the best parties I’ve been to. I wanted a song that encapsulated that party, being flirty, not really caring and being at that kind of party and in that kind of space. 

Upon first listen, listeners often pick their favourite track. Which track is your favourite at the moment, and what do you want people to hear upon first listen?

‘Missing U’ is my favourite song on the project - It’s been my favourite since I made it in January. I love Favourite Liar too. The outro to ‘Missing U ’is a tribute to Commission and their six part harmonies. I’m a student of Pop, R&B, Dancehall, and Gospel, and this EP reflects that, so that’s what I want people to hear when they first come across the EP. 

What's next for you? 

More music, more tours - I really want to do festivals, and keep being consistent. I want to keep dropping music and building the momentum that I’ve been building. 

Obviously, I do want to be a star and take the music as far as it can go, but what I’ve learnt along this journey is to just enjoy the journey, and I’ve really enjoyed this journey so far - I love this, and I live for this.