First Listen: VNSA ‘HOW YOU MOVE LIKE THAT’

Rising star VNSA (pronounced vee-NESS-uh) is defining what sexy sounds like with her  latest Sweet n Sexy Collection titled, SUM REAL S*XY SH*T . It features ‘HOW YOU  MOVE LIKE THAT’, a hit record propelling her to a wider global reach, particularly within  the dance community. Thanks to Todd Williamson’s viral choreography, the song has  taken on a life of its own, with dancers around the world doing exactly as she says:  “show me how you move like that.” VNSA’s musical prowess speaks for itself through  lines like “tell me have you seen someone do it like me,” echoing a level of confidence  and sheer self-assurance that she exudes in every live performance, where audiences  witness her dance as much as they hear her sing. 

VNSA is a performer, bringing something the game has been missing for a long time: the  seamless merging of dance and music. Inspired by Britney Spears, audiences know  they’re in for a show. But VNSA doesn’t just talk the talk — she backs it up with  undeniable stage presence: a soft voice gliding over sultry basslines, paired with striking  visuals to match. 

This is our First Listen with VNSA. 

First Listen 

VNSA’s delivery on ‘HOW YOU MOVE LIKE THAT’ is laid-back and effortless. Her voice is  soft, paired with a breathy, sultry tone that confidently injects intimacy into the track. A  controlled, more limited range keeps the performance intentional and focused, allowing  listeners to lock into her clear aim: to create a sound that’s, quite simply, SUM REAL  S*XY SH*T. 

TENN’s production opens with steady, unshakeable synths that introduce the melody,  forming a firm backbone for VNSA’s vocals to glide over. She uses restraint — no  excessive runs or belts — allowing the tone itself to carry the sensuality. The low-end is  smooth and grounding, while crisp drums add subtle structure without overpowering  her voice. She naturally commandeers the track from the jump, sitting comfortably in  the pocket of the beat as the instrumentation leaves just enough space for her presence  to dominate. The instrumental feels intentionally uncluttered, with each production element given room to breathe, making the record built for movement. It defines the  song as visual as well as sonic, crafted for dancers and the stage alike. 

First Watch 

VNSA makes it clear that entertaining her audience is non-negotiable. Each  performance arrives charged and immersive, anchored by choreography that captivates  from start to finish. Drawn into her every move, you find yourself absorbed in the world  she builds on stage — that instinctive pull to get up and move becoming impossible to  ignore. 

At a time when few artists place this level of emphasis on performance, VNSA stands  almost alone in her dedication to dance as a central pillar of her artistry. Much like her  aesthetic, it feels reminiscent of the early 2000s — an era when music and  choreography moved in sync across the board — and in today’s landscape, she’s one of  the rare artists bringing that synergy back to the forefront. 

Artist Perception 

"My aim was to make people want to dance and express themselves. Everything I did  was very intentional, the options that I took in how my melodies are laid, and even the  production choice, all done with the aim of wanting people to feel like they can move to  this music; that they're in a music video. With dancers, I wanted to give them a challenge where the kicks and the hi-hats are sitting in very interesting places, the ones  that listen know where it sits etc. This song for me was kind of made from frustration,  the fact that I still feel like I have to prove myself. I wanted to hit my goal of releasing 5  songs that year, which I did. I thought let me just make a project, which was SUM REAL  S*XY SH*T, and ‘HOW YOU MOVE LIKE THAT’ was in it...I made my entire tape on my  phone due to that frustration, it was like if no one’s going to want to take me in, if no  one’s going to take me f*cking seriously, let me go back to the basics and do it myself.  I've been recording myself on BandLab since I was 14, so I have years of experience in  releasing music with songs that I've made and mixed, on my phone. It's only sent off to  get mastered. I have a lot of songs like that in my discography. “ 

Regarding working with producer TENN, VNSA shared that "he's another artist/producer.  He's just so amazing, and I'm so glad that me and him met in university.”

“But ‘HOW YOU MOVE LIKE THAT’, for me, is a song that I made from a place of feeling. I  want everyone to feel how I feel when I create music, and how I felt sitting in my bed, wig  off, just making the song and having some fun with it. I feel like this song and the project itself SUM REAL S*XY SH*T, is such a representation of me just expressing myself. The  song came about when I changed my name from V'Nessa to VNSA and that for me is  such a historical moment in my career because it opened mental doors that felt locked  for a really, really long time. So, I'm very proud of myself for remembering that I am more  than just a face, I've got skill... and the fact that I've always had a persistent and  ambitious heart, I'll always find a way to make my dreams come true, even if I have zero  pounds to my name."