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Grandaughter to the famous Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Toya Delazy is making a name for herself and it has nothing to do with politics.
Toya recently exploded onto the South African music scene with her debut album Due Drop and walked away with two SAMAs this past weekend including Best Newcomer and Best Pop Album. Jax Panik also came up tops with the coveted Best Producer award for his work on Toya's album.
"Pump It On" on was nominated for the most gifted video of the year at the 2012 Channel O music awards and Toya swept up this year’s MetroFM awards with 5 nominations that included Best Female and Best Newcomer.
So we thought what better time to review her re-released deluxe debut album and get to know the unique and colourful style the 23-year-old has brought to the industry.
What we thought:
The album is unashamedly pop, but Toya's jazz background and classical training allow most of the songs to transcend the superficial genre offering a more layered and interesting sound.
Toya's voice has the same edgy rasp as Natasha Bedingfield but she doesn't have the same range, relying on auto-tune to step in where her voice cannot, often to the point that she is unrecognisable among the electronic beats and overly-produced tracks.
'Simple' is not a word that comes to mind when listening to Due Drop and Jax Panic has produced an album that is so hell-bent on commercial success it often goes too far, making the songs tiring to listen to all in-one-go.
That is not to say that there are some great beats that you can't help but want to get up and dance to!
Toya's debut album deserves all the success and attention it has been receiving, and more. She has created something so unique to the South African market and the future is bright for this Zulu princess.
Best Track:
My best track is definitely "Jai Lover". The song is a welcome change to the electro-pop that dominates most of the album and the Zulu lyrics are beautiful to listen to.
Worst track:
My least favourite track would have to be "Love Is In The Air". Although it starts well it devolves into an overly-commercialised 'made-for-radio' song with superficial lyrics that quickly make me want to click 'next'.
Sounds like:
Toya refers to her style as "JEHP": Jazz, electro, hip hop and pop, and Due Drop definitely encompasses all of these genres.
Watch Toya's video for "Pump It On" here:
Toya recently exploded onto the South African music scene with her debut album Due Drop and walked away with two SAMAs this past weekend including Best Newcomer and Best Pop Album. Jax Panik also came up tops with the coveted Best Producer award for his work on Toya's album.
"Pump It On" on was nominated for the most gifted video of the year at the 2012 Channel O music awards and Toya swept up this year’s MetroFM awards with 5 nominations that included Best Female and Best Newcomer.
So we thought what better time to review her re-released deluxe debut album and get to know the unique and colourful style the 23-year-old has brought to the industry.
What we thought:
The album is unashamedly pop, but Toya's jazz background and classical training allow most of the songs to transcend the superficial genre offering a more layered and interesting sound.
Toya's voice has the same edgy rasp as Natasha Bedingfield but she doesn't have the same range, relying on auto-tune to step in where her voice cannot, often to the point that she is unrecognisable among the electronic beats and overly-produced tracks.
'Simple' is not a word that comes to mind when listening to Due Drop and Jax Panic has produced an album that is so hell-bent on commercial success it often goes too far, making the songs tiring to listen to all in-one-go.
That is not to say that there are some great beats that you can't help but want to get up and dance to!
Toya's debut album deserves all the success and attention it has been receiving, and more. She has created something so unique to the South African market and the future is bright for this Zulu princess.
Best Track:
My best track is definitely "Jai Lover". The song is a welcome change to the electro-pop that dominates most of the album and the Zulu lyrics are beautiful to listen to.
Worst track:
My least favourite track would have to be "Love Is In The Air". Although it starts well it devolves into an overly-commercialised 'made-for-radio' song with superficial lyrics that quickly make me want to click 'next'.
Sounds like:
Toya refers to her style as "JEHP": Jazz, electro, hip hop and pop, and Due Drop definitely encompasses all of these genres.
Watch Toya's video for "Pump It On" here:
