Up-and-coming musician Swsh is a self-proclaimed “Big bitch in lipstick and a midriff” who is making her way out of Los Angeles. This fearless singer, rapper and producer does it all with confidence, and, more importantly, originality. She effortlessly defies the status quo in her music and on-stage presence by unapologetically being her bald, bodacious self. After all, most of us don’t fit into a size double zero jeans, have a large butt, have long legs and wear double-D bras from Victoria’s Secret (by the way, Victoria, we all know your secret is a combination of photoshop and plastic surgery). Luckily, Swsh makes music for the not-so-normal girls.
However, Swsh’s music is not solely for the underrepresented; it resonates with anyone that can appreciate raspy vocals, witty bars, light-hearted beats or modern R&B. Her lyrics convey empowering messages like “Rachel and Ross didn’t interest me as much as being a boss did.” This advocates for women to focus on self-improvement instead of toxic romances that we watch on television.
I recently asked Swsh what her song making process consisted of in an interview for KUCR, she told me about the creation of her new single, “Flowers,” “I knew that I wanted to have a slap bass on the snare like in “Pink Matter” by Frank Ocean, and I used a chord trigger that had a beautiful jazz progression.” She told KUCR that as she was writing the song, she remembered a piece of advice fellow musician Heavy Mellow told her, “I like to pretend I’m a child when I make music.” This mentality allows a lot of room for creative freedom because there are no preconceived notions about the audience or their reaction. We can all learn how to be more confident and carefree by listening to the liberating sounds Swsh has to offer.
Favorite tracks: “Flowers,” “Hope I Don’t,” “I Be” (feat, FLEUR)
For fans of: SZA, Kehlani, Syd, Anderson .Paak, Noname, Chance The Rapper