R&B songstress Savannah Ré releases debut EP, Opia
Photo Credit: Hansel Alonzo
Fresh off the announcement of being named Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist of the Month, Toronto R&B songstress Savannah Ré makes her highly anticipated debut with the release of Opia, out now via Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. An evocative collection of songs she nurtured and perfected over the past three years, Opia celebrates the strength found in vulnerability. “In order for me to get the body of work that I wanted to get, I had to dig deep. I had to do the work,” shares Savannah Ré. “I want to let people see me and connect with my music but for that to happen, I have to be my authentic self and that comes from introspection – it takes a lot of time and maturity to do that.”
The nine-track EP is the product of a prodigious songwriter whose natural talent has flourished from self-growth and in-studio collaborations with elite talent including her mentor, Grammy Award-winning producer Boi-1da who, along with YogiTheProducer (Kehlani, Jessie Reyez, Joyner Lucas), is credited as Executive Producer of Opia. Additional collaborators on the EP include longtime Savannah Ré supporters Allen Ritter (Cardi B, Kanye West, Rihanna, Travis Scott), Akeel Henry (Ty Dolla $ign, Shawn Mendes, Roy Woods), Marcus Semaj (dvsn, Snoh Aalegra), Varren Wade (Ella Mai, Jennifer Lopez), Jordon Manswell (Mariah Carey, Daniel Caesar), Ozzie (Raphael Saadiq), Marcus Allen James (Ne-Yo, Ludacris) and Kyle Christopher.
Also released today is the OPIA EXPERIENCE – a visual depiction of the EP’s title, defined by The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows as the “intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable”. Exploring the intimacy that comes from being vulnerable and inviting human connection, the emotionally stirring short documentary features footage of eight people (lovers and strangers) experiencing a powerful and unexplored form of affection. Interwoven throughout the video is a performance by Savannah Ré of the previously unreleased track “Opia”, the song she says made the EP feel complete.
In addition to the EP’s critically acclaimed singles “Where You Are”, “Homies”, “Solid” and “Best Is Yet To Come” (named one of the 100 Best Songs of the Year by Apple Music last year), Opia features five new songs that speak to the hopes, insecurities and beauty we experience as we navigate the journey of knowing and loving ourselves and others.
After establishing herself as a one-to-watch songwriter and performer, championed by R&B heavyweights from Babyface and Boi-1da to Jessie Reyez and Wondagurl, Savannah Ré’s remarkable debut project is a testament to her dedication to her craft. Acclaim for Opia has been abundant from industry tastemakers, fans and esteemed outlets including HYPEBAE, Complex, ELLE Canada, i-D, CBC Music, NUVO Magazine, NOW Toronto, Exclaim, HOLR Magazine and HipHopCanada among several others who have profiled Savannah Ré this year.
“I’m so proud of this project,” says Savannah Ré. “I feel like I’ve been carrying this baby for a long time and it’s finally going to come out into the universe. It’s an amazing feeling. This is the space, this is the time.”
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