Sonia Elisheva acts with creative conviction on 'Black Sea'

Sonia Elisheva dares to dream, and dream boldly, with her latest release 'Black Sea'. Seamlessly blending her Eastern European roots with jazz, electro-swing, and modern pop influences, Sonia has envisioned a world that is both distinct and personal. She has cultivated a genre-defying album that is charged with emotion and shows that Sonia is an artist who is unafraid to take creative risks.

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There is a vivid vibrancy that runs through every track on the album, making Sonia's voice and message be delivered with urgency, and is impossible to ignore. The instrumentals alone feel right at home soundtracking a modern-day The Great Gatsby-esque party that dares you not to dance. Every choice that Sonia has made upon crafting this record feels intentional, born out of true creative conviction. She knows exactly what she wants to say, and how she wants us to hear it.

'Dark Eyes' is a perfect combination of catchy, lyrical wit and a touch of the daring and sultry. This is the perfect introduction to Sonia's more mischievous side and placing this right after the album's opening track, she flips the script on her narrative of love. This is not a love song, but a spell. Sonia explores her own gaze rather than slipping into complete adoration for someone. The repetition of 'I love his brown eyes / Always on my mind' draws us into this hypnotic loop that intoxicates us and the track's subject alike. Her vocal delivery throughout feels hauntingly self-assured and demands visuals that are just as commanding, which is exactly what has been produced. The track's video is a masterclass on pop visuals, think poison, glamour, and a playful scene set with a bite that lasts. She has created more than just a sonic space, but a world providing an immersive experience for anybody just getting into Sonia's work.

Sonia has made every second count on this record, even down to the interludes. These moments serve as a benchmark of remembrance, an ode to the parts of her DNA and deep-rooted familial ties. Upon its release, Sonia shared that she wanted 'this album to inspire people to explore their own family stories and embrace the complexity of who they are'. By including them on her debut album, Sonia lays bare the path that shaped the woman behind the stories. This is particularly poignant in 'papa's interlude', where we witness a tender exchange between herself and her father. They explore their generational gap as they meet in the middle, bonded by blood but shaped by their differences in upbringing and how cultural contexts can impact this. It reflects upon how identity is formed and your existence being sat in the middle of a wider history and heritage. This idea of discovery sits beautifully within the context of the album, where the title acts as a metaphor for belonging without borders. There is so much humanity present in this album.

'London Energy' is the perfect track to provide the sonic backdrop to amplify Sonia's voice and storytelling. It feels like a lighthearted pop track, capturing the chaos and buzz bubbling out of the capital and offering a humorous snapshot of the city's hustle through her individual lens. London forms just one part of Sonia's cultural landscape, a piece of her overall picture which you can feel she has complete adoration for, with all of its messiness included. There’s a distinctly vintage British charm in her delivery, calling back to noughties icons like Lily Allen, early MARINA, and Kate Nash. This conversational tone, paired with more cinematic production gives the song grit within her elegance as an artist.

'But I Do!' naturally possesses a gripping West End presence, a quality that demands your full concentration in its chorus, and verses that match the theatrical flair. The track is entirely replayable and would make the gloomiest mornings brighter. Moments like this feel back-to-back on this record, with 'No Talking.' following shortly after. While the tracks explore a different shade of Sonia's emotion, the momentum built up never dips, with her charm and expressive energy providing a driving force through the album. 'You're No Friend Of Mine' provides yet another sonic highlight, Sonia channels an Amy Winehouse-style attitude with a modern edge. She takes nostalgic elements within her music and reimagines them, which makes for an interesting listen and a timeless sound.

Sonia Elisheva exceeds expectations of her range as an artist, with her ability to fuse moments of poetic depth with a grand pop feel, creating something so unmistakably her own. As a debut album, this is a cohesive collection of songs that tells a real story.