The British outfit Soul II Soul ruled the charts and dancefloors in the late 1980s into the early 1990s with songs including Back to Life (However Do You Want Me), Keep On Movin’ and Joy.
Led by Jazzie B, Soul II Soul has undergone several changes over the years. In 1992, Jamaican soul singer Richie Stephens sang on the group’s Volume III Just Right album, which provided the number four United Kingdom (UK) hit single Joy (Stephens sang lead on the song).
Now, more than 33 years later, there’s another Jamaican voice in the multi-platinum-selling group. Aya Bleu, whose father is Jamaican (she was born in Manchester, England) has joined the group as a background vocalist.
“I haven’t been with Soul II Soul that long, I would say I have been with them around six months now. I met the legendary Jazzie B at the MOBO awards in 2024 and asked him how to join the band and he directed me to his MD, Chris Brown, and we hit it off as friends right away. And then one day, I got the call, and here I am. Contractor is doing his very best to get us over to Jamaica very soon, so I’ll be waiting for that call too,” Aya Bleu told Observer Online on Wednesday.
She described the experience of being a part of Soul II Soul.
“My experience has been amazing so far, it is a different type of performance and skill all together, singing with other singers and a full band is something so special, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds,” Aya Bleu shared.
Earlier this year, Aya Bleu released her latest solo single Pressure. The official video has racked up more than one million views on YouTube.
“Pressure was inspired by a connection I had with someone that was never going to materialise into a relationship for reasons beyond our control, but we always found our way back to one another. It felt like a forbidden connection because it was just never going to work. Water by Tyla was my main reference for this, as it was very sensual and fit the mood perfectly,” said Aya Bleu.
F1, a South London-based producer, is responsible for the production of Pressure.
“The feedback has been really great, some say that it’s my best song to date, it’s definitely up there with my favourite songs of all time that I have created,” Aya Bleu shared.
Aya Bleu’s Jamaican father passed away 17 years ago.
“My mum is white British, and my dad was born and raised in Jamaica and came over to the UK when he was younger. Unfortunately, my dad passed away in 2008, but I’ve taken it upon myself to learn my roots and where I’m from. I made my first trip to Jamaica in 2024, and I hope to make this more of a regular occurrence as I absolutely loved it and felt at home,” she said.
According to Aya Bleu, she thinks it’s important to maintain her Jamaican roots.
“I think it’s very important to implement sounds of my heritage into my music as it’s in my blood. I create a lot of R&B and pop music, but I am also influenced by the sounds of reggae. A fun fact about me is that bashment is actually my all-time favourite genre as it always makes me feel good,” she said.
