This Black History Month, Atwood Magazine has invited artists to participate in a series of essays, interviews, reviews, poetry, playlists, and more features in recognition of, and out of respect for the symbolism and significance of this month.
Today, Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Tiana Major9 goes track-by-track through her stunningly beautiful sophomore EP At Sixes and Sevens as a part of Atwood Magazine’s Black History Month series. The moniker for British Jamaican artist Tiana Thomas-Ambersley, Tiana Major9 is a graduate from the BRIT School and made her musical debut in 2017. Heavily influenced and inspired by jazz, her music is a uniquely moving hybrid of style and sound: She effortlessly blends elements of jazz, R&B, pop, funk, hip-hop, and more into deceptively intricate, soulfully stirring music that is at once breathtakingly gorgeous and emotionally palpable.
Tiana Major9 independently released her debut EP Rehearsal @ NINE in 2019, and later that year collaborated with EARTHGANG on the devastating Grammy nominated song “Collide,” which featured on the Queen & Slim soundtrack. She subsequently signed a recording deal with Motown Records, with whom she released her sophomore EP At Sixes and Sevens in August 2020.
Everybody’s got opinions on our thing
Say we’re flying down a path with no ending
And if I die before I wake
Ooh, don’t let me wake up from this dream
When we collide
When we collide, it’s a beautiful disaster
When I crash into you, you, you
Crash into you, you
I’ve been so frustrated, have to let it out
Let me tell you with my body, what I’m talking ’bout
And I don’t care about the future or the past
Riding slow, ’cause you know the world’s moving too fast
When we collide
When we collide, it’s a beautiful disaster
When I crash into you, you, you
Crash into you, you, you
An utterly mesmerizing and transformative embrace of her jazz roots, At Sixes and Sevens finds Tiana Major9 coming into her own as a well-rounded lyricist, arranger, singer, and songwriter. Intimate moments of self-reflection and connection like “…Exclusively” and “Same Space?” collide with feelgood outpourings like “Lucky” and the bustling, buoyant “Think About You.” “Collide” makes a reappearance on this record, which also contains three special, intimate spoken-word mantras interspersed amongst the musical tracks. “‘AT SIXES AND SEVENS‘ is my second EP that is based on the confusion about to love the ‘right way,'” Thomas-Ambersley tells Atwood Magazine. “It covers topics such as self-love with the interludes, unrequited love, healthy monogamy as well as codependency.”
In December, the artist released the acoustic EP Back At Sixes and Sevens, which strips her songs downs to their core. “I wanted Back At Sixes and Sevens to feel a little more intimate, so I delivered the vocal carefully, exaggerating with runs and dynamics,” she says. “I believe it not only shows my range as songwriter but as an artist and vocalist.” A lyrically forward singer/songwriter Thomas-Ambersley cites her line, “Oh you’re just smoke and mirrors, when I’m with her, I know her smoke will clear,” from the song “Real Affair…” as a personal favorite.
Tiana Major9 most recently released Major Mantras, a sixteen-track EP featuring seven of her personal mantras – “What’s Mine, Won’t Miss Me,” “My Emotions,” “My Glass Is,” “I Won’t Worry,” “I Am Strong,” and “I Am Proud of Myself” – alongside her previous EP songs. Each mantra is accompanied by its own visualizer, and all seven use the same effervescent backing guitar line from the three mantras previously featured on At Sixes and Sevens.
With accolades coming from throughout the music industry and a bright, promising career already well underway, Tiana Major9 is undoubtedly an artist to watch in the months and years to come. Her gilded, evocative voice captures passion and pain, love and hope like no other; combined with her lyrical and instrumental talents, this makes Tiana Major9 a truly profound force of nature – one who is undoubtedly helping to make jazz popular once again, while pushing the boundaries of what pop music sounds like. Experience the full At Sixes and Sevens record via our below stream, and peek inside Tiana Major9’s sophomore EP with Atwood Magazine as the artist goes track-by-track through her music and lyrics!
“To be at Sixes and Sevens means to be at a state of total confusion…Love is confusing.” – Tiana Major9
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:: stream/purchase At Sixes and Sevens EP here ::
Stream: ‘At Sixes and Sevens’ – Tiana Major9
:: Inside At Sixes and Sevens ::
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…Exclusively
“…Exclusively” is simply about wanting to be in a loving monogamous relationship. Its a very personal song; I can’t believe I was vulnerable enough to write it lol! Produced by Camper and written by myself and PRGRSHN.
Lucky
“Lucky” is an uptempo love song that was inspired by my first trip to Las Vegas in 2019. I was feeling so good about myself and compared the high to being in a healthy relationship. I felt lucky to be living my dreams and doing what I love. Produced by Jeff Gitty and written by myself and PRGRSHN.
Collide
“Collide” is a single taken from the Queen and Slim soundtrack (2019) performed by myself and Olu from Earthgang. It is heartfelt ballad that accompanied a complex song about love and being black in America.
Think About You
“Think About You” is a reggae influenced song about being the unrequited lover. It was very important for me to release this song as I am of Jamaican heritage. I wanted to introduce myself further to my listeners.
Real Affair…
“Real Affair…” touches on the unravelling of a once fulfilling relationship. In this song, I express looking elsewhere to feel good, playing with the idea of cheating on the other person.
Same Space?
“Same Space?” is the final song on the EP that in some ways continues the theme of a breakdown in a relationship. However, what makes it different is that it can not only be seen as a conversation between lovers, but as an internal conversation about codependency.
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:: stream/purchase At Sixes and Sevens EP here ::
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? © Ira Chernova
:: Tiana Major9 ::
