By Jose Mujica
Photo: Aaron Kasey
July 2, 2019
Charlotte’s own alternative R&B/neo-soul artist, Cyanca, flashes a charming glimpse of where she’s at artistically in her latest EP I’m Staying Home, a title inspired during a night out after a Facebook HQ performance in San Francisco. Cyanca celebrated with friends back in Charlotte and, on the ride home, one of her friends drunkenly exclaimed, “When I get home, I’m STAYING home!” and that line became the name of the project. “I felt total fulfillment in that moment because it was the perfect representation of who I am, a home-body,” Cyanca said. That intimate home-body coziness can certainly be felt throughout the three-track EP.
The first track “Katina Brother,” sets the mood as a sultry, soulful, and retrospective journey of what’s led her to this point in life. “1991, MJ was the Man / You lost your sister. You ain’t been the same,” reflects an honest and vulnerable side of Cyanca illustrating her childhood environment. Produced by Raleigh, North Carolina’s Pat Junior, the dreamy boom-bap track showcases Cyanca’s vocals in a soothing hook that’s as catchy as it is therapeutic.
“Patti Mayonnaise” is an upbeat but sentimental song, emitting a radiant aura of hope. The hook is quick and catchy enough to have you singing along within seconds. Cyanca delivers the bars as she tells stories of her adolescent misadventures and family. While the track is a bit more airy, the theme of exploring Cyanca’s past is still very much present, as she speaks openly about her mother who was lost in a drunk driving accident when she was only two years old.
“Home” is easily the most alluring track of the project. The instrumentation comes in and out seamlessly in a dreamy orchestra framing Cyanca’s ethereal vocals. She contemplates what “home” means for her, where she might find it, and discovering the meaning.
Overall, in a bite-sized listen, Cyanca managed to make good use of three short tracks, in which she opens up and lets the listener in on a private glimpse of her life. This level of comfort in vulnerability is crucial for any artist and Cyanca does well at mining her innermost self for the nuggets of truth that listeners can relate to.
Listen to the new EP I’m Staying Home and follow Cyanca on Instagram and Twitter.
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