Aquvfina

Monday, April 19th 2021

I’m wearing a crewneck in late April being since the weather hasn’t decided if it wants to be temperate or freezing . Earlier this week it was 70 degrees, but now its in the 50s, rainy, and chilly. As I’m pulling up to my destination I turn right onto Lawrence Street and park my car. The street is littered with little white dogwood tree petals sticking to the ground because of the rain. The sky is light gray but being that it’s not even 5 o’clock yet, I don’t doubt there’s a chance for sun…or more rain.

Moments after sending an “I’m here” text Aqvafina meets me outside. She’s welcoming and her outfit is some how the perfect mix of professional and party. We head to the backyard to take pictures in front of a pretty brick garage that matches perfectly with her pants. We make small talk and she tells me about her nieces and nephews inside who curiously try to watch us from inside the backdoor.

Ultimately, we decide on interviewing in the car, it’s perfect because she tells me she listens to her own music and develops her songs often when she’s driving. It’s also warming up and I’m hopeful we can do a short photowalk around the area post-interview. She parks at a quiet spot on the street then cracks the window some and turns off the car. Outside you can hear an occasional car rolling by and the sounds of birds and bugs humming louder than usual since the rain has just stopped. I unlock my phone and start the voice memo:

han : First question, what's the back story of your stage name : "Aquvfina."

han: What's your sign?

“I am Sagittarius.” Her voice deepens jokingly and she adds the aside: “A December Sag, the best kind.”

han: Do you feel like a true Sagittarius?

“Yeah. Honestly my fire, moon, and rising all describe me very well. I’m a rising Sagittarius, a Sagittarius sun, and a Leo moon. All three of them make since, its me. Yeah. It’s fire wildé.”

han: When did you get into music?

“I got into music in 2018. Before that I used to write for my close friend’s youngest brother named Herman Suede, he’s from back home in Ghana. After awhile I felt like I couldn’t say everything I would like to through a thirteen year old. So I decided to do this by myself. “

Aqvafina’s energy is refreshing and her excitement is contagious. She seems like the kind of friend who likes to be social and make others smile.

“As far as the beats behind the music, I consider myself an afro-beats or alté artist. Alté is short for alternative and it’s basically like a genre in Nigeria thats picking up. I’m very inspired by artists like Odunsi, Run Town, and Burna Boy who are also two other really good artist. So whenever I’m looking for inspiration for beats I go on YouTube and listen around to beats that producers make for those kinds of artist.”

han: Where were you born?

“So I was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Then we moved to Ghana before I turned one. Ghana is like neighbors to Lagos. So I grew up there and then moved to the United States in 2014 to go to school at DePauw University in Indiana. When I graduated I decided I wanted to be in a city as well as be close to family so I came to Chicago. I also wanted to be able to do my own shit and be myself and Chicago was like the best place for that. I would come here during summers and it was just like wild for me, I’d have the best time.”

“I wanted to be able to do my own shit and be myself and Chicago was like the best place for that. I would come here during summers and it was just like wild for me, I’d have the best time.”
-Aqvafina

han: So what does being yourself mean to you as an artist?

han : Out of the songs you've released so far, which is your favorite?

“OKAY! This is a tough one. I love all my music so much! I don’t have an engineer so everything is recorded and mixed by me so it’s like…”

The artist gives a long sigh as if she’s exasperated and takes a couple moments to think.

“Every song has like a special moment to me because of how much we went through to make it. But High Key is definitely my favorite for sure for sure, but I also have another song coming out its called Into You. That’s is going to be my maximum favorite.”

I play into her joking nature and start speaking to the phone as it’s recording: Look out for it, April 30th!

“Yesss!” Aqvafina exclaims “Lets gooo!”

han: Tell me what inspired the song High Key.

“Sure, I just remember people used to say : “something-something low key or this-this-this low key.”

She puts air quotes around the words “low key” for emphasis as she’s explaining.

“And I’d be like bitch—sorry this is personal—but people I was dating at the time were never up front about what they wanted or saying what was on their mind. So for me it was like, you are always playing these games but you can tell me if you want me…High Key. Like it’s not a problem you know what I mean?”

She hasn’t really stopped smiling since the interview started but now she wears a confident smirk.

“So the inspiration for the song doesn’t have a super specific instance or anything, its just like an over all mood. For me, I’m very loud I’m very obnoxious, nothing is low key”

han: Going off of that, do you feel like you bring any part of your sexuality to your music?

han : I've noticed you use a lot of your friends in the branding and promotion of your music. I was actually introduced to your music through a mutual friend. Can you tell us more about that?

“I’m often told I should pay for promotion, but my friends are my promotion.” she replies as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Like the people I’m around are my promo and I’m with them 24-7 doing fun stuff and hanging out. They are apart of my team and my brand.”

“For me I’m very loud, I’m very obnoxious, nothing is low key.”
-Aqvafina

han : Do you have any other creative outlets besides music?

She pauses. “Um, back in the day I used to be into videography. I like recording things, editing them, and making them look cool. I worked on After Effects a lot in college and I’ve kind of stopped but I’d really like to pick it back up again and incorporate that into apart of my branding. Also I can’t paint for shit, but I love art. I love paintings, I love drawings, I love all that stuff”

“I appreciate and pull from every artistic thing even if I can’t personally create it. I very much enjoy being in any creative space.”
-Aqvafina

han : Before I end with my closing question, do you have any sign offs?

han : When is altè music Better?

” Alté is Better when you’re in a state of rebellion. Alté music defies what we know as normal, but at the same time it is rich with it’s own culture. The people in the alté scene, especially back home, are very different looking kids. They have piercings and dreads. They are people that older generations of Nigerians would look at and say: “Oh, this is a bad child who has no respect for their elders.” But people in the alté scene make their own lane. “

“Alté is better when you have your own community. Alté is better when you’re zooted. Alté is better when you have your friends and they are your community and it’s like a gang while you’re having fun and doing what you always do.

Alté is always better to be honest.”

Tap into Aquvfina’s most recent release “Into You” and check out the rest of her music here: