Southern California-based singer-songwriter LiLi Joy has released her new single “Float” along with its accompanying whimsical music video. Over airy synths and glossy keys, the enchanting song about admiration and love for someone in the purest form ebbs and flows in warm waves from a jazzy swing into a hypnotic hook upheld by her shimmering, soulful delivery.
“‘Float’ is a pure love song about deeply admiring someone who doesn’t yet love themselves,” shares LiLi Joy. “The song is a beckon to escape the world of caring about other people’s opinions of you; leave behind your insecurities and help the person to realize the beauty they hold even in the ‘bad’ parts of themselves.”
“Float” is the latest original song from the 16-year-old songstress, a member of Team Blake on NBC’s The Voice this past season, following her debut single “Sink,” which dropped last month. The tracks will appear on a 3-song independent EP titled Colours You Can’t See, along with her song “Glow,” to be released on Wednesday, August 14th.
“The ‘Colours You Can’t See’ are the emotions and feelings that we carry around with us every day that we don’t let other people know about,” says LiLi Joy about the forthcoming EP. “Some of them we’d be proud to wear on our sleeve while the others, not so much. All of the songs on the EP were written during a time where I was isolated with myself and my emotions. I know what it’s like to feel as if you should be ashamed to share what’s truly taking up your headspace, even if it comes from a place of love. My goal with this project was to paint with the colours my mind had already made for me, whether they were some type of mixed-up paradox or beautifully clear. As a result of that, I hope from the bottom of my heart that people can feel unashamed of being the beautiful, complex confusions that they truly are.”
As a child, LiLi Joy admittedly dreamt of being a pixie. Once she started writing poetry and songs, the teenager, who began singing at the age of five, found her own form of fairy dust, fashioning otherworldly pop from old-school jazz cadences and modern alternative musings. Over the years, her musical palette has expanded from Lana Del Rey, Gwen Stefani, and Lady Gaga to standards by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong, courtesy of her vocal teacher. She studied the style inside and out, taught herself how to scat, and recorded videos to share with her out-of-town jazz aficionado grandfather. Maintaining a steady stream of YouTube uploads, LiLi Joy caught the attention of The Voice in 2019, and later won over the hearts of audiences everywhere as part of Team Blake Shelton. LiLi’s cover of Gwen Stefani’s “Cool” from her blind audition has notably drummed up a staggering 2.2 million views.
Following her stint on the show, LiLi Joy immediately dove into crafting what would become Colours You Can’t See, hitting the studio with producer and co-writer John Velasquez [Zella Day, Max and the Moon]. Together, they distilled her songcraft into a singular style equally informed by those classic jazz influences as well as forward-facing flourishes and palpable vulnerability. The forthcoming EP simply sets the stage for much more music to come as LiLi Joy casts an unbreakable spell of her own through being unabashedly honest in each of her ethereal songs.