Today, 24-year old songwriter and vocalist WAFIA releases VIII EP, out via Future Classic.

The 6-track EP follows her debut EP XXIX in 2015 and features previously released tracks ‘83 Days’, ‘Bodies’ and current single ‘Only Love’. It also includes three additional tracks, ‘Breathe’, ‘Interlude (ft. Ta-ku & Thrupence)’ and ‘The Ending (ft. Finneas)’, featuring an A-grade list of collaborators such as Ben Abraham (Kesha, Praying), Finneas, Robopop (Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX), HazeBanga (Beyoncé, M.I.A., Syd) and Rogét Chahayed (D.R.A.M., Kendrick Lamar, Solange Knowles).

VIII sees the Brisbane-based, Netherlands-born, Iraqi-Syrian artist tread confidently across her many identities as a young, Muslim woman, exploring themes of love, loss and understanding within an ever-changing world. From ‘Only Love’, which explores love in its simplest form, to ‘Bodies’ that draws on Wafia’s family’s struggle within the ongoing crisis in Syria, Wafia delivers a record that is deeply personal, courageously unfiltered and more relevant than ever.

Wafia says of the release:

“Writing this EP, I got really obsessed with the realisation that nothing I ever make will be tangible. Even my voice, the only instrument I use, is intangible but so are any feelings and emotions that I write about. VIII is an exploration of that, as well as necessity and transparency.”

Impressively, current single ‘Only Love’ received over 1 million plays in its first month, adds across Spotify and Apple Music’s New Music playlists and full playlist additions across stations such as triple j and FBi Radio. This followed the success of previous single, ‘Bodies’ which was premiered across triple j’s ‘Good Nights’ and VICE’s Broadly, has received over 5 million online plays to date and was spotted on Spotify’s Viral Charts in Australia, the U.K. and throughout Europe. Support for the track also came via nods from international tastemakers including Khalid and institutions such as Global Citizen, the Syrian American Medical Society and The National Museum of Women in the Arts. Watch the Alli Coates-directed video here, and triple j’s HACK program that delves deeper into the songs profound narrative here.

Following support sets alongside London Grammar in Brisbane and BØRNS in Europe, a sold out national tour and a string of festival sets including Sydney’s Field Day and Falls Festival in Byron Bay, Wafia undertakes a North American tour next week after selling out her debut LA and NYC shows in 2017, making stops in Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City and more – see dates and details below.

Wafia joins the Global Citizen Initiative in 2018. Join the movement to ending extreme poverty and be in the running to win free tickets to one of her North American shows here. The VIII EP is out now via Future Classic. Buy/stream it here.

WAFIA TOUR DATES

January 22 – Vancouver, BC – The Cobalt
January 23 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
January 24 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
January 26 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
January 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Masonic Lodge
January 29 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
January 30 – Toronto, ON – Drake Hotel (SOLD OUT)
February 1 – Brooklyn NY – Rough Trade
February 2 – Boston, MA – Great Scott
February 3 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd

Tickets at wafiamusic.com

PRAISE FOR WAFIA

“Wafia just can’t seem to put a foot wrong at the moment…”
Best Before

“Wafia…is focused on making music that’s accessible to everyone.”
VICE’s Broadly

“…a celebration of identity, love, and resilience.”
HAPPY

“Wafia is using pop as protest. The 24-year-old makes a song about the Syrian refugee crisis ‘accessible’ with an uplifting, lightweight alt-pop melody.”
Harper’s Bazaar

‘Wafia continues to be one of Australia’s most important artists…”
Pilerats

“This Future Classic signee is flawless”
Run The Trap

“Cool, yearning R&B”
The FADER