Chelsea Warner is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer from Sydney whose debut EP is titled 'Drama' that's slated for release in early November.
The R&B/ neo-soul artist has been working on the EP throughout the year, having started work on initial song ideas last year.The second track Chelsea has released from 'Drama' is the Maribelle-produced playful jam 'Not In The Mood', a song that explores themes of self-love and coming of age.
"'Not In The Mood' is about spending quality time with yourself," Chelsea says. "Hidden within its sassy, standoffish veneer is a profound self-love that says it's okay to just enjoy your own company.
"I wrote this track to try and understand myself better, noticing my desire to be more and more introverted. It's a love song to solitude, and a diss to people who can make you crave it."
Here, Chelsea shares five songs she wishes she'd written.
Celeste - 'Strange'
This song is so aching, and I've often thought about how absurd relationships are. It's wild how you can go from knowing someone so well to then not having anything in common.Celeste put it in such simple words and the chorus hits me in the heart every time. It moves me really deeply.
Erykah Badu - 'Appletree'
A true ode to the magic of curating your circle and not wasting your time trying to please others, this song is an absolute anthem for me. Erykah's quiet confidence is so inspiring.This song is sassy and self-assured without being mean or petty, and that's a balance I try to strike. I will aim my whole life to be half the storyteller Erykah Badu is.
Victoria Monét - 'Dive'
Double entendres aside, there's such a witty excellence in this song. I think it has a real subtle beauty and I love the idea of two minds connecting. It really captures the feeling of being enamoured by how someone's brain works and wanting to share your thoughts with someone who gets you.Also, Victoria's melodies are so beautiful – the line 'have a long conversation with me' gets me every time.
KAYTRANADA and Tinashe - 'The Worst In Me'
This is also a song I wish I produced. The sound choices, the weird chords, the fact that the song is detuned, Tinashe's butter-smooth, side-chained vocals. . . it all adds up and creates a song like nothing I've ever heard.Also KAYTRA's groove is, as always, crazy – the beat and bass lock in so nicely. The subject matter of people bringing out each other's worst traits is cool and something I've wanted to express before, but they got to it first.
SZA - 'Broken Clocks'
I can not, and will not, ever get over SZA's melody construction. There's never much repetition of sections, it's all so fluid, but somehow still so hooky?! She gravitates towards such interesting notes (the sequence "it's still love, it's still love, it's still love" is a good example of this).I listen to the melodies so intently that I don't even really know what the song is about, but I still wish I wrote it.
Chelsea Warner's 'Drama' EP is scheduled to drop 5 November.
