On Heavenly Pure Roses: VAYA VAYA’s Voice At The Threshold

"It’s an entire genesis, stolen and biased, that must be reconstructed, put back on its feet, one might even say, created."

With these words, VAYA VAYA opens “STEP IN”, her latest release under the ELUSIVE THUGS project. A singer, songwriter, and performer who uses music as a vehicle for resistance, VAYA VAYA positions her voice not simply as an instrument but as testimony.

Released on September 7 with an accompanying lyric video, STEP IN presents VAYA VAYA at her most introspective. Where earlier tracks like !STAND UP! pulse with urgency, this piece moves more slowly, building its power from restraint rather than volume.

Her alto voice grounds the song. At times it trembles with vulnerability, at others it sharpens into a near-cry. The delivery echoes the duality of the lyrics, which shift between intimate grief and collective defiance. Lines such as “How could you rip / The Genesis of Us” resonate as both a personal address and a wider commentary on history’s distortions.

Musically, the arrangement is spare. Guitars enter like distant sirens, bass notes hang heavy, and silences are left deliberately intact. Rather than filling space, VAYA VAYA allows breath and absence to serve as part of the song’s structure. This restraint amplifies the chorus, where her voice rises into the declarative: “We declare a war / For a permanent love.”

The strength of STEP IN lies in its refusal to resolve neatly. Instead of closing with triumph or release, the final verse lingers on an open question: “So when will the coveted and promised hour come when men, like will women focus on their essentials to offer the world the best?” Here, VAYA VAYA channels both lament and challenge, leaving listeners unsettled yet reflective.

In this way, STEP IN marks an important turn in her work. It is not an anthem in the conventional sense but a meditation—a song that asks the audience to enter into its tension. For VAYA VAYA, singing becomes an act of reclamation: of memory, of dignity, and of the possibility of permanent love.

From September 18 to 20, VAYA VAYA presented a three-night residency at a Toronto club, a venue long associated with independent and experimental performance. The concerts featured STEP IN alongside EVER IN, !STAND UP!, BUMP IT, and BLOW OUT. This series marked the first time these four tracks were performed together in a live context.

The Club is known for its modest setting, provided shows that highlighted sound and lyric over elaborate staging. VAYA emphasized voice and text as central to her work, and the format of the venue proved consistent with that approach.

Each evening opened with STEP IN. Based on rehearsal accounts, the live version diverged from the recorded track through extended instrumental passages and shifts in vocal dynamics. This choice framed the song as a point of entry into the broader themes of the residency.

Other songs introduced contrast: !STAND UP! was structured around lines designed for audience response, while BLOW OUT incorporated heavier guitar and percussion. EVER IN concluded the set with a slower tempo and reflective tone.

For audiences, the residency provided an opportunity to engage with VAYA VAYA’s most recent material in an immediate setting. The three-night program was presented as part of her ongoing exploration of music as testimony and dialogue, connecting recorded work with live performance.

LINKS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

• https://vaya.am/
• https://www.youtube.com/@VAYA_AM12
• https://www.instagram.com/vaya.vaya_am/
• https://www.instagram.com/elusive_thugs/

BDG Media newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.