Photo by Valence
The Secret Promise of SAIAH’s “radio.fm”
By Rowan Nepali
Evoking the feeling of a warm summer night cruising the backroads with the windows down and the stereo blasting, “radio.fm” is a sonic hot breath on the back of your neck. The dreamy vocals layered over soothing guitars, a looping bass, and a stripped-back drum kit–punctuated by a summery trap beat break–make for a sonic beach bonfire. I’d make out with this song if I could.
The latest track from Queer Black artist SAIAH is an indie pop diversion from their usual lo-fi, punk-inspired sound. But the punk influence is there, chasing SAIAH’s restrained vocals like a secret kinky promise that there’s more going on beneath the surface.
SAIAH’s musical journey, from driven indie punk anthems like “HEART(BREAK)” and “CHEATER” to the last release to their lo-fi afterparty mosh “5 minutes til dawn” in many ways mirrors their journey from high-school track star to an up-and-coming musical artist. It’s a surprising and unexpected path to follow but worth every minute. It’s no more surprising that SAIAH is an OG Tony Hawk: Pro Skater fan than that the artist claims musical influences ranging from Tame Impala and Kid Cudi to Frank Ocean. SAIAH is large. They contain multitudes.
“radio.fm” is available on all the major streaming platforms. And you’ll want to follow @iloveyousaiah on the socials.