HAVIAH MIGHTY MOVES WAY TOO FAST ON NEW SINGLE FEATURING JALEN SANTOY
WATCH VISUALIZER
THIRTEEN NOMINATED FOR 2021 PRISM PRIZE
Toronto, ON – April 30, 2021 – As a change of season takes place, so does collective pace. Polaris Music Prize-winning Toronto artist, rapper and producer, Haviah Mighty, revs things up in a reflection on her progress to date with new single,Way Too Fast, featuring North Carolina rapper, Jalen Santoy. It’s a song for dreamers, highlighting where Haviah hopes to be, what she strives to achieve, and support to those who wish for the same. Listen to Way Too Fast and watch the visualizer.
Produced by Haviah and Mighty Prynce, ideas for the song started in 2019 – the year Haviah released her album, 13thFloor – abundant with travel opportunities, gigs across North America and Europe, and one of her biggest accolades. Revisiting the momentum she felt in her career, Haviah says:
“A few months later, I won the Polaris Music Prize for my album, and my pre-conceived ideas around what I was capable of achieving completely withered away. What felt impossible, now felt possible - maybe even probable. I felt this internal surge of self-belief – it was belly deep, at the pit of my core. From then on, and to this day, I thoroughly believe I have what it takes to achieve my wildest dreams. This song is a reminder to dream big, and to not put a cap on your goals and limit your potential. As a people, we’ve come so far. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the work that has yet to be done, but sometimes, we have to remind ourselves of the inevitable rewards as well.”
Where energies align, collaboration follows, as Haviah and Jalen Santoy first connected when they played an Uncrwned show together in Toronto in January 2018. Way Too Fast follows Haviah’s March single, Good On My Own Tonight (featuring fellow Toronto artist, TOBi). The song focuses on realizing you’re better off going solo, putting yourself first. Listen to the song here, and check out the visual by BlackPowerBarbie (who has crafting the art for Haviah’s latest releases) here.
In addition, Haviah’s 2020 visual for Thirteen, a standout from her Polaris Music Prize-winning 13th Floor was nominated for a 2021 Prism Prize this week. Referencing the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery, the lyrics and accompanying illustrated video by Toronto artist, Theo Kapodistrias, expose the roots of systemic racism – watch it here.
Haviah has been working hard in the studio, honing her production skills and writing an array of new music. Recent tracks include Obeah, Antisocial (featuring Denver, CO-based rapper, Old Man Saxon, and produced by Haviah and Devontée), Atlantic, and Occasion. The songs are a sample of what Haviah has been building this year, and embody experiences personal to Haviah, with universal themes reflecting our times.
Listen to Way Too Fast (featuring Jalen Santoy) | Watch Way Too Fast
Listen to 13th Floor here | Purchase 13th Floor on vinyl here
Art by BlackPowerBarbie (@blackpowerbarbie)
Photo by Yung Yemi (@yung.yemi)
DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Press Photo | DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Artwork
About Haviah Mighty
Haviah Mighty didn’t need to change her birth name when she decided to dedicate her career to music. Mighty could not better describe Haviah’s craft of provocative challenges and uncompromising truths.
Based out of Toronto, Haviah has spent a lifetime developing her skills as a songwriter, vocalist, producer, and performer culminating in a style of profound introspection and incisive socio-political critique. Her dynamic combinations of rap, song, and instrumental, transition seamlessly from hip-hop to soul to afrobeats with a meticulous flow and cadence that transcends any traditional expectation of genre. 2019 saw Haviah earn break-out success with her album, 13th Floor, garnering overwhelming praise from publications such as Pitchfork and Billboard, and making her the first hip-hop artist and the first Black woman to win the Polaris Music Prize, celebrating the “best Canadian album of the year”.
In 2020, the recognition spread internationally. Haviah made an acclaimed appearance on Sway in the Morning, impressing with a performance of immaculate flow and fierce lyricism, “showing you something you NEED to be looking at.” Likewise, in the UK, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders recognized Haviah as “one of the most exciting new rappers out there.”
2021 might have seen Haviah’s momentum stalled by a certain global pandemic…But for Haviah, attrition is met with defiance, and hardship with inspiration. She describes the enforced solitude of lockdown as not an obstacle, but “a window of immense opportunity” to develop the art that has always been a realization of deep contemplation and self-examination. Haviah pushes forward continuing to carve out spaces that boldly defy gendered expectations for women in hip-hop.
Stay locked in for new projects to challenge, move, and entertain, coming your way soon. Unyielding and irresistible - Haviah Mighty will be heard.