Miami native, Sabrina Claudio released her début EP entitled Confidently Lost last year to critical acclaim and over two million streams across SoundCloud and YouTube. Only a year before that, the twenty-year old singer moved to Los Angeles with her family in hopes of pursuing a musical career and it’s safe to say that the move has paid off.
Claudio has been growing her fan base ever since by performing in small venues around the US – her last gig being earlier this month at the Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side, NYC. Her intimate shows feature tracks from the R&B album and highlight the soul behind her vocals, whilst her repertoire is introspective and focuses on the themes of love and identity.
The title track off her EP is “Confidently Lost”, whose music video has seen more than a million views on Youtube. Remaining her most recognisable track, Claudio never fails to perform the song during her live shows and as part of her acoustic set.
The young singer embodies a sultry self-assurance in the music video, which is emulated through her delicate presence and soothing harmonies. Transporting us to a dimly lit lounge, Claudio’s vocal timbre comforts us as we drift away into the lyrics of the song.
Claudio claims the track denotes a time when she was between management deals and felt overwhelmed by not knowing how her career was going to progress… if at all. The lyrics more broadly speak to her generation who feel misplaced in society but know how to own said disorientation.
The poetically profound “Orion’s Belt” is a passionate tale of lovers connecting on an almost spiritual level. Claudio captivates listeners with lyrics such as “try not to wander off too much, don’t let your feels control you” and “he studied my freckles like the constellation”.
Starting melodic phrases on the offbeat allows us to centre ourselves with every percussive hit in what feels like a dream; one in which we are floating alongside Claudio’s airy vocals – emphasised further in the chorus, which she sings in her upper register.
The inclusion of subtle harmonies is a melodic theme throughout the EP and positively exploited in this track. Claudio’s vocal phrases end by her dynamically tailing off / clipping audio on several occasions – almost sounding as if the multiple harmonies merge into one.
In a stripped back acoustic version, Claudio delivers “Tell Me” in a sensually relaxing manner accompanied by guitar, LP soft shakers, and cajón. The vocal harmonies are potentially reminiscent of Claudio hearing several voices in her head as she sings to a frustrating lover.
The slow tempo track inflates melancholy interspersed between moments of passionate aggravation as Claudio sings, “tell me what you want, so I can understand your love”.
The official music video for “Tell Me” (released earlier this month) was produced as a compilation video alongside “Too Much Too Late”. Out of a six-track project, the latter is one of the more up-tempo R&B tracks on the EP. As the opening track, it provides a dance element to what is a predominantly dreamy-sounding album.
With a new project on the horizon, the young songstress has been teasing fans with snippets of her upcoming work via social media. Helping to get her creative juices flowing is Alex Tanas – the drummer from Canadian reggae-pop group, Magic!.
Make sure to download the Confidently Lost EP here, and keep tabs on Sabrina Claudio by following her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.
Words by Olga Maher
There is something so special about soul singers, you’re so right!