British-Nigerian artist Essence Martins soothes us into September with new single “Quiet & Perfect,” out now.
Combining elements of indie, folk, pop, and soul, Essence’s sound is uniquely her own. Talking about her latest release, Essence explains, “‘Quiet and Perfect’ is a song about yearning for the perfect kind of love. It’s a fantasy about getting all you want in a person and a relationship. Many of us grew up watching love stories on TV and in films, which often depict a heightened romantic love. I later realised the many inaccuracies in them. Many had unrealistic standards of love that were either toxic and full of drama or too perfect, like in a lot of Disney movies where real struggles were not included.
We all watch TV and movies to be entertained, and I love watching a heightened reality, but as a result of being young and naive, I feel like I had a warped idea of love. Even though I haven’t yet experienced it myself, I’ve witnessed that a lot of successful relationships are the ones that are simple and feel easy. They might even seem boring at first glance, and of course, they’re never completely perfect. But I think that perfect love is embracing imperfections in one another and finding treasure in the simple, mundane aspects of life as well as the big, exciting things. Sometimes love can be ‘quiet and perfect’ in that sense.”
Born and raised in North West London, Essence was always surrounded by sport, specifically tennis, practicing and competing in tournaments. After a year of studying Sports Science and Biology in the US on a tennis scholarship, she made the life-altering decision to follow her heart and pursue a career in music, and she’s not looked back since.
“Quiet & Perfect” is in stores now.
