iYA Feels Deeply.

By Mrs M

There’s something familiar about iYA not in a déjà vu kind of way, but in the way you hear her voice and instantly feel like she’s always been there.

 Her music is honest, unforced, and full of feeling. Since 2022, the Eswatini-born singer and songwriter has been carving out a space that’s all her own. 

And now, with her debut album I ‘Feel Deeply’ dropping June 27, she’s ready to go even deeper.

If you’ve been following her journey, you know this moment didn’t happen overnight. iYA has spent the last three years doing the work quietly, consistently.

From her debut EP Straight Up to the soul-shaping In My Feels (co-written and produced by Grammy winner Manana), she’s built a sound that doesn’t try to prove anything. 

Then came In My Feels in 2023, her second EP, co-written and produced by Grammy award-winning South African singer/songwriter Manana. That collaboration wasn’t just a smart move, it was a defining one. 

The EP, which iYA said helped her discover what she really wanted to say, gave her sound depth. Her lyrics became sharper, her melodies more vulnerable. And people noticed.

“In My Feels helped me tap into my emotions in a more structured way. wanted to talk about what it means to feel everything, all at once. And not apologise for it.” She has said in interviews.

Since then, iYA has been a steady presence on stages across Eswatini, South Africa, and Botswana. 

She’s performed at the country’s most prestigious arts festival, MTN Bushfire three years in a row and has also made appearances on shows like SABC 3’s Expresso Morning Show. 

Her music has been playlisted across radio stations in Southern Africa and beyond, including South Africa’s Power FM, the UK’s Gold Dust Radio, and Botswana’s Radio Botswana 2. Eswatini’s own EBIS keeps her music in rotation.

But it’s not just the reach of her music that matters. It’s how her music feels.When she speaks about her craft, even if it's through her music she keeps it simple. 

You don’t need to be a critic to get that. Just watch the 30- and 60-second visual teasers she’s released in the lead-up to her debut album.

Both are warm-toned, stripped down, and heavy with mood. No gimmicks. No overproduction. Just the artist, the sound, and a story told through looks, movement, and melody.

If those visuals are anything to go by, ‘I Feel Deeply’ will be a continuation of the emotional intimacy we’ve come to expect from iYA, with a little more confidence and a bigger stage to stand on.

 With this project it feels as though she is finally ready to show the full version of who she is. 

Older fans of RnB will find something familiar in her tone not in a copycat way, but in the way she evokes feeling. 

She brings to mind the likes of Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, and early India.Arie women who built worlds out of their inner lives. The sound is modern, but the spirit is old soul.

As for her work ethic, iYA is the kind of artist who shows up for the art. Since 2022, she’s performed consistently at live gigs, sometimes intimate listening sessions, other times on big festival stages. Her live sets are known for their minimalism. 

She often appears with a band or acoustic backing, allowing her voice to be front and centre. People who’ve seen her live say the same thing, she doesn’t perform at the crowd she performs with them.

And yet, she’s still remarkably down to earth. Despite working with celebrated creatives and growing her profile across the region, iYA remains calm and grounded.

The music, for her, is sacred. And that’s what fans have come to love most about her. Her stories feel honest. Her voice feels familiar. And her songs feel like letters you once wrote but never sent.

Looking back at Straight Up, her first EP, you hear the rawness of someone just entering the scene. Songs like ‘Skin’ and ‘Call me’ introduced listeners to a voice that was still finding itself but even then, it was clear that this was someone to watch. 

The songwriting was introspective. The production was clean but not cold. It was the kind of debut that doesn’t scream for attention, but quietly demands respect.

Then came In My Feels and that’s where things got personal. She was more vulnerable on that project, she spoke about love, heartbreak, hope. 

She was honest, even when it wasn’t comfortable. The EP’s standout track, Skin became a fan favorite, with many praising its stripped-down production and lyrical openness.

Now, with ‘ I Feel Deeply’ just weeks away, iYA enters a new chapter, one that stands to be a truest reflection of her artistry so far. 

Once again, Manana is involved, both co-writing and producing the album. The two seem to have found a working rhythm that allows iYA to stay true to her voice while also elevating her sound.

If there’s one word that keeps coming up when people talk about iYA, it’s real.

Not in the overused, marketing-tagline kind of way. But in the sense that her music comes from a lived place. 

She sings like someone who’s been through things but more importantly, she sings like someone who’s made peace with her feelings.

As we wait for the full release of I Feel Deeply, there’s something comforting in knowing that artists like iYA still exist.

 Artists who believe in the music first. Artists who don’t just want to be seen, but want to be felt. She may be rising, but she’s not rushing. And maybe that’s the magic of her.