La Coco is no stranger to captivating an audience with her prolific vocal talent, piercing lyricism and tasteful delivery. A frequent flyer at the Pacific Music Awards and recipient of the 2019 Waiata Maori Music Award for Best R&B album; the proud Mangere reping talent is one worth keeping your eyes and ears firmly locked onto.
Speaking of talent, La Coco’s new release; Another, an RnB, pop-dance-soul fusion, showcases not only her genre-bending versatility but also her unique savvy for collaboration. Produced by M4 (one of the most exciting young producers in recent memory). He showcases his wide-ranging production talent which belies his young age (22). Featured on this track is fellow Auckland-based vocal extraordinaire Hawkins.
Another sees La Coco seeking clarification from her lover as to whether her affection is going unrequited due to the presence of “Another Lover”. Her proficiency with the pen and vocals are evident throughout. Hawkins responds in a mannerism befitting of the other party, “I build you up just to let you down”. Hawkins performance is haunting, menacing and beautiful. M4 provides a striking European feel Pop-Dance backdrop (reminiscent of Bailey Wiley’s Take It From Me) which allows the melancholic themes to thrive amongst the vocal strength of La Coco and Hawkins. These two are truly amongst the Sammy J’s, Stan Walker’s and Aaradhna’s of the world when it comes to NZ vocalists.
Certainly, a strong release amongst the La Coco catalogue, Another is definitely a record I enjoyed. Great mahi, great talent!