donttouchrylie (Araoluwa Akintunde) is an alternative singer and songwriter whose sound always seeks to push boundaries and explore outside what the rules may be. Over the last year and a half since her last release, she has taken the time to find her voice and experiment with her sound in ways people might say is daring and exciting. Although her previous works where somewhat successful; with her debut EP, Asteria, propelling her in the Alternative iTunes chart (Nigeria) same day of release in 2020 and her single, Stuck in a Loop, made a list of 10 Standout Tracks compiled by NATIVE in April 2021.
However, unlike her previous works where she walked the lines between alternative pop and RnB, she settles into this new sound which she describes as “finally home”. As her new sound explores the lines between alternative rock and nu-metal with a little hint of orchestra, she promises both old and new listeners are in for a treat. “You may have heard this sound before but not from our underground scene,” she says. She hopes to establish herself as the “alt girl representation actually doing rock” that she’s been seeking to find in the Nigerian alternative scene.
Her latest project, “Yours Hauntingly”, is one to watch out for. “Yours Hauntingly”, produced by Jordo and engineered by Remidiprime, is a two-track single that explores the feelings that comes with being involved with an emotionally stunted lover.
The first track, “Do You Need Help”, talks about watching a lover indulge in self-sabotage (Watching you dance in the quiet, laughing aloud in the silence, oh my love, do you need help?”) and wanting to do anything to save them from themselves.
The second track, “Tell Me How To Breathe”, explores the aftermath of watching the relationship crumble and only the protagonist struggling to bring the pieces together (Look me in the face, tell me what went wrong? Tell me how to breathe…) but with futile efforts. Both tracks give a complete two-part story which will help the
listeners and fans understand that you cannot save anyone.
The project draws influences from bands/artists like Bring Me The Horizon and BABYMETAL.
