Austin’s R&B scene…it’s out there; you just gotta know where to look. Now, we’ve kept a close watch on Mélat, Anastasia Hera & The Heroes, and Daniel Fears…but another Texas native has you’ll want to keep on your R&B radar is Azurah Vibez. There’s a chance you recognize the name from a feature we did a couple years back on Brighton Beach’s DVMA/Dama Nilz, but much more likely you’ve seen her name on bills opening for Justin Timberlake, P-Funk, Stevie Wonder, and Black Puma’s Jaron Marshall. In the pre-pandemic days, Azurah also curated the Soapbox Sessions Open Mic series alongside her Musical Director/House Band Leader D-Madness. And yet, in the eyes of the public, her immaculate set of pipes have yet to appear within Azurah Vibez’ azimuth. However, this past year, that all changed.
At the tail end of February, Azurah Vibez dropped her debut studio single, the reggae-R&B foot-rocker “Lover’s Paradise”, following it up with her sophomore “Headbanger” in mid-August. Once again produced by D-Madness, “Headbanger” immediately begs comparison to Dangerously In Love-era Beyoncé and’ll leave you eager for AZ’s first full-length (due out next year). With D-Madness’ MIDI flutes, live drums, and sensational six-string skills, Azurah Vibez received an ideal backdrop to go all out on “Headbanger”. And as tantalizing as “Headbanger” is on its own, it’s nothing compared to the song’s visual counterpart, which voraciously gyrates its way into the ever-growing collection of greatest twerk videos (from Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, and more).
–Jack Anderson [Instagram/Twitter]
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