Neo-Soul artist Arlana didn’t always see herself as an independent artist. Born Tauniasha Arlana Boleyjack to evangelical parents, she grew up in a very musical household and began writing songs at the age of nine. Somewhere around her early teens she decided she would be a singer-songwriter, and started bringing her guitar to school and honing her writing and performing skills.
At 19, Arlana was accepted to Belmont University’s School of Music and began exploring her sound, studying and seeking inspiration from artists like Robert Glasper and Sarah Vaughan. Now, her eclectic music tastes drive her to interpolate elements of Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Soul into a melting pot of groovy sounds, reverberating underneath honest and thoughtful lyricism.
Following the release of her single Authenticity, her debut album named Songbird: Part Une mixes these same elements, while she explores coping with depression, unrequited love, and inner conflicts facing most 20-somethings at the turn of the decade.