Although she is only three singles into her career as an independent singer-songwriter, New York/New Jersey based Brazilian-American pop sensation Ashley Delima is quickly emerging as a powerful, socially conscious voice for her generation.
The daughter of Brazilian immigrants, her 2018 debut track “Stay in America,” mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers, Imagine Dragons) was a deep grooving anthem/shout out of support to those struggling to stay in the U.S. at a time when DACA – the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival immigration policy that allows some individuals who came here as minors to receive deferments and work permits – is being threatened.
That song and her high impact follow-up “Cigarette” have accumulated a total of over 100,000 Spotify streams, paving the way for her latest single “Fire in the Sky.” It’s a tense acoustic driven power ballad that is Ashley’s most intense and impassioned expression yet – and a bright showcase for both her conviction as a songwriter and emotional intensity as a vocalist.
Collaborating again with her creative team, two-time Grammy winner, Marc Swersky (Joe Cocker, Kesha, Hilary Duff) & veteran songwriter Brielle Brown, the 20-year-old artist crafts a hard- hitting clarion call for young and old alike to take a stand against darkness and oppression. Though she warns that “the ending has begun” and “there’s a fire in the sky,” the choice we make to remember and embrace our core values (love and freedom, to start) will make all the difference in determining if we can overcome the darkness.
Later in the song, she balances her gritty vibe singing the title over and over with angelic wordless vocals that offer hope and transcendence. She concludes by singing that while “we are children of war, and we will rise!” Mixed by Grammy winner Tony Black (Alicia Keys, Jay Z), the journey to this is underscored by varying tempos to convey different levels of intensity as Ashley’s message breaks through.
Photo Credit: Matt Lyons/Culture Theatre
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