‘It tells a love story’ 

• Melissa Stephen on her brand new single ‘Shawty Let’s Go’ 

Sri Lankan musician Melissa Stephen premiered her most recent original single titled Shawty Let’s Go on 30 January 2022 via her official YouTube channel.

Produced by Malcolm Finum Galadima, assisted by Rachel Halliday, the lyrics for the song were penned by Melissa herself.

Speaking to Brunch, Melissa shared that Shawty Let’s Go chronicles a love story with a positive uplifting message at its core. “It tells a love story; to leave the bad guy and to go with the good one,” she said.

She shared that she was really inspired to create something that was feel-good and upbeat. The Afropop/Afrobeat genre adopted for the track really carries its positive and lighthearted narrative. The song is definitely going to be an ear worm and pretty perfect for a fun laid-back listening experience.

It is interesting to note how Melissa is primarily known to her audience as a rapper; while, of course, she has showcased her skill set as an artist, she is most known among Sri Lankan audiences for her rapping. However, in Shawty Let’s Go, Melissa takes on a different challenge. “It’s not that I am avoiding rap; it’s more of me wanting to showcase all these different sides to my music,” she said.

She stated that considering how this is in fact her fifth original single to be released, she has hit somewhat of a stride in her artistry and she feels as though she has found her sound. Therefore, she hopes to further explore and experiment and be as well-rounded as a musician as she possibly could. 

Considering how Melissa is predominantly an artist who sings in the English language, we asked her how her experience is with getting her music out there in a country such as ours where English language entertainment is not the mainstream. “It’s definitely a niche market, but I hope that one day I can break through to the masses,” said Melissa, adding: “My first language is English and I want to show the world that really amazing English language music can come from our little island,” she said.

The track was released alongside an animated lyric video – animated by The Etched Crow, the video is quite stunning. With vibrant colours and dynamic movements, the music video is a perfect pairing for the vibe of the song. Sharing her thoughts on how the music video came together, Melissa said: “When I was writing the song, what first popped into my head was this image of me riding a tuk tuk through the streets of our beautiful island.”

The video has incorporated iconic Sri Lankan imagery – the tuk tuk, of course; the golden sun sinking into the ocean; and our line of sight framed by the endless lining of coconut trees along the coastline. 

Melissa also shared that she wanted to have a memorable lyric video because she wants people to pick up on the lyrics, which are simple and catchy, and for them to sing along to her song.

Melissa shared that the response so far for this release has been wonderful and she has always had plans to potentially release an album, and she believes that 2022 might just be the year for it. 

“Shawty Let’s Go” is now available to listen on: 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0cMAEzFOwj55MPUD3STbUw?si=JpmU1tGdS0aC_ZumVPxbtA

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/lk/album/shawty-lets-go/1603589386?i=1603589391

To stay updated on Melissa’s latest work, follow her on: 

TikTok: @melissastephenofficial 

Instagram: @melissastephenofficial

Facebook: Melc Stephen

YouTube: Melissa Stephen