Buzzy Collab
“I wanted to try something new,” the singer tells Rolling Stone
Newcomer Aleesha has been playing with a wide sound palette: The up-and-coming singer might be known for silky R&B experiments, but recently, she’s been doing everything she can get her hands on. She jumped headfirst into lo-fi rock on the track “Amigos” last month, and she showed off her sleek balladry on “MIA.” Now, she’s teamed up with Dominican mainstays Haraca Kiko and El Cherry Scom for the dembow track “Melacomo.”
Aleesha, whose based in Barcelona and grew up in Ibiza, says that she came up with the song while visiting the island. “I wanted to try something new,” she says, adding that she wanted to write a song for people to dance to. “I freestyled the song just having fun and everyone liked it. I sent it to Cherry and Haraca they loved it too.”
Haraca Kiko tells Rolling Stone that he met Aleesha at a studio on the island during the pandemic. “Her energy was cool — she felt like part of the family. So, when she experimented with this sound and sent us over the track, I knew it was a hit.” The track reflects the global dominance of dembow: Last year, J Balvin and Rosalia both teamed up with dembow star Tokischa for buzzed-about collaborations. More artists, like French Montana and will.i.am, have continued flocking to the sound in 2022.
Aleesha dropped the EP La Patrona earlier this year and tells Rolling Stone exclusively that she has another one planned for later this fall.