The stars are aligned in Ayoka’s world, and her 2021 vision includes mastering her music as she does with healing the universe and those around her. As an active astrologer and spiritualist, Ayoka’s music boasts a spiritual drift with seductive hints and moody undertones. The Los Angeles artist has been involved with music her whole life; she’s been singing since childhood and even went to school for it on top of professional training. She learned to examine music at a young age when her parents raised her on the classics like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tupac, and Sade. She dropped her first single in February 2020 and is so immersed in her decorated sounds you would think it’s her full-time job. Yet her main public persona is spirituality, and Ayoka is a queen at transitioning it into her velveteen tracks. Her lyrics aren’t just words penned on paper; they’re personal experiences and stories meant to be shared.
Venus, Ayoka’s debut album, dives deep into spirituality and astrology; she’s a Libra, which is ruled by Venus, and it influences two major components of her life, love and relationships. The album portrays the intimate, innocent, and complicated components of romance and was deeply inspired by past relationships. She took a year to fully craft Venus, making sure to access her mind’s inner workings to create the most profound debut. Ayoka tells V13 Magazine, “Venus really encapsulates around ten years of different versions of who I’ve been, who I am, and what I strive to achieve in love and relationships.”
Ayoka takes it a step further with “Elevate,” the lead single off of Venus, and introduces her moody and enchanting aura through a failing relationship that both parties can’t seem to get away from fully. She shimmers in her emerald silk dress and charms the camera with alluring eye contact. While she teases her love interest, Ayoka’s frank lyricism wants her partner to do better and improve himself. The tense hip-hop beat underneath her satin vocals evokes the raw nuances of the singer’s style. Her moniker, Ayoka, is derived from the Yoruba language. It means “one who causes joy” or “one who causes joy all around.” No matter what mood Ayoka brings to the table, she gives us authenticity and a forthright perspective on the ups and downs of love.
