Photo Credit: Valeria Rios

Yola has released her first new single in three years, “Future Enemies,” alongside the track’s official live performance video. The number previews the songstress’ impending EP, My Way, slated to come out in full on November 15 via her new recording home, S-Curve Records. Today’s release aims to flaunt the artist’s mighty vocal range as a so-called “anthem for acquaintances,” the moment of insight when getting to know someone, where their true character emerges.

For the track, the six-time Grammy award-winning artist tapped producers Sean Douglas (Lizzo, Chris Brown, Madonna, Selena Gomez, and Sia) and Zach Skelton (Lil Nas X, John Legend, Paul McCartney) as Yola looks to open a new chapter, one that touches back on her roots, while also evoking a sense of the UK’s Broken Beat scene, R&B interplay mixed with an electronica lean–making for a synth-pop number destined for the dance floor. 

The British singer proposed the meaning behind the number via a press release: “There is a moment when you realise you’re not going to get on with someone. They haven’t noticed yet, so you have a unique opportunity to disappear from their lives before they ever realise you were destined to be enemies. It’s a luxury to not have an endless supply of negative memories about someone cause you never made them.”

Continuing, “I choose to save my time for situations, spaces and people that have no ticking timer of inevitable doom, because they don’t see me or centre a reality that does not serve me or my wellbeing. Of course when you’re a woman, culturally black (as well as physically black), dark skinned (and feminine in energy), plus size (and wilfully main character in energy), from a whole different continent and living in the west- let’s say you’re going to have to be both vigilant and choosy in life, in love in work. Oh and if you also want to be real, girl!” 

Watch Yola’s official live performance video for “Future Enemies.”