On “NON-FICTION,” Moyana balances atmosphere with urgency

Few artists I’ve encountered recently carry the same level of societal awareness as Chicago-based R&B artist Moyana.

On her new single “NON-FICTION,” which dropped Feb. 27, that awareness is on full display.

“NON-FICTION” opens with a thick, low-end grumble and icy synth chords before settling into mid-paced, head-bobbing drums and a hazy atmosphere.

Despite that cloudiness, a sense of urgency runs throughout the track, driven largely by those same synths.

Tackling heavy subject matter, Moyana’s lyrics are as kaleidoscopic as they are incisive:

“I don’t want to see another flag at half-mast from kids’ mass cut short by ‘stop and get down, class,’” she raps in the song’s first verse.

Even with its weighty themes, “NON-FICTION” remains a track with plenty to celebrate artistically. Most striking is how vividly Moyana captures the urgency of the current moment in her lyrics.

Listen to “NON-FICTION” here: https://open.spotify.com/track/2gsb5qEwf7tpV3P3p3C5dq?si=ZfMXPyzJTuOjlX0ZSp3e9A