Onur Sevigen walks the line between cultures in his exotic and captivating new single My Way — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Fusing R&B, hip hop, and a falsetto rivalling Prince, the Turkish-British singer-songwriter’s latest release is percussive and passionate — and perfectly captures a spirit in conflict. “Growing up the son of immigrant parents packs on more challenges than one’s average coming of age story,” Onur explains. “Trying to navigate relationships, life, ambitions and also not belonging fully to either country is almost like being bisexual and not ever fully experiencing what it is to love both sexes, or at least being repressed in a way by society to choose one or the other.”
The difficulty becomes particularly tangible when the narrator of My Way meets a young woman while trying to navigate the push-pull of his cultures:
“You give me something
You want that sweet life
But I just keep on running from nothing…
“East boy west boy, ain’t got a home
Wish it was simple, wish I could know
But when I see you, can’t lose my way.”
Previously known for his electronica / Britpop sound, in his new songs Onur mixes Eastern instruments like darbuka, davul and clarinet with Western sonics and bilingual lyrics to reflect his unique place within and between the two cultures. “It was important for me to use Middle Eastern instruments because this story originates from that geography and it only makes sense that so should the music,” he explains. “What drives my music has always been rhythm. And I wanted to combine my Western sensibilities of production with my new-found superpower, the darbuka!”
At 25 years old, the alternative R&B artist is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Shared with the world for the first time in 2018, his sound can be described as broken beats, soulful chords and guitar fuzz, combined with yesterday’s dusty drums and tomorrow’s sounds and samples. Onur is a hybrid of heroes who is pushing the envelope in the world of British R&B — a recipe that already brought him many fans.
Check out My Way above, hear more from Onur Sevigen below, and find your way to his website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
