Natalie Exora puts motherhood in the spotlight (in more ways than one) on her new double-sided single Nightlight and Nightlight (The Flipside) — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
For her third single, the Trinidad & Tobago-born singer-songwriter tackles the subject of motherhood — something the mother of four is very familiar with. The single is an EDM-laced pop power ballad that puts one in mind of latter-career Celine Dion, with robust vocals accompanied by a high-energy beat and sumptuous instrumentals.
The song examines only one side of motherhood, though. As Exora explains, “Motherhood… is simply too big to be contained and expressed one way. You are the ultimate Protector. This culminates in my artistically original idea of expressing the theme two ways, through one song musically.”
To this end, and in a breakthrough approach, Exora recorded the track as a double-sided single: Side A is the original EDM-pop song, while Side B features a stripped-down piano version which she aptly calls Nightlight (The Flipside).
“The A-side, Nightlight, is energetic, fierce and fun; it represents the outside view we feel safe showing the world. The B-side, Nightlight (The Flipside), is vulnerable and emotional; it’s the inside view that only a few will get to see,” Exora says. “Nightlight is one song, two sides. It’s a musical glimpse into two perspectives of being a protector, but most of all, Nightlight is about love.”
When Exora arrived in Toronto to pursue her passion for music, she built the foundations of an exciting career collaborating with Juno-winning artists and opening for a slew of high-profile acts. But it wasn’t until she received a life-changing piece of advice from Canadian guitar legend, Rik Emmett of Triumph, that would set her on a completely new and exciting course in just four words: “You need to sing.”
And sing she has, lending her deep, rich, classical voice to two singles released last year. The first, What Are You Waiting For?, is a formidable debut, setting the tone for Exora’s signature introspective lyrics paired with a chill, synth-pop vibe. Her second single, Perfect, is a ballad reminiscent of early-’90s dream-pop that has drawn comparisons to Madonna.
Check out Nightlight and Nightlight (The Flipside) above, hear more from Natalie Exora below, and follow her on Instagram.
