A conflicted mind can cause utter chaos. For Saba Abraha, a D.C.-area R&B singer, music is her outlet to unpack her thoughts to keep from spiraling. Abraha's writing process for her latest track "Do's & Don'ts," occurred after the death of her father and a sudden immersion into circles the music industry, a sequence of events that left her reeling in confusion.
Abraha's vocals slide over glittery and sharply splintered production by De'Jour Thomas. She depicts this time in song as moonlit "crossroads to the unknown."
"Nightmares of demons, I wish I was awake / Seems like the people have lost themselves in vain / I wish to recover from this, but it causes pain / I choose to know myself / I wish to wish you help," she sings in the second verse.
"I had questions that seemed like no one could answer," Abraha tells NPR Music. "In a way, you could say the harsh realities of the world were suddenly in focus. Shortly after, I fell into a new world of music; where people wore masks and grinned at your shortcomings. It seemed I was constantly rummaging through the lessons I was raised on, attempting to find the missing piece of the puzzle "
Abraha's inspirations range from Missy Elliott to Corinne Bailey Rae for, as she puts it, "their unique approach and unwillingness to stray from their truth." The singer employs the same sense of fearlessness with this single. These dark hues and knowing vocals of "Do's and Don'ts" serve as the foundation for the artist's forthcoming sophomore EP, due out later this year, and will help to settle the dust of a dizzied subconscious with each replay.
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