The Music That Made Me #0002 - Paige Bea

South London’s Paige Bea has released her new single ‘Impossibly’, fusing together dark electronic with jazz and a hint of soul. She took a moment to talk to us about buying the first Arctic Monkeys album and how Ariana Grande is pop perfection.

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What was the first song/album you listened to?

It would most likely be something my parents were playing in the 90s, which would be anything from Moloko, Sade, Nanci Griffith or Carly Simon. Or a tape I had from S Club 7. I do remember the first album I ever bought though, which was Arctic Monkeys 'Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’. I thought I was cool because the cover had a guy puffing on a cigarette. Mum disapproved. 

Which song/album is your guilty pleasure? 

’Breathin’ by Ariana Grande - that voice! It is pop perfection. 

What song/album do you wish you wrote? 

Blood Orange - 'Freetown Sound'. But I think in terms of the lyrical content and concept, it’s not something I could ever have written being white, and incredibly privileged. It probably would’ve been cool to write 'Baduizm’, and to pioneer the entire genre of Neo-Soul… But also I could probably die happy if I'd written James Blake’s ‘Overgrown'.

What song/album gets you dancing?

Oumou Sangaré - 'Kamelemba'. My friends and I accidentally played a fake DJ set to an adoring crowd a few weeks ago and this was the first track we spun. The dancefloor swelled. 

Which song/album do you think describes you the most as a person?

I’d probably tell people I’m Kelis, ‘Tasty', but I’m much more Aldous Harding ‘Party' when I’m on my own. 

What is your favorite song/album this year? 

Tirzah - 'Devotion'. The production is super minimal, but the instrumentation and arrangement feels really unique. It’s an exercise in less is more, and the lyricism follows suit.