Winona Oak. Doesn’t that name ring a bell? If it doesn’t, get used to it because she is coming to wreck your favourites’ list. And she’s not coming alone.
She released a self-love anthem, “With Myself” on 2 September, and has come back with Belgium-born-and-based artist Taska Black with a remix of the same song, on 18 September.
Okay, that’s information overload. Let’s rewind.
Winona Oak, like many of us singing in our bathrooms, had a dream of creating her own music, and letting the world hear it. She was born in a musical family in Sweden and has worked her way up to make her dreams a reality.
Her journey started when she attended the Neon Gold Records writing retreat in Nicaragua, which was when she wrote her first song, “Beautiful” with What So Not. Since then, she has released many more songs to date, including collabs and an EP.
Her most popular and notable project would probably be her collab with The Chainsmokers, “Hope”, that garnered over 500 million streams globally. Remember? The one where they were all over the floor? Iconic.
Anyway, her latest creation, a song that she co-wrote, “With Myself”, is one that is bound to take your breath away. I mean, the empowering message, and the pure shade directed at her exes (and maybe even yours), is one for the history books.
I’m not the type to let go of legendary lyrics, so allow me to share some of them with you.
Exhibit A:
“I’m thinking about my money
All the things I wanna buy me
I don’t need nobody else”
An independent woman counting her money and buying herself gifts to pamper and love herself, because who needs a partner to do that for you, right? YES.
Exhibit B:
“And there’s so much space to breathe
When it’s just myself and me
There’s room for no one else in my bed”
Sure, sleeping by the person you love every night is appealing, except that person you love is YOU, and you also have all the space on that bed to yourself. The confidence and strength are blinding.
Oak poured her heart out in this song, and you can hear it. The music video, the lyrics, and her beautiful voice combine magically, to enchant you into her world, where you feel what she feels, and maybe even remember your own feelings.
But remember what I said about Winona Oak not coming alone? Well, she’s here with Taska Black.
On Friday, September 18, a Taska Black remix of “With Myself” was released to steal our hearts. And they succeeded.
The remix is more blood-pumping than the original. When you turn it up to the loudest volume your device can muster, you feel like you’re in a daze throughout the song, while your body moves with the music without you realising. Then, when it ends, it hits you – you love this song.
So who is the creator of this powerful remix that you won’t be able to get out of your head? Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Taska Black.
Born and based in Belgium, Black had a dream to establish himself as an all-rounded artist – a songwriter, a vocalist, a producer, EVERYTHING. And today, he is halfway there, while having been certified by Billboard Dance in their Ones to Watch series, who called him a fierce talent.
In 2016, Black released his first single, “Leave Me” on bitbird, which has garnered more than 6 million streams across all platforms collectively. After which, he released many more songs, each receiving millions of streams as well, including, “Right Here, Right Now”, a collab with San Holo, and “Forever”, on Martin Garrix’s STMPD RCRDS.
Taska Black once again proves his all-roundedness by trying to explore different genres like Dance and Electronic, while now moving into Pop with “With Myself”.
This song has such a positive message, and a fantastic sound, that makes you want to drop everything and just dance. You NEED to listen to it. So allow me to make that easier for you.
Crank up the volume of your device, or find your earpiece and connect it right now, and click on the links below to instantly fall in love with what could be your next favourite song. You’re welcome!
Get your listen in on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Music!
Visuals courtesy of Julian Gillstrom.