‘He wants coffee, but I am tea’. Something so simple can be so soul-wrenching. Using ordinary tea-time beverages can convey a feeling so deep and profound that it hits your soul like a punch in the gut. This is the magic of words that Numcha brings us all. And it’s also the title of her EP that was released earlier this month: hewantscoffeebutiamtea. This indie-pop singer-songwriter from Thailand dropped a four-song EP in English, singing about heartbreak and healing.
The best part? She’s bringing the magic to Singapore to sing to our hearts on 26 August at Singapore’s Music Mosaic Series!
This dreamy EP consists of four songs: afterglow, powder blue, floor, and cup of tea. With these tracks, Numcha captures a myriad of rollercoaster emotions that have touched not only Numcha herself but also those she’s observed closely. She shared that she witnessed others who suffered and tried “to be fine through a thunderstorm” and emerged from the tumultuous journey even stronger, like a butterfly, which you can see scattered around her EP art.
With heartfelt dedication, she presents this EP as a tribute to all of us who have ridden the waves of emotional highs and lows and inspires us to seek hope and possibilities all around. Each song spotlights Numcha’s soft and soothing voice with the accompaniment of an instrumental that highlights the theme of each song.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
Afterglow
afterglow is a magnificent word, but Numcha gives this word a whole new meaning with this song. As the focus track of this EP, it highlights a more positive theme as it explores the aftermath of challenging phases.
It’s a song of comfort – the kind you listen to as you ride your bicycle, as you have your morning jam-out while you get ready for the day, and as you peek out the window of the bus, living out your main character moment.
The instrumental will have you whipping out your air guitar as you rock out. The juxtaposition of the rock-style instrumental against Numcha’s soft voice is wonderful in conveying the light that peeks through the darkness after a thunderstorm.
afterglow is an empowering song that brightens, inspires, and addicts.
powder blue
powder blue is a song I imagine chancing upon while listening to the radio on a drive to the beach. As soon as the chorus hits, it will leave you chanting the words and humming the melody for the rest of the day!
The instrumental is bright and cheery, successfully distracting you from the true melancholy dripping from the words:
Oh I see myself back in disguise.
Days are tough and I can’t feel my mind.
But people that I see seem doing fine.
They just told me “you will be alright”.
A disguise? Like how the upbeat melody disguises the heaviness weighing down the persona’s heart? The same disguise we wear when someone asks how you are, and you say you’re alright? A work of art right here, if you ask me!
powder blue is a song for all of us who feel the need to wear a mask as soon as we step out of our homes. This song makes you feel like you can take it off and give in to whatever your heart is calling out for.
floor
At first listen, this song feels like something you’d hear in a ‘70s movie or at a classy speakeasy. The instrumental ascends you to heaven with the tunes of the violin and Numcha’s jaw-dropping harmonising with the background music. It takes away the attention from the heart-wrenching words that Numcha sings with utmost emotion.
No one knows you better than the floor does. When you fall to your knees and burst into tears, no one quite hears the shatter of your heart as the floor does. No one comforts you better than the solid floor that reminds you that you could fall no further. And this song is an ode to that cold, hard ground.
The way Numcha shifts from ‘You will be alright’ to ‘We will be alright’ is ever so subtle but conveys the hopelessness of heartbreak oh-so-well.
cup of tea
The perfect ending track to the EP, Numcha once again uses ‘tea’ to deliver emotion so huge and deep.
In this song, we hear the persona finally realising her worth and accepting that she will not settle for less, for being someone’s second choice, or just being someone’s cup of tea when she should be the full-course meal.
Numcha shows up in this song to empower, with the instrumental serving as the perfect backdrop to convey that rage and harsh acceptance. Her tone and gentle voice do the plot justice with her varied intonation, as if not just the instrumental and lyrics, but her voice tells a story too.
End off the EP with a bang as you jam out to the hardcore guitar riff that makes every inner rockstar come out of hiding.
Numcha in Singapore
You’ve heard her voice. You’ve heard the stories she has to tell. Are you ready to meet her too?
Numcha is coming to grace our tiny red dot with her honey-like voice on 26 August at Singapore’s Music Mosaic Series! Starting at just S$54, make the night all about healing from your heartbreak (real or imagined) with Numcha!
She made waves with ‘Keep Cold’, released in 2019, and now has over 19 million streams on Spotify, but she continues to spread the tide with her latest EP: hewantscoffeebutiamtea.
He may want coffee, Numcha, but we want you!
Numcha
Date: 26 August 2023
Event: Singapore’s Music Mosaic Series
Location: Esplanade Annexe Studio, 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore 038981
Ticket Price:
- Students, NSFs, Seniors & PWDs (Limited): S$54
- Standard: S$60
Get your tickets to see Numcha right now at Esplanade’s official website. Check out Numcha’s Instagram and Facebook pages or her official website for more!
Visuals courtesy of LINCH.
