Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez is a Brooklyn based singer/composer who uses her prowess in the genres on Jazz and R&B to give the listener a view into her perception of the world, looking at the beauty of daily life. With recent features on New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone and many more, Raina shows huge promise for the future of the New York City music scene.
Her latest single “40 Days” takes a deep look into the struggles of letting go, initially shown as strength and vigilance, “I won’t let it go, let it strip all my pride”. It later develops until by the end of the song, it takes the form of an unhealthy attachment “I fought for you when I knew it wasn’t right", highlighting the difficulty in letting go of people who have hurt you. This message is masterfully conveyed through Raina’s stunning and soulful vocals.
Opening with sophisticated keys and enchanting harmonies, the song slowly builds, creating an intimate experience between Raina and the listener, immediately conveying the song's messages of honesty and vulnerability.The single favours a simplistic approach, focusing on the Artist’s voice, and showing overall a well crafted and elegant song, filled with skilled musicality, perfectly encapsulating the styles of jazz and R&B.
Outside of the lead vocal, the instrumentation of the single carefully builds with each chorus. The arrangement tastefully adds new elements from impressive backing vocals rich with harmony, to an impeccable bass-line that creates a surprising groove within an emotionally rich song.
“40 Days" is the second song off of the upcoming album “IF THEY’RE MINE” to be released in May 2021.
With over 600k streams on Spotify and Opening for artists like Starchild and the New Romantic, Raina has made quite a name for herself amongst the New York City Music Scene.