If you’ve ever considered invoking the word “unique” as a descriptor, I hope you've gathered some real strong evidence to support such a contention. The adjective is overused and, in its ubiquity, largely had the meaning sucked out of it. BUT– sometimes, once in a blue moon, the term is appropriate. Imperative even. When you take Yasmin Hass, for instance—born in Melbourne, raised in London, daughter of a German opera-singing mother and reggae-fanatic father, niece of a prominent soul singer/ Bob Marley’s tour manager—you come across an embodiment of unicus (of the latin root unus, meaning one).
What does it sound like when such an eclectic group of cultures mix? Glass Magazine, in their recent feature on Hass, called her music a blend of “lyricism, soul, and indie-pop.” We’ll take it, but to really get it, you’ll have to listen for yourself. The British model and singer came out with her recent EP, Won’t Hold My Breath, and, first and foremost, it's “a song that told her what she needed to hear.” Coming out of a painful breakup, Hass says, “I had to be my own hype Woman.” This track is an anthem for the heartbroken. It encourages us not to wait around, expecting promises to be fulfilled when, deep down, we know they won’t be. Hence: Not to ‘Hold [our] Breath.’ The EP was produced by the music industry’s beloved Rich Cooper and co-written by Scott Quinn.
Yasmin Hass is by no means a rookie on the scene; her last album, Worst of Me, was produced by Ed Thomas, the same name behind Jorja Smith, Stormzy, and Maisie Peters. Cleo, the star track of that EP, was applauded by Rolling Stone, Dork, and DIY, among a whole slew of other esteemed publications. Yasmin Hass is a talented young artist who’s been good for a while and is becoming truly great. Stay tuned.
