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Evocative soulstress Ina Shai returns with passionate and powerful R&B soaked ballad ‘What Is’

[18th June 2021] After a short hiatus, London based Slovenian artist Ina Shai has returned with the sophisticated, soulful and passion inducing love ballad ‘What Is’. Showcasing the pure and ample capabilities of her stunning vocal, she effortlessly swings from soft and sultry R&B to a powerful, soaring, soul-captivating chorus accompanied by a layered gospel choral backing. 

With an impressive range to rival even the most seasoned of vocalists, Ina’s blissful tone is simply made for the recording world. Expertly produced with a multitude of varying elements ranging from electronic drums and synths to a more organic sax solo, ‘What Is’ caters to all musical palates. Filled with emotional eloquence, celestial riffs, depth and dynamic, the track rises like the ebb and flow of the tide, laid back yet ever-evolving. The perfect reintroduction to this next wave of music from Ina Shai, perfectly sealed with a kiss.

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The song ‘What Is’ was inspired by a deep, one-of-a-kind soulmate love. It talks about the beauty and intricacy of love as it leaves us wondering: »how do we know this is the real thing«? This song means a lot to me as I’ve written it whilst still in a relationship and now it sort of represents my goodbye to the person I was and everything I thought I knew about love. I think that showing love to yourself is the most important thing as only then we can truly love everyone around Us.” – Ina Shai


On the 22nd of June the music video directed by award-winning writer/director Maj Jukic will be released to accompany the single. It was shot in the beautiful South Coast of England in Bournemouth and Lulworth in Dorset.

Born in Slovenia, Ina moved to London at a young age to study music and develop her sound further. Since then she’s been achieving acclaim with her soulful vocals and captivating performances. After the release of her debut EP ‘Overload’ in late 2016, she became ‘Artist of the Week’ on BBC Radio Introducing London and has also been selected for a private writing camp with multi-platinum songwriter Carla Marie Williams (credits Beyonce, Britney Spears, Naughty Boy, Girls Aloud). 

She has played at venues such as Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Under the Bridge, Hay Festival and most recently the West End Apollo Theatre and Pride London. Whilst taking a break to work on her music a Starboy cover she released with producer Vladish has stacked up over 8 million views on Spotify and Youtube. An evocative blend of R&B, soul and indie pop, Ina invokes names like Sabrina Claudio, Snoh Alegra and Adele, knowing how to hit all the right strings with her powerfully soulful voice she always leaves her audience wanting more.

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Ina Shai Photographed by Maj Jukic