Justine Skye is beginning her next musical era with a fresh sound and a new label home: on Friday (May 30), the singer-songwriter released “Oh Lala,” a thumping dance collaboration with Kaytranada that re-imagines her R&B aesthetic and kicks off her stint at Warner Records.
“I’m so excited to be part of the Warner family,” says Skye, who previously spent time signed to Atlantic Records and Republic Records, in a statement to Billboard. “From the beginning, they’ve truly seen the vision for this new era of my music and have been incredible partners in bringing it to life. ‘Oh Lala’ is a reflection of that creative freedom and support. The track builds a world where tempo and dance are the leading force.”
The Brooklyn native released her debut album, Ultraviolet, in 2018, and the Timbaland-produced Space & Time followed in 2021. As “Collide,” her 2014 collaboration with Tyga, was going viral on TikTok in 2022, Skye was already considering her next sonic pathway, with a desire to incorporate faster tempos in her studio output.
“After going through so much emotionally, I hit a point where I just wanted to feel good again,” she explains in a press release for “Oh Lala.” “For me, that happened on the dance floor, being carefree with like-minded people — whether in Brooklyn, L.A., or Ibiza. I wanted to make music that matched that energy. Something sexy, something free, something that lets you forget everything but the moment you’re in.”
The “Oh Lala” music video was filmed at the famed (and now shuttered) Brooklyn nightclub, Paragon, with Kaytranada appearing alongside Skye. The new single was first teased in Nike’s new Air Max campaign featuring the singer.
Skye is being supported by both Warner and the label’s flagship dance imprint, Major Recordings. Her in-the-works label debut is being A&Red by Ericka Coulter (svp, A&R, Warner Records and GM, Free Lunch Records) and Chris Morris (svp, A&R, Warner Records).