Nia Archives returns with the third single from her forthcoming new album ‘Emotional Junglist’ called ‘Vertical’, where skittering hi-hats underscore a honeymoon period of romantic infatuation. Continuing to play with genre around her singular, alt-jungle sound- she cites Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’ era and Björk as inspiration for the reduced BPM and nods to Nineties electronica. The accompanying video by Dylan Gee shot at night time in New York City visually mirrors that hazy, loved-up and raw post rave, new love experience – lush with strobe lights, blue lights and superimposition as she makes her way home.
Speaking on the single, she shares: “There’s this one synth that kind of beeps, and it just makes you feel a bit dissociative. That’s what I enjoy about production – how can you say something without the lyrics? I wanted it to feel like December in London.”
If it’s not yet apparent by the release of earlier singles including the flirtatious and X-rated ‘Danger’ and subversive take on the culmination of a relationship ‘Boys In Blue’, ‘Emotional Junglist’ promises an album about love – but not just the shimmering romantic parts. Written throughout 2025 – a year that saw Nia fall in, and horrifically back out of, love – each track will encompass something of the experience. Marking her biggest sonic leap to date, her alt-jungle sound honed alongside James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Blur), Ethan P. Flynn (FKA Twigs, David Byrne) and Julia Michaels (Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter), will see her flirt with everything from dewy-eyed indie pop and nineties electronica, underscored by the syncopated beats and thudding basslines of her jungle roots with a tracklist that features Jorja Smith and Sampha. The motif for the album is a shell – tough on the outside, but through pressure, maturation and resilience, something precious is built within. Nodding to the female form, the spiral chamber also symbolizes growth and self-development.
Last month, Nia took her debut live show on a run of exclusive, sold-out intimate show dates in Leeds, London and NYC and this past weekend taking the set up to Forbidden Fruits Festival in Dublin. These shows have received a raucous reception from fans new and old, as this exciting new era begins to unfold IRL. You can catch Nia Archives at All Points East this Summer alongside Jorja Smith and Tems.
As part of the activations around ‘The Music Is Black: A British Story’ exhibition, co-curated with Rendezvous Projects, Up Ya Archives took over V&A East. The programme explored jungle’s evolution and the East London communities, pirate radio stations, record shops and DIY infrastructures that shaped it. Featuring Tim Reaper, DJ Flight, NAINA and SELECTACEE, the event took place across a variety of DJ sets, talks, workshops and screenings.