Brooklyn-based UK/Nigerian artist Halima has released a new single, 'onyx', out via drink sum wtr, marking a self-produced return following her debut album 'SWEET TOOTH' last year. The track deals with the aftermath of heartbreak, tracing a path from pain towards catharsis and emotional distance, and represents her first fully self-produced work since before her second EP 'EXU'.

Musically, 'onyx' pairs steady, staccato R&B production with pitched vocals before building to a guitar solo and a Sinogrime-influenced flourish reminiscent of Timbaland. Halima explained she sped up the entire track and pitched her voice accordingly, before returning to the original tempo at the end as a symbolic farewell. The release follows her tour with Sudan Archives, and she is also developing Club Cocoa, a New York-based event series centred on queer, POC and diasporic communities.