Meet Aqyila: Toronto's R&B Star on the Rise
Say hello to Toronto's soulful torchbearer poised for R&B greatness.
Aqyila in 2025. Image property of Karolina Pran.
Canadian R&B star Aqyila is here to stay. A dynamic artist who bridges the glossy sheen of modern R&B with the analogue warmth of golden-era soul, she infuses her music with sunshine, sincerity, and rich emotion—qualities that earned her viral success with the breakout single "Bloom."
With her full-length debut Falling Into Place now gracing the airwaves, the project marks a major milestone in a journey already defined by JUNO wins, viral acclaim and sold-out headline shows in her hometown of Toronto. From standout performances at Mahalia Presents to a North American tour supporting Pink Sweat$, Aqyila's star continues to rise—her successful UK run is already in the rearview.
R&B has long been a genre of deep emotion and reflection—a mirror to love, heartbreak, healing and personal growth. Aqyila carries that legacy forward with a tender, relatable, and emotionally resonant sound. Tracks like the lovelorn "You Got Comfortable", the pop-leaning "Wolf" and the mellow, atmospheric "Breathless" sketch out a pensive portrait of vulnerability, growth and love in all its shades.
With over 130 million global streams, Falling Into Place is a stunning debut: rich in vulnerability and lush melodies. The LP sees Aqyila collaborate with heavyweight ink-spillers like Sam Hook (Ne-Yo) and Monro (Jhené Aiko, Tori Kelly) to help her paint a pensive picture of what lies within.
Earlier this summer, Aqyila caught up with The Culture Crypt for a chat to discuss her journey so far…
The Culture Crypt: You've described Falling Into Place as a project about growth and stepping out of your own head. How does it feel now that it’s finally out? Has the release been a cathartic experience for you?
Aqyila: "It's definitely like a sigh of relief because people can finally hear me in my current form. For the past two years, I've just been singing a lot of my EP songs and now, there's just so much more growth and experience.
From the elevation of my lyricism to laying my vocals, there's so much more to it now. I couldn't wait to put the project together and have people hear me—every song tells a story. I feel like this album really encompasses current Aqyila and where I'm at right now in life. I'm so proud of this body of work."
Your single "Bloom" captivated audiences and quickly became a standout track, sparking widespread buzz. Did that surge of attention create any pressure for you to accelerate your release schedule?
"Moving forward after 'Bloom', it was active releases, but we still wanted to make sure that 'Bloom' got the most push we could give it. But it is hard to balance releases because you're trying to promote this one, but then you've got another one on the way that you love, and it's like, omg guys, check this one out and that one too! But for the most part, it's not stressful. I'm just having fun with it."
Do you feel this album helped you discover more about yourself as an artist—both melodically and sonically?
"Absolutely. I learned how to be more efficient and confident in the studio. Early on, I'd get stuck on beats I wasn't feeling but didn't say anything. Now, if something isn't clicking—whether it's a melody or vibe—I speak up right away. With this album, I made sure to maximise every session. I also loved working with familiar collaborators like Maya, who co-wrote 'Bloom,' 'Unbothered', and 'Soar.'
It was such a rewarding experience to build on those relationships with Kasey and Rex too, who worked on 'Breathless,' 'Most Wanted,' and 'Down.' Having that creative trust made all the difference, and I'm really grateful for it."
“ Soft, alluring, [full of] light and freeing.”
How long did it take you to make this album?
"Last fall, I felt confident that the album was complete, and I truly love it. I was very intentional about selecting the songs for the album because I didn't want to include any that I wasn't passionate about. Each song not only reflects my current experiences or feelings but I can also imagine performing them live. I'm really looking forward to singing these songs for an audience that appreciates my music."
Falling Into Place feels like a journey through love's highs and lows: from the sweetness of "'Breathless" 'to the doubt in "'Limbo". Was that emotional arc intentional, or something you only noticed once the project came together?
"That was definitely intentional. When I sat down with my A&R, we were like, okay, we want this album to make sense because I listen to an album from top to bottom when it comes out. So, I wanted people to be on this journey with me—of falling in love and that honeymoon phase right out the gate—and then there's those moments where it's like, okay, I'm starting to feel a bit unsure."
That's 'You Got Comfortable', 'Limbo' and that interlude. And then I loved how I ended the album on 'Soar', which is just introspective and talks about the next journey because that's where I feel like I'm now. I've shredded some old weight of who I was before and put it onto paper and 'Soar' really is just that great closer. What is the following path for me and where am I headed next?."
Were there any vulnerable moments on this album you felt hesitant to share?
"No, I don't mind being vulnerable. I would never share anything that I would later regret, but I'm okay with being vulnerable, I'm a lover girl. I'm soft and not afraid to show that in my music. I definitely want to figure out what my next vibe would be for a future project."
What song felt the most special to make?
"It's so funny that you mentioned 'Breathless' earlier because that song was so random! I was at Rex's house, and we started in the studio, it was during the same time I made 'Down' and Kasey was doing the production with the drums and the rest of the beat. And I was like, this is beautiful; this is like a vacation song. 'Breathless' is just so cute and soft—that one was a top favourite."
The 'Wolf' video is a clear fan favourite. What was it like bringing that concept to life on set?
"I had so much fun. I thought I would feel fearless getting up on that spinning disc, but I was actually scared [laughs]. I felt like I was going to fall multiple times because they had me wearing these tall boots, which I'm not used to: that was hilarious. Trying something outside my comfort zone was really enjoyable. I wanted to explore a completely different style—not just the usual R&B—and just have fun with it."
Were there any songs that almost made the album but got cut last minute?
"Yeah, there was another interlude I wanted to include, but budget and timing didn't line up. The one with 'You Got Comfortable' was just as strong, so that stayed. Maybe the other track will show up on the next project, we'll see."
Are we going to get any more videos for some of the songs from the album?
"I'll be honest, I don't think there’s any more videos coming [laughs]. Unless it has a 'Bloom' moment, where one of the songs really takes off. But I love music videos, I'm a huge fan of them."
What UK artists have you been loving and would want to collaborate with?
"I have a list of people. I'd love to collab with FLO and Nippa. kwn and Mahalia are fire as well, I'd love to work with them."
Stream Falling Into Place below: