{"title":"Halima Merch","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"exu","title":"EXU","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHalima sees making music as a spiritual practice, a space to confront her inner self, learn, and let go. Since 2018, she's sharpened her cross-genre craft across a catalog of self-releases driven by melody, rhythm, and honesty \"with subtle but unmistakable force,\" says VICE. Raised between Lagos and London, now based in Brooklyn, Halima draws from a tri-continental story that started as a student exploring the worlds of folk, jazz, and theatre and ever expands in the present. She marks her label debut with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEXU\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, her first EP on the burgeoning Secretly affiliate drink sum wtr. Finding new pathways through the music of her youth — British soul, UK Garage, R\u0026amp;B, and beyond — Halima anchors the project in the infinite nature of self-discovery, uncertainty, and renewal: \"Both artistically and culturally, it represents all the places that informed my spirit.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe title and concept come from Halima's Nigerian heritage. Exu (Eshu) is the Yoruba deity of 'crossroads,' the great mediator between the forces of life and the messenger between humans and gods. \"They are known for being the God of change, chaos, and unpredictability, so they are often misunderstood,\" Halima explains. \"But they are present in our lives to bring us to better versions of ourselves. This project is about facing Exu and resisting it. Then succumbing and realizing Exu is within you.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTo record, Halima utilized early morning hours at co-producer Ben Shirken's studio in Queens before heading to work shifts as a receptionist at a music school. The commute became meditative, and the neighborhood's industrial hum seeped into the process. As sessions started, the two artists unlocked a shared sonic directive: “Analog sounds reimagined in a modern context.” She adds, \"I remember walking in and seeing all these cables on the walls and thinking, this is cool, unchartered territory for me, messing around with synthesis and oscillators; this is what I need to dive into right now.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBuilding beats from the ground up, as mechanics drilled outside the studio, gave the material a distinct bounce and groove. The opening track, \"Awaken,\" contrasts rolling drum patterns with Halima's soulful lyricism, detailing the discomfort of being alone after a breakup. She finds resolve in the outro, \"omi-o mo,\" a Yoruba salutation. \"I'm using it as a calling. Something like 'the water in me honors the water in you.' That after everything, my soul still bonded with yours, and we see each other; that's infinite.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eConversely, \"Ways\" captures the thrill of meeting someone new. \"You keep me up through the night,\" she delivers the R\u0026amp;B hook above propulsive skitters and bursts before a bridge of echoed harmonies and synth notes smooth out the scene. The slow-burning \"Don't\" reaches \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEXU\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e’s core, an expression of infinite love that struck Halima so profoundly that she left the room crying after the last take. \"I'm searching for 'real endless life,\" she says. 'Not this world of limits, oppressive structures, and stereotypes.\" She challenges Exu on the breakbeat-charged, dance-punk-leaning peak \"Overdue\" and comes full circle on the sweet \"Samantha,\" an ode to acceptance, gratitude, and self-love. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEXU\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e's five tracks offer a glimpse into the universe and point of view of an artist discovering their intrinsic powers and embracing change, simultaneously at peace and in constant evolution. “It’s exciting and scary,” says Halima on navigating new themes and sounds. With a swell of buzz behind her — including select live shows in New York, wide-ranging press coverage from The Fader to BBC Radio, appearances on Spotify’s POLLEN and Fresh Finds, several key collabs (Bien Et Toi, Beshken, Hush Forte, Mikey Freedom Hart), and a handful of film and TV placements and scores — Halima is poised for a full breakout in 2024.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Halima","offers":[{"title":"MP3 Download","offer_id":47539872956707,"sku":"617308070026","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAV Download","offer_id":47539872989475,"sku":"617308070026W","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Awaken","offer_id":47539873022243,"sku":"QMB622401001","price":1.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ways","offer_id":47539873055011,"sku":"QMB622401002","price":1.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Don't","offer_id":47539873087779,"sku":"QMB622401003","price":1.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Overdue","offer_id":47539873120547,"sku":"QMB622401004","price":1.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Samantha","offer_id":47539873153315,"sku":"QMB622401005","price":1.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/1602\/9475\/files\/DSW010_3000x300_37f757ed-5431-4eeb-ba85-86d707dcec7e.jpg?v=1709735679"},{"product_id":"exu-deluxe","title":"EXU (Deluxe)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHalima expands on her breakthrough EP with EXU Deluxe, welcoming remixes from forward-thinking producers DONIS and JADALAREIGN, plus two tracks from a live session performance. Released in spring 2024, EXU found the Brooklyn-based, Lagos\/London-raised artist on a path of spiritual self-discovery and drawing from the music of her youth: British soul, UK Garage, R\u0026amp;B, and beyond. The 4-track digital set gives fans an extra lens to view EXU through as anticipation mounts for Halima's full-length debut.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHer first release with art-forward indie label drink sum wtr, EXU earned praise from all over, including Clash Magazine, The Fader, BBC Radio (who hosted her in their Maida Vale studios), and The Vinyl Factory. The latter outlet tapped Halima for their Reverb exhibition at 180 Studios, a series highlighting \"some of music and art's most interesting rising and established figures.\" Backed by Zamar-eden on bass and Nate Ricketts on drums, Halima delivered a spirited set from which \"Awaken\" was captured. On the same tour, Halima played a show in Rotterdam and introduced the previously unreleased “lgwe” with a poignant dedication, now heard here.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrooklyn-based Dominican American producer DONIS ups the tempo and bounce of EXU closer \"Samantha,\" an ode to\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bcTruncateMore\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eacceptance, gratitude, and self-love. Halima’s vocals remain commanding as DONIS runs the chorus above bright key lines, utilizing her spoken word interlude for a proper club edit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew York's JADALAREIGN brings her futuristic take on deep house and techno to \"Ways.\" The original crossed R\u0026amp;B hooks with propulsive skitters and bursts, expressing the thrill of meeting someone new. JADALAREIGN's take enhances that emotion, adding a dreamier dance feel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHalima adds:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I wanted both songs to be reimagined for the dance floor. They were created in a state of motion and transformation, making them feel naturally adaptable and open to reinterpretation. When I approached JADALAREIGN and DONIS, I was thinking about the relationship between music, space, and movement, as well as the immersive experience of sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoth tracks were inspired by the club, but I felt they had more room to evolve. JADALAREIGN’s version of Ways brings forward something the original hinted at, transforming it with a fresh yet familiar energy. Meanwhile, DONIS' take on Samantha places the song firmly in a club context, capturing and amplifying its innate lightness. I love how they reimagined this quality and made it the focus.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Halima","offers":[{"title":"WAV Download","offer_id":52462941208867,"sku":"DSW010xdigital","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/1602\/9475\/files\/DSW010X_3000x300_d28ef32b-b991-47eb-813f-2b7963a61c12.jpg?v=1738331879"},{"product_id":"sweet-tooth","title":"SWEET TOOTH","description":"\u003cp\u003eHalima’s debut album SWEET TOOTH is a bold declaration of power from an undeniable talent. Seductive, restless, and deeply assured, the record unspools like a night in motion. In the afterglow of her 2024 EP on drink sum wtr, praised by Clash Magazine, The Fader, BBC Radio, and others, the Brooklyn-based, UK\/Nigerian musician solidifies her sound and expands it tenfold. If EXU was a spark, SWEET TOOTH is the full burn. Not so much genre-less as \"genre-full\"; the album spans a bright, lush world where club bangers meet deep ballads in a striking, fully-formed hybrid of honeyed Afro-pop and scorched R\u0026amp;B. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross its eleven tracks, Halima maps the push-pull of desire, transformation, and emotional reckoning. \"Sweetness on my terms,” she offers a mantra for reclaiming softness without surrendering strength. “The album is about the journey to reclaim one's self amidst the chaos of life and ultimately acts as a love letter to the pleasures and pain of these human pursuits.\" While SWEET TOOTH declares Halima's artistic arrival, she calls it an epilogue, a reflection on past behaviors and lessons learned. \"Am I the person that I wanted to grow into becoming? I think so. I've given myself permission to be free of those things. To be bold. To take up space.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat began as a series of sketches — written in the margins of EXU's more structured sessions — slowly revealed a larger, more thrilling story. \"I wasn't trying to construct a narrative,\" Halima explains. \"I was just writing whatever felt good.\" But the connective tissue was always there: late nights, heartbreaks, full-time jobs, stolen moments — the in-between of becoming. \"These songs carry three to four years of my life,\" she says. “And hearing them together as a whole, kind of feels like blowing the lid off.” \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eHalima co-produced SWEET TOOTH with a sharp range of producers, including Mikey Freedom Hart (A$AP Rocky, Dev Hynes\/Blood Orange, Empress Of), whose openness created room for her to explore. \"He told me, this is your playground - do whatever you want,” she recalls. “So I picked up the guitar and started humming.\" That melody would become the album's emotional axis, ‘wasting my body’, introducing notions of physicality and yearning amidst the bittersweet reality of love dissolved. From there, things crystallized. The title track followed, along with the record’s central metaphor: sweetness as both offering and armor. “Studies show people with a sweet tooth are more agreeable,” Halima says. “That really hit. For me, people-pleasing is rooted in guilt, shame, and an irrational fear of rejection - it's my superego, which protected me once but is not my true self. SWEET TOOTH is my way through that reckoning.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe early standout ‘eleven eleven’ is a story of tension and disillusionment detailing the nine-to-nine grind and a late-night rave romance (\"We lost track of the timing \/ Oh shit now I'm involved \/ She's in my bed\"), all told across drum machine pulses and rattling hooks. Following in sonic and lyrical contrast, ‘eau de vie’ is all breath and yearning with Halima back in ballad mode; she asks plainly, \"Am I your one baby? Coz you're my eau de vie,\" reaching for devotion. The album’s heartbeat surges on ‘cocoa body’, a full-throttle sensual cut that’s already the peak-time club scene in the album’s arc, and a fan favorite in Halima's recent live sets: rhythmic, radiant, and electric with presence. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs SWEET TOOTH's day breaks, Halima's tone settles into serene introspection. She awaits her muse on ‘laundromat’ and feels them in a warm night breeze on 'november like u', a steely, pitch-shifting slow jam outlining an \"imperfectly perfect love.\" \"I won’t hide my glow no more \/ So everyday I’m writing love songs \/ Is that so wrong?” she declares on ‘callum,’ the album's closer. \"Could you find me, babe?\" — the question is wrapped in a shimmering swirl of hums, strings, and synth, leaving us with the vision of an artist content and grounded, no longer searching. The sheer electricity and fiery urgency of SWEET TOOTH ensures Halima's music will soon become one of the year’s most rewarding discoveries.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Halima","offers":[{"title":"Candy Red Vinyl LP","offer_id":53946008895779,"sku":"DSW020LP-C1","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":53946008928547,"sku":"DSW020CD","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":53946008961315,"sku":"DSW020digital","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/1602\/9475\/files\/DSW020lp-c1Packshot.jpg?v=1749563375"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.drinksumwtr.com\/collections\/halima-merch.oembed","provider":"drinksumwtr","version":"1.0","type":"link"}