Ayelle speaks her mind on the sleek, powerful "Machine"

If you just turned "Machine" on casually, its seething metallic instrumental, coupled with Ayelle's restrained vocals, would make it sound like a perfectly suitable piece of indie bedroom R&B with an electronic edge, not unlike the recent work of Kelela or even Rihanna.

But Ayelle has more on her mind than just making quality tunes, and her single turns out to be a smart, blunt takedown of society's view of women. Simon Josefsson's instrumental is woozy and synth-centric, with a grim, almost violent edge. There are strokes of subtle genius here, like an 808 snare performing a military drum roll that perfectly fits the record's call to action.

Ayelle says of the song: "'Machine' is about women's role as sex objects within the patriarchy and our institutionalised servitude to the male gaze. I wrote it while questioning internalised behaviours that I'd noticed in myself that weren't necessarily representative of what I wanted, but of other peoples's desires and expectations."

Bursting onto the scene with a single that tackles such a difficult topic is a bold choice, but Ayelle proves that she has the talent and substance to back it up.

Ayelle's "Machine" single is out on 26 February, with the Machine EP due 15 April.

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