Stella Angelika plays with classical influences on the slick R&B single "Little Serenade"

Enhanced with Mozart's “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”, Stella Angelika's new single highlights her exploration into musical versatility. Weaving classical intricacies with contemporary sounds, she bridges the gap of old and new, transforming the famous tune into a groovy, intricate R&B single which fights against her own negative thoughts.

An ode to learning to believe in yourself, "Little Serenade" encourages us to regain control of our self-belief and be our best self. Underlined with soulful melodies, this is a tune which displays Stella Angelika's talented artistry.

Angelika was born to Greek Cypriot parents and grew up listening to Greek folk songs, graduating to R&B, soul and hip-hop as she grew, joining a gospel choir. “By the time I was 15/16 I’d started singing lessons and my teacher got me to try singing classical music,” she says. “I’d never really listened to classical music before but I just fell in love with it. At 19 I got a place at The Royal Northern College of Music to train as an opera singer, but not long into my first year I began what would be a long battle with anorexia and was soon advised to take time out from the course to recover.

“It took a good few years but slowly I started to get better. The classical music never left my system and about five years ago the idea was born to create a concept album where each track referenced a different classical piece. These songs felt more ‘right’ than anything else I’d written until then - I loved how the classical pieces felt in this new world I’d created for them and in general the songs felt honest.

“I’ve got to a place with my music now where I feel like all of my influences are able to co-exist peacefully. In ’Little Serenade’ I think you can hear my love for '90s R&B, but there’s also a jazz influence and a sort of Mediterranean heat that seems to permeate the music I’m making.

“‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ is one of those pieces that just gets me buzzing - it’s uplifting and empowering, and I love the idea of giving the listener that same feeling. Lyrically, ‘Little Serenade’ flits between negative self talk and moments of clarity and awareness, which is kind of a daily process for me. We’re constantly seeing people ‘living their best lives’ on social media and I wanted to cut through that with something messy and real."