ALYA is set to release her new single, “Pleasure Is Mine,” on September 17, written by ALYA and produced by GRAMMY, Emmy, and Dove Award-winning engineer/producer Bill Schnee. The follow-up to ALYA’s “American Beauty,” (also produced by Schnee) which generated nearly 500,000 streams on Spotify, and an explosive remix by Dave Audé (GRAMMY Award-winner for his remix of “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars), which stormed up Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Club Songs chart, reaching No.16 in only two weeks.
After a successful career as a journalist in Moscow, ALYA left her native Russia nearly a decade ago, for a new life in the United States. Turning to music as a vehicle for her storytelling, she chronicled her struggles and triumphs as an immigrant and evolving artist on her well-received 2019 debut album Ten Years of Solitude, and its subsequent single, “American Beauty.” Now, the multi-talented singer/songwriter returns with her new single, “Pleasure Is Mine.”
“Pleasure Is Mine” is a steamy, sultry, and at times a symphonic midtempo expression of female empowerment. The song owes its inspiration from Russian culture, which ALYA—drawing on years of opera training with her lyrical soprano voice—hopes will help broaden people’s preconceptions about her homeland and break down tired stereotypes.
“There’s a common misconception in film and television narratives of Russian women being objectified as sex objects or victims,” ALYA says. “The truth is, we are very diverse. Our femininity unites us, but there is nothing weak about it. You don’t have to wear a suit and tie to rule the world; instead, follow your heart and do the things that please you.”
ALYA researched countless Slavic legends and fairytales featuring strong, independent female characters in preparing for the record. Beneath the combination of urban beats with live orchestrations—a nod to the golden age of Russian classical music—”Pleasure Is Mine” is a song about self-reflection and owning one’s personal superpowers. “I am so excited to share what I’ve learned with this song,” she adds.
Connecting the theme of “Pleasure Is Mine” with her life journey as a global citizen, ALYA created the Beautiful Journey series, now available on alyamichelson.org. It offers a mix of written, podcast, and video interviews that focus on the lessons that brave, beautiful, generous women have learned while building lives in a new homeland.
