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Balenciaga has tapped French-Malian musician Aya Nakamura for an exclusive merch capsule and an in-house exclusive playlist. Demna Gvasalia has selected his newest muse and is continuing down the path of music ventures with a collaboration with Aya Nakamura, which launched on Thursday, March 17, 2022.
The released playlist can be played live on Apple Music. The merch can be availed online on the official Balenciaga website. The new music venture comes after collaborations in the past with RuPaul Charles, Rammstein and most recently last summer with Kanye West for Donda.
Who is the French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura?
Aya Coco Danioko is a French-Malian pop singer who was born in Bamako on May 10, 1995. The singer is popularly known by her stage name Aya Nakamura and is best known for her super-hit song "Djadja."
The singer comes from a family of West African storytellers, typically known as griots, and grew up with them in Aulnay-sous-Bois. She has four younger siblings and has studied fashion at La Courneuve.
She later found her calling as she launched her music career online at the age of 19 and gained a following with her singles called "Karma" and "J'ai mal." One of the first songs to garner her recognition was "Brisé," which was composed by Christopher Ghenda and gained 34 million views on YouTube.
In the early stages of her career, she made a successful tribute to her culture and heritage as she opened for the American-Nigerian star Davido at the Modibo-Keïta stadium for a concert in Bamako.
She made her first official deal with Rec 118, Warner Music France's label in 2016, and made a second release with the single "Super Héros" in collaboration with rapper Gradur. Her debut album, 'Journal Intime', was released on August 25, 2017 with the platinum hit "Comportement."
The turning point in her career was marked with the release of "Djadja," a single from her second album, released on April 6, 2018. It went on to be the number one on the French music charts for two consecutive weeks and a diamond-certified song.
She marked the history by becoming the first female artist in France's history to reach number one in the Netherlands since Edith Piaf in 1961.
"Djadja" became an international hit and conquered charts all over Europe. The second hit was another diamond certified song, titled "Copiness". Aya also marked a performance at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in 2020. In June, 2020 she collaborated with the successful Colombian singer Maluma, who was tapped for Versace.
Aya Nakamura might not be familiar to all the music fans, but she is slowly making waves and is currently the most-played, and most-viewed, French singer in Europe.
More about Aya Nakamura x Balenciaga collab
The latest playlist created by Aya Nakamura for Balenciaga is made from the tracks is described as:
"that have inspired, influenced, and enthralled her throughout her life."
The singer was seen with Gvasalia at the label's Haute Couture 2021 show, where she allured Demna with her music and mentioned how inspired he was by her. Balenciaga was ecstatic with the collab and made a statement in a press release,
"Aya has broken and re-broken records in terms of music streaming with her chart-topping tracks, garnering her titles like most-watched, most-played, most-viewed, and most important French singer in Europe right now.”
Aya’s playlist is accompanied by a limited-edition capsule that includes a range of apparel such as half-sleeved tee for $650 and hoodie for $1,090 that is designed to resemble concert merch.
The capsule consists of two long-sleeved T-shirts, an oversized style for $725, and another stretchy style for $575. The piece reads, "Limited Edition Merch" underneath Nakamura's print, with Balenciaga branding on the arms. The rear of the collection adorns the singer's signature.
The most notable piece from the collection is a silver leather Hourglass bag, which features the artist's signature and can be availed for $2450.The product lineup can be availed on Balenciaga's website and in-store
