HAYLA Embraces Her Vulnerability On New Album, ‘DARK’

HAYLA trades her high-energy dance beats for a softer, sadder sound, letting a major life change shape her new songs. HAYLA, famous for singing major hits with Kx5, John Summit, Kygo, and Illenium, continues to step out as a solo powerhouse. Moving away from her usual dance music, her second studio-length album, DARK, released via Restless Minds Music/Believe, introduces a hauntingly sad and deeply personal sound. The effort draws on her own life struggles to create a raw, emotional, cinematic experience that showcases her vocal range. Across 11 tracks, HAYLA’s powerful yet delicate voice takes center stage while her emotional lyrics tie the album together into a deep, reflective story. The opening track, “Heal,” leaves the heavy dance beats behind for a cinematic sound. Songs like “Dark,” “Fear,” and “Tear Me Down” dive into themes of loneliness, unrequited love, and inner strength, stripped back and minimalist to highlight her voice. Though the themes are intensely personal and heartbreaking, HAYLA intentionally ordered the tracklist to offer comfort. She aimed to make listeners feel less alone in their pain. “This album has a lot of themes in it surrounding grief and heartbreak…...