Haylea Heyns – Sorry
ARTIST NAME: Haylea Heyns
SONG TITLE: Sorry
RELEASE DATE: 18th June 2021
GENRE: Pop/EDM
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Haylea Heyns is a singer and songwriter from South Africa. She studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Art in Music and Drama Performance. Her debut single “Feels Like Christmas” (2018) and debut EP was released by international recording label David Gresham Records in 2019. Off the back of this came her single “Blow Your Speakers” (2020) and her latest release, “Sorry.” (2021)
Heyns was recently awarded “Durban Artist of the Year,” which came as a breath of fresh air after a torrid COVID-19 year. The accolade comes from City Awards SA; the country’s largest chain of award shows, celebrating the achievements of individuals in the entertainment industry.
LYRICS:
Well you think you’re so sweet
For all the time you gave me
And you think you were my hero
Riding in to save me
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
It’s too late to say you want me
Cos you threw me away like I was nothing
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
Well I think it’s so sad
To see you down on your knees
You didn’t know what you had
And now you’re begging for me
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
It’s too late to say you want me
Cos you threw me away like I was nothing
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
Now baby I, I, I’m flying higher
Maybe you, you’re nothing but a liar
Baby, I’m flying higher
Maybe you, you’re nothing but a liar
You’re nothing but a liar
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
It’s too late to say you want me
Cos you threw me away like I was nothing
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
It’s too late to say you’re sorry
Tell us what your fans are saying about your music.
Recently I’ve moved into more of a pop/EDM style genre, and I have been getting some really positive feedback from my fans.
Tell us the factors you consider when writing a song.
The most important factor for me is melody, followed by lyrics. The melody has to be something simple, catchy, and memorable. I usually come up with the melody first and then I put rough lyrics down, which I work on later and improve if I need to.
Discuss the production of the song.
The song is a mix of pop, electro, and a little bit of gospel. The slight bit of gospel is an influence from my classical training. I had a lot of fun building up the choir parts. I sang my own backing vocals and created my own choir using layers of my own voice. Sam Smith does this in a lot of his recordings, and I wanted to try a similar thing.
Tell us your best mood to create a song.
The best mood to song write-in is an emotional one! Any time I am filled with intense emotion – whether it has been happiness, sadness, hurt, or anger, I have produced my best material. It is important to be inspired when writing; otherwise, you tend to be disconnected from the material.
Tell us the names of artists or musicians you have worked with, in the past.
I have worked with South African Music Award nominees and winners such as Mark Stent and Connell Cruise. I recently wrote and sang on a track for Mark’s pop album, Sugar, and the album has been nominated for “Best Pop Album 2021.”
Tell us about your experience performing on stage for the first time or recording in the studio for the first time.
I love being in the studio – the first time was really nerve-wracking and it was difficult to relax – it’s a really vulnerable space, especially with no live audience to feed off. But I have spent hundreds of hours in the studio since and I have become really comfortable with the sound engineers and with the environment.
Tell us how you approach songwriting.
Songwriting is an outlet to express my emotions and personal experiences. I always try to express these experiences openly and honestly through music, when I am inspired. For this reason, I try and pen songs whenever I am feeling particularly emotional. Even if I can’t finish them at the time, I make sure I get down what I can in a voice note so I don’t forget it, and then I set time aside to work on the song at a later stage. Usually, if it’s a good song, I don’t forget the melody and it sticks in my head, so I like to sit on it for a few days as a test.
Tell us your opinion on blending genres or experimenting with sound.
I think it’s really important to experiment as an artist and play around with genres and sounds. Not every musician fits perfectly into a particular genre, and I don’t think artists should have to be boxed into one specific sound. Look at Taylor Swift – she has experimented with loads of different genres from Country to pop to R&B and her fans follow her at every step of the way, and she’s still really successful.
Elaborate on what compels you to go into music.
I have loved music and singing for as long as I can remember. It has always been my passion and my dream and I have been lucky enough to be able to pursue a career in that.
Discuss how you record your vocals.
There are certain rituals I follow when going into the studio to record to ensure the best possible quality of voice – no alcohol or spicy foods, lots of water, rest, herbal tea with lemon and ginger, and doing a really solid voice warm-up before recording. These are things that work for me – but I know every artist is different.
Elaborate on the song.
“Sorry” is an anthem song for everyone who has ever been let down by someone they cared about. I was let down by someone recently so I wrote a song about it. I’m not going to say whom the song is about because announcing whom I wrote the song about would be giving that person all the power! I’d rather leave them guessing.
Share your press release and review with us.
Haylea Heyns is back with a new single titled ‘Sorry,’ a contemporary pop song, and she’s not letting on whom this song is about!
This comes out on the back of Haylea’s 2019 4-track EP titled ‘My Heart Belongs in Africa’, featuring a soft ballad of the same name, as well as ‘Whole’, ‘Gaining Ground’, and ‘3am,’ and her 2020 single “Blow Your Speakers.”
“Sorry” was co-produced in Durban, South Africa, by Justin Swart and Tom Watkeys, and is an anthem song for everyone who has ever been let down by someone they cared about. Heyns was let down by someone recently and this drove her to write a song about it, but she won’t say who the subject of the song is about! The single is an interesting mix of pop, electro, and a little bit of gospel – an influence from Haylea’s classical training.