
Leanne and Naara's latest single Keeping Me Up is a testimony to the creative duo's growth. At just four years since breaking through, they've garnered constant positive buzz from fans and media critics who have fallen in love with their sound. With the new single and Shaira Luna on board as creative director, people will rave about them even more.
Talking about the new song, Leanne said, "Keeping Me Up is a product of the songwriting camp we attended in Sweden in October last year. It was a three-day songwriting camp that we had the privilege to be a part of. We never thought we'd get ever the chance to come to Sweden, and to be there for the purpose of music made the trip even more special. It was lovely because we got to experience their process of songwriting and music production firsthand. They're full of ideas and so innovative that's why it's no surprise that most modern pop songs that top the charts come from there."
Leanne and Naara is no stranger to writing about love and relationships, with songs like "Again" and "Evergreen" among their hit singles. Narrated with catchy beats and honest lyrics, Keeping Me Up tells a budding romance that's easily relatable for anyone listening.
As for their new aesthetic, Shaira Luna, one of the country's prominent photographers, happily took on the project. "It's a dream come true for us, to be honest. We've always admired her work and so when she agreed to do the project, we were really ecstatic. We've only worked with her once, when she did the shoot for our production of Romeo and Juliet in Assumption College but this is the first time, we're working closely with her. Surprisingly, we were able to get her not just as our photographer but our overall creative director for the album and we're glad that she accepted this project. We were a bit nervous at first, seeing how she's worked with so many talented artists. But it was a nice surprise when we got to meet her for the first time and we connected right away, it almost felt like being reunited with a longtime friend."
"Everything was done online and the only time we got to meet each other was during the shoot itself. We pretty much laid out what the album is about and we also put together a Pinterest board to sort of give her an idea of the look or feel that we were going for. Aside from giving her a Pinterest board, we also gave her artist pegs like HAIM and color palettes that she can play around with. For the look, we agreed on having “no make-up” make-up or showing your true skin or bare faced look. For the styling and feels, we agreed on having a cool Tumblr-worthy look. Something that the young people would look up to or would want to look like. We also agreed on colors such as olive green, light blue, maroon, brown, and pink. The color combination looked pretty well!", the girls continued to share.
In music, the artist's visuals heighten the listening experience by imprinting memory recall. The creative director's role is to guide the audience and make sure the journey doesn't start and end in one sitting. Leanne and Naara, together with Shaira, were able to create an aesthetic with a familiar feel, one that's more real than manufactured. Shaira characterized the duo and their music's look and feel through form and color manipulation while keeping a certain neutrality. The end result is an arresting reel that stayed true to Leanne and Naara's music-honest and contemplative.
The new single Keeping Me Up comes out this October. Look out for Leanne and Naara's upcoming releases by following their and Warner Music Philippines social media pages.