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Rising star, UMI, continues to show her talent as one of the best new young R&B singer-songwriters to emerge over the last decade with her beautifully touching double single release, "SOMEWHERE NEW," and "WHAT NOW." The release comes alongside UMI announcing her highly anticipated debut Epic Records album, people stories, out August 22, which was inspired by the stories of fans and loved ones and will explore the depth of the human experience and the surprising inner connectedness of our life stories.

"SOMEWHERE NEW" is a deeply sentimental effort that sees UMI tackle voices telling her to stay the same and not change. However, like all humans, she can't help but change and develop into a better person, human, and artist. On the chorus, her soothing vocals sing, "Going, I'm going, going somewhere, going somewhere new." Meanwhile, her other single, "WHAT NOW," offers insight with a slightly more folk pop-tinged, upbeat kick as she figures out what to do with herself post-breakup.

Whether it's for relationships, significant life changes, or simply exploring new aspects of ourselves, on both singles UMI creates a sonic experience filled with hypnotic guitar riffs, rich basslines, and layered percussion and samples that collectively serve as the perfect soundtrack for developing and growing into better human beings, encouraging listeners to look at the beauty in the chaos.

Both tracks will feature on the artist's upcoming record, people stories. The collection is UMI's most personal and expansive to date, showcasing an even wider range of soundscapes and feelings. Along with outros from her therapist during the writing process, the songs weave narratives together, and the album's recorded-as-live performances pay tribute to life's beautiful messiness.

"I wanted to be the storyteller, the vessel to express everyone's stories," UMI says of crafting the record. "We all live very similar lives, same colors, slightly different hues. I find that to be very comforting. While writing this album, I found myself in every story I was expressing. I was reminded of how colorful the human experience is. For me, learning to accept even the darkest colors of life was deeply healing and possible through relating to others."

Be sure to check out UMI's latest double single release, "SOMEWHERE NEW" and "WHAT NOW," today!