Denise Chaila and Jafaris release 'Anseo' single

Denise Chaila has had an exciting year all-round. After the first single from her mixtape was released in May, she became the highest-charting Irish female artist of the year. There is no doubt that ‘Chaila’ (our Top Track of the year in the 2020 Annual), has truly become a household name. There haven’t been many certainties in 2020, but one thing that is indisputable is that Denise Chaila is definitely anseo – here, present, and not going anywhere.

Upon the release of her debut mixtape ‘Go Bravely’ in October, ‘Anseo’ quickly became a firm favourite with radio, critics and fans alike. Rather than go the obvious route and release the song ‘as is’, Denise and her label narolane records – of which she is a cofounder – decided to go one better, inviting another of Ireland’s fastest-rising hip-hop stars, Jafaris (signed to Dublin-based powerhouse Diffusion Lab / DFL) to feature on a next-level version of the track. It is a perfect end to an incredible year for the two of them, one that brings their journeys full-circle.

“To state the obvious, 2020 has been a difficult year, but also a year of reflection and recalibration. Music has yet again provided us with more than entertainment," said narolane. "It’s been our escape when we needed it and a ray of sunshine in the storm. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support many of you have shown for the work we do here at narolane. We all can’t wait to see the back of this year but we couldn’t see it out without one little gift for you, so we asked our friends at DFL to join us on this anthem to spice up your holidays with this collaboration with Jafaris. Let’s dance a little!”

Jafaris is one of the frontrunners of the new generation of Irish hip-hop artists, having been nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize for his debut album ‘STRIDE’ in 2019.

“This song represents the mentality that I believe Ireland needs to adopt in order to be an example to the world," says Jafaris. "We have an opportunity to tackle the race issue that plagues our world by adding to the already potent culture that exists here through creativity, innovation and economics. I have ideas, so I shouted out my bro Michael D Higgins. Denise was already spreading a similar narrative and it only felt right to come together and express our views.”

Listen to the single below.