Ashia Ackov is opening a door into a moment. Her latest single, “Blame it on Me” – which we have the pleasure of debuting perfectly encapsulates that intoxicating feeling of slipping into a dimly lit Parisian jazz club where the clinking of wine glasses cuts through the sultry hum of the live band tuning up. And then, as if right on cue, the first verse drifts in warm, resonant, inflected with feeling, and suddenly, you’re grabbing the hand of the person sitting next to you.
This isn’t the standard jazz-pop fusion. “Blame it on Me” has a cinematic tautness that is the soundtrack for a real-time noir romance. The setup envelops you in sounds like a silk scarf: soft piano flutters, brushed drums, and a bass line that saunters in cool quarters. The music of Ashia itself is the clear winner smoky, intimate, and perfectly controlled Alpine vocals sung right in the ear as if speaking secrets to the listener through the mic.
What separates this track is its engagement. Within the first few beats, you are no longer in your room, your car, or wherever you were; you’re swept away. The music is the air you breathe, an invitation you embrace, and an offer you are requested to dance to. It’s sexy, nostalgic, and brimming with energy, all without being overproduced or losing its natural charm.
There’s a tender vulnerability in the lyrics, a mild-mannered surrender that doesn’t ask for your forgiveness but takes the blame with grace. It’s romantic in that tragic, beautiful way that only great jazz can be. And yet there’s an insistent forward momentum to the rhythm that counteracts the heartbreak in the words; it’s as if the message were, “Life goes on, so let’s dance our way through the pain.”
On “Blame it on Me,” Ashia Ackov is no longer only about making songs but experiences. This music moves the soul, lets the spirit in a, and f, or the duration of the track, at least wants to make you fall in love. So, dim the lights, pour yourself a glass of red, and let Ashia guide you to somewhere lovely.
Listen to ‘Blame it on Me’ on Spotify: