Toronto’s Nicole Huff released “Who We Are” back in August, co-written with Jonah Cappa and Roy Hamilton III. The song was born out of a period of personal and artistic self-examination, dealing with identity and the kind of quiet internal work that happens when you decide to grow past what’s expected of you. It’s accompanied by a music video featuring her real-life friends and her boyfriend, which gives the whole thing a warmth that extends the themes beyond just the lyrics. She’s also performing it live on CHCH Morning Live on February 17th.
Musically, this song boasts all the hallmarks of an empowering pop anthem. A rhythm section that starts sparse with the shaker and a kick doing the heavy lifting, and then the momentum builds gradually for the cathartic chorus. Though the instrumentation and arrangement are traditional, the song as a whole isn’t, and that’s mostly due to Nicole Huff’s beautifully warm background vocals, which perfectly complement the piercing tone of the main vocals.
Nicole Huff recorded “Who We Are” in just two sessions, main vocals first and background vocals on the return visit, and that simplicity of process comes through in how cohesive it sounds. Huff clearly knew what she wanted and got there without overcomplicating it. For a song about self-definition, that kind of confidence in the studio feels fitting.