Biography
Toronto-based vocalist and composer Aqyila channels the styles of Whitney Houston, Brandy, and Jazmine Sullivan while crafting introspective, soul-rooted modern R&B. Her 2021 TikTok discovery of the buoyant ballad “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me)” secured a Sony Music contract that produced the 2023 EP For the Better, which included the Juno-winning track “Hello,” and later yielded the 2024 singles “Bloom” and “Unbothered.”
Born Taahira Aquiyla Duff in Etobicoke, Ontario, to Jamaican parents, she grew up in Toronto immersed in the gospel, reggae, and R&B records that filled her family home. Early on she performed vocally and composed poetry; during her teenage years she began posting online clips of both covers and original songs. After writing new lyrics over a beat crafted by Pdub the Producer and Thomas Crager, she recorded “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me),” shared it on TikTok, and watched her phone flood with notifications as the track went viral. Sony Music soon signed her and issued the song officially in April 2021, earning a nomination for Contemporary R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards.
The 2022 collaborations “Pressure” and “OH!,” both produced with Phinisey, appeared on the seven-track EP For the Better. That project also contained the uplifting ballad “Hello,” recorded with Evan Miles, which captured the 2024 Juno for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. Among the additional singles Aqyila issued throughout 2024, “Bloom” and “Unbothered” stood out, with the former quickly registering her highest streaming numbers to date.
Born Taahira Aquiyla Duff in Etobicoke, Ontario, to Jamaican parents, she grew up in Toronto immersed in the gospel, reggae, and R&B records that filled her family home. Early on she performed vocally and composed poetry; during her teenage years she began posting online clips of both covers and original songs. After writing new lyrics over a beat crafted by Pdub the Producer and Thomas Crager, she recorded “Vibe for Me (Bob for Me),” shared it on TikTok, and watched her phone flood with notifications as the track went viral. Sony Music soon signed her and issued the song officially in April 2021, earning a nomination for Contemporary R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards.
The 2022 collaborations “Pressure” and “OH!,” both produced with Phinisey, appeared on the seven-track EP For the Better. That project also contained the uplifting ballad “Hello,” recorded with Evan Miles, which captured the 2024 Juno for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. Among the additional singles Aqyila issued throughout 2024, “Bloom” and “Unbothered” stood out, with the former quickly registering her highest streaming numbers to date.
Albums
Singles
