Get ready to discover the velvety vocals of Abigail Langi, a Tongan RnB singer-songwriter from the United States.
Langi recently released a six-track extended play or EP called Slow & Steady, which reflects both her musical roots and the pace of her journey as an emerging artist.
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, with roots in Kotu Island in Tonga, Langi grew up as the eldest of seven children in a close-knit Tongan household where music was always present.
“I grew up around my grandparents, my aunt, my uncles,” Langi says in an interview on PMN Tonga. “I’m very close with my family.
“My family is very musically inclined as well so I was around it from a very young age and it just stuck with me as I got older.”
Released on 22 August, Slow & Steady follows her 2023 debut EP Party of One and is already gaining momentum across streaming platforms.
On Spotify alone, Langi has over 4100 monthly listeners, with her top track Thug Love – Remix clocking in at more than 61,000 streams.
Langi’s early influences came from family, particularly her uncle Duke Taumoepeau, a producer and sound engineer from the early 2000s, and her aunty, who performed under the name 676.
That seed grew into a commitment after high school when Langi decided to fully focus on her craft.
Watch Abigail Langi’s full interview on PMN Tonga below.
“As a Pacific Islander we have that love for music. It was something where I always had an itch. I could never really shake it and if I thought of doing anything else, music was still right there in my ear,” she recalls.
Drawing inspiration from the RnB sounds she grew up with, Langi’s music features smooth melodies and experiments with pop textures.
“On this project, I wanted to play with different subgenres and sounds under that umbrella. It just is a little bit diverse and a little bit of different types of RnB, but for the most part, that’s my bread and butter.”
Abigail Langi also carries the Taumoepeau name and hails from Kotu Island, Tonga. Photo/Facebook
Every track on Slow & Steady was written by Langi, and collaboration with talented producers added depth and colour to her storytelling.
For her, the title became more than just a name – it became a mantra. “I was in a season of life where I had to remind myself that it’s okay to not rush,” Langi says.
“A lot of my peers were getting recognition, and I was questioning why I wasn’t further along. Working on this project reminded me that it doesn’t mean it won’t happen – it just means it’s not my turn yet. I needed to take it slow and steady.”
‘Slow & Steady’ in the studio. Photo/Facebook
One of the highlights of the new album is Here to Stay, featuring HALES, a songwriter and producer from Aotearoa.
The song is quickly climbing with nearly 5000 plays. The track was created earlier this year in Tāmaki Makurau Auckland.
“We wrote and recorded everything in one day,” Langi says. “That was a first for me, and it’s special because of the collaboration and energy shared.”
While love is a central theme across her latest album, Langi hopes her music brings comfort to listeners. She wants her songs to feel like a “warm hug”.
“Even if the lyrics aren’t from my exact experience, I want people to relate to them and find something in there that speaks to their own journey.”
Looking ahead, she is already lining up new features and plans to release another project before the year ends – one she describes as “something fun, good vibes, nothing too serious”.
Fans in Aotearoa can also look forward to seeing her in person, as she plans to return to New Zealand this December.
Slow & Steady is available now on all streaming platforms under her first name, ABIGAIL.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source pmn.co.nz ’
