Welcome the Holy Trinity: Simon Servida, Seven Taviss, & Afta Hill

It’s not often that you find a trio of artists whose styles meld together seamlessly in every track they drop: that’s why this emerging triad is definitely one to watch out for. Simon Servida is a producer and composer based in Toronto, working with multiple artists and posting the resulting collaborations on his TikTok, which is growing in followers every day. Some of his notable collaborations include Seven Taviss, an independent Vancouver-based artist dropping tracks since 2019, and Afta Hill, a Canadian-Iranian artist based in Toronto, whose discography goes back to 2018. So far, the trio have collaborated on two songs together: “busybody” (March 2023) and “HMU” (May 2023).

Both tracks feature R&B-style vocals over trap-like beats, though “busybody” is significantly less romantic than “HMU.” In “busybody”, we’re treated to Taviss’ signature vocal style that features a smooth, high register and lots of effortless runs. Taviss experiments with different tones, especially around the bridge where he drops down to a softer, more restrained delivery before pumping it back up to show off his projection. Hill parallels Taviss’ melodic mastery with his own distinct sound, in a voice that reminds one of the likes of Dominic Fike or greek with its gritty demeanour. Hill’s singing style is similar to a talk-singing technique—known as “Sprechgesang” in German—that is growing more prevalent in pop music, such as Olivia Rodrigo’s “brutal.” The technique is unique in that it draws its own melody from the words rather than the song, allowing the singer to explore the melodic properties of the words themselves—read more on it here. Overall, “busybody” is definitely an earworm, and my favourite of the two tracks.

That’s not to say “HMU” has nothing to offer, though; this song definitely lends itself to showcasing Servida’s creative production style and both singers’ incredible talent to meld their voices together seamlessly. Servida implements some unique sonic features, such as slot machine cadence; using unconventional audio samples in the song definitely makes it more memorable and adds to the overall ambience! In the pre-chorus, Taviss whispers into the listeners’ ears, making the lyrics feel intimate before once again flipping a 180 and displaying some truly remarkable falsettos along with Hill. Additionally, to Hill’s credit, “HMU” allows him the opportunity to show off his own smooth vocals that pack a punch of their own. Something you can’t miss when listening is that Taviss and Hill utilise a specific vocal technique dubbed ‘melismatic singing’ throughout the track—a notable characteristic of classical Middle Eastern music, and an integral facet of the song.