Grammy-nominated singer Tayla Parx is known for her work on popular songs from artists such as Ariana Grande and Janelle Monáe. But gearing up for the release of her sophomore LP Coping Mechanisms, Parx is focused on her solo work. Following the shimmering lead single “Dance Alone,” Parx returns with the alluring track “Residue.”
Over urgent guitar, Parx sings of trying everything she can to shake off memories of an ex. “No matter what I do / You’re stuck to me like glue / You leave your residue,” she sings. In a statement about the single, Parx says it further illuminates her Coping Mechanisms message.
“It’s about one of those moments when you try to get somebody off your brain or heart,” Parx said. “You’re confessing, ‘I’m trying to get rid of you,’ which is another one of my unhealthy coping mechanisms. In certain cases, you’re being avoidant and acting like it was never there versus finding solutions to the problem head-on.”
About her musical inspirations, Parx says she hopes to convey the importance of being kind to oneself: “I’m ever-changing. I’m unwilling to let my creative side die—ever. I’m a businesswoman, I’m a brand, and I’m a human. I’m working on being a better one all the time too. I’m going to allow myself to continue to evolve. My message is, ‘It’s okay to not be okay sometimes.’ It’s also okay to be better than okay other times. Be nice to yourself. Go through those growing pains, because they enable you to become who you’re meant to be.”
Listen to Parx’s “Residue” above.
Coping Mechanisms is out 11/20 via Tayla Made/Atlantic. Pre-order it here.
Tayla Parx is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.