Earlier this year (3rd February 2023) Olivia Sabates returned with something brand new and exciting effort being the Hooked EP via Big Dreams Entertainment. Well Olivia comes all the way from Kansas City and she’s talented pop star who has tantalising tracks which ooze plenty of latino flair. I was first introduced to Sabates’s wondrous workings back in 2020, sophomore single Tengo was a bilingual Latin pop bop packed with uplifting sun blushed lyrics. Actually there is something about foreign tunes which never fail to hypnotise me. A year prior Olivia made her debut with Intoxicated and from that very moment I knew she was a rising star. Fast forward to the present, Sabates has unveiled a handful of succulent singles (one being feel good festive tune Tú y Yo & Some Mistletoe) and then you have the addictive Hooked EP.
Now I have nothing but positive praise for Olivia, she has an impressive back catalogue and her star is burning so bright. I’ve had this EP on repeat and it’s an exceptional gem which consisted of 6 songs (3 of which being the singles from 2022). Hooked opened up with title track Hooked, this featured Jesaiah and from watching the official music video they could quite easily pass themselves off as twins. Now this tempting treat was perfect for the summer, both Sabates’s and Jesaiah’s vocal tones blended together perfectly resulting in something rather upbeat/ fresh. Radiating Latin vibes the gorgeous Hooked was super sultry as the lyrics focused on being intoxicated with that special someone. Following on you had the refreshing Matches and this being pure perfection which resulted in something rather enchanting. Faultlessly delivered, Matches saw a bilingual Olivia play with fire when it comes to pursuing a relationship with someone who’s off limits. Whilst listing to this captivating cut the likes of Ariana Grande, Little Mix, Becky G and Jennifer Lopez (from the On The 6 era) sprung to my mind. Slow was a refreshing beauty that’s packed with plenty of latin flair. You had an upbeat/ toe tapping melody, Sabates’s vocal tones were succulently sweet whilst the whimsical words were super sensual as they told the story of finding the one and wanting to take things slow instead of jumping in head first. Anyhow the cute Slow was a blistering bop which saw Olivia alternate between English and Spanish. Sin Ti was a personal favourite of mine as this was a beautiful piano led ballad dripping with plenty of emotion. It’s in fact the only tune on this record that’s completely sung in Spanish and Olivia Sabates has done a sterling job. Despite not being fluent in Spanish, I can get the jist of this number for starters Sin Ti translates to Without You and secondly the delightful delivery leaves me thinking it’s all about trying to rekindle a spark with that someone special. The opening to Midnight To Sunrise had me thinking of Jennifer Lopez’s Lets Get Loud but as it progressed it morphed into a gentle song which enthralled me from beginning to end. Midnight To Sunrise was crafted to perfection, everything was spot on as there was an upbeat feel good melody, the sleek delivery was delightful whist the captivating content had dashes of a sultriness. Olivia’s debut EP ended with No Lo Puedes Negar, despite the Spanish title the majority of this composition was English. No Lo Puedes Negar translates to You Can Not Deny and this translation even featured during this track. Anyhow this was a fun fueled poptastic cut accompanied by a groovetastic melody that’s perfect for any dancefloor. Sabates’s tasty tones were fresh and funky whilst those whimsical words were highly addictive.
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