This Is Leaf’s Year and “Sponsor” Proves It
By: Aneesha Mahapatra
Growing up in Brooklyn, millennial artist, Leaf, has been following her music dreams from collaborating with some of her own musician friends including Lay Bankz and BreezyLYN to even one of her first big hits, “Nada”, featuring Lil Yachty, which captures the essence of the Tri-state area.
Her new single “Sponsor” is finally out and is the ultimate hot girl anthem for the girls this summer. The song channels the bold energy of rap, pop, and dance in a vivid visual experience that’s hard to ignore.
“Sponsor”, which was inspired by the Tri-state area, definitely has some of the bass and spice of New York City, as well as some of the Jersey club tones and beats the people love to hear. “I love Jersey club music. It gives you the energy to move and dance”.
The first time she heard her own track, she knew it was the one. “I loved it. You know, it takes me a very short time to make music, and kind of came together in an hour and a half because I already had the concept in my brain. After I listened to it with my producer, I was like ‘this is it’.”
The latest hit dives into the dynamics of modern dating, female empowerment and is all about “owning your standards” which has been impactful in Leaf’s career path so far. “Owning your standards to me is kind of about taking control of your life and your boundaries. I sound my voice and my ideas. I like to align the boundaries that I set for myself with the vision I have for where I wanna be.”
Modern dating and femininity are a big aspect of this song and have been sung through the lens of Leaf’s own personal experiences in the city and her way of self-definition. “For me, modern femininity is about diving into the softer part of myself while chasing my dreams, making sure I incorporate self-care like my skincare routine, just fully diving into loving myself as well as pushing myself.”
Everyone who lives in New York City knows that dating can be quite hard. You never know where you’ll meet someone, what to do when someone ghosts you, and how to build your confidence back up after a horrible situationship. However, Leaf’s experience has been good so far as she has made it clear to set boundaries for herself. She’s even made her own series with her team about dating experiences called “Dreamgirl Diaries” which takes you on the journey of her experience and thoughts on the dating scene through NYC. Think “Sex and The City” but through a person of color POV.
Being raised in New York has shaped her bold, confident approach to creativity. She credits the city's energy for making her naturally assertive, but over time, she's learned to express that strength in a softer, more feminine way showing that power doesn’t always have to be loud to be felt.
“Growing up in New York, you kind of have to be tough, so I’ve used that as I’ve gotten more mature to kind of realize there’s different ways to be assertive. It doesn’t always have to be that ‘ra ra’ energy that we know from NYC. It can be assertive in a bossier, sexier, more girly way.”
Speaking of bossier and sexier, Leaf’s “Sponsor” music video did not disappoint, with stunning visuals and outfit choices that were meant to portray a mix of luxury and give off that sexy, high fashion feel. “I wanted the visuals to look how I feel- luxurious, gorgeous, just an overall moment of fashion.”
Some of her biggest style inspirations since childhood come from Naomi Campbell and Dita Von Teese, while in this particular era in her life she’s been creating looks influenced by Alexa Demie and Jenna Ortega.
New York is a place of culture, diversity, music, fashion and Leaf fully immerses her authentic NYC self in her new song. She’s been chasing her dreams from the start and has finally proven that she is THAT girl.
“If you can dream it, you can create it because God doesn’t give you a desire that you cannot fulfill. I really believe in that because in the past two years I’ve been really pursuing the visions I’ve had in my own brain and bringing them to life and I really do believe that if you can dream it, you can create it for sure.”
Out now on all platforms, “Sponsor” is an honest and fierce celebration of self-worth and confidence, delivered through Leaf’s raw and fearless perspective. One day, you might catch her live at Barclays Center near the neighborhood she grew up in or Madison Square Garden, a dream venue for her.