Azaria bares her soul on new EP

Namibian singer-songwriter Azaria has turned one of the darkest chapters of her life into music with the release of her long-awaited EP, ‘Nog Hier’ (Still Here).

The eight Afrikaans songs first premiered on YouTube on 4 July and are now officially available on all streaming platforms.

Born Amortia Azaria Visagie and raised in Okahandja, Azaria said the town is where her story began. "It's where I experienced some of the highest highs and the lowest lows of my life, and I believe it has shaped me more than anywhere else I've been," she told tjil.

"It taught me resilience, gave me my values, and ultimately gave me the stories I write about today."

Azaria said the EP is her most personal project yet.

“Over the past two months, I’ve been through some of the darkest moments of my life. I don’t usually speak openly about those experiences, but I reached a point where I felt that if I couldn’t say it out loud, I could sing it. This project became my way of telling that story,” she explained.

Personal reflections

The heart of the EP is about holding on when life feels heavy.

The songs recognise that personal struggles often feel lonely but are a shared human experience. She said they are about choosing to stay when you feel like giving up, finding strength when there's nothing left, asking God not to let life's disappointments harden your heart, and reminding yourself that you're never truly alone, even when it feels like you are.

“It isn’t just about still making music; it’s about still being here. Still believing. Still fighting. Still hoping," she said. "My prayer is that when someone listens to this project, they don’t just hear my story, they also recognise pieces of their own and realise that if I could make it through, maybe they can too."

'Ek Het Jou Nou' is the most personal and emotionally raw track on the project, she said.

"There are lyrics where I sing about reaching a place where I couldn’t see the light anymore or a reason to keep going. In that moment, I found myself thinking about my son, the people who love me, and how deeply they would be affected if I gave up,” she told tjil.

Talking about what fans can expect next, Azaria said: “My goal is to create visuals that feel just as honest and emotional as the songs themselves, so when people watch them, they don’t just see the music, they feel it. I want every visual to reflect the heart behind 'Nog Hier' and the journey that inspired it".