Hope Tala

Last updated

Hope Tala
Hope Tala performing at Gramercy Theatre.jpg
Tala performing at the Gramercy Theatre in New York
Born
Hope Natasha McDonald [1]

(1997-11-18) 18 November 1997 (age 27) [2]
London, England [3]
Academic background
Education University of Bristol (BA)
Musical career
Genres Bossa nova, R&B, neo soul [4]
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2018–present
Labels Republic Records
Website Official website

Hope Natasha McDonald (born 18 November 1997), known professionally as Hope Tala, is a British singer-songwriter. Her musical style has been described as pulling from R&B, Latin, neo soul, and bossa nova. Tala released her first studio album, Hope Handwritten , in February 2025.

Contents

Early life

Hope Tala was born in West London to a Jamaican-descended Black father and a mother of British and Irish heritage. [5] She learned to play various musical instruments during her childhood. [1] [5] Tala first started to sing at the age of 15 and wrote her first compositions during her study of AS-Level music. [6] At home, she experimented with Logic Pro, producing demos which she published on SoundCloud. [5] [7] [8] Tala describes her favourite instrument as the guitar, with a preference for nylon-string guitars but also enjoying acoustic and electric guitars. [9] [10] Her moniker is derived from her birth name; "Tala" is a diminutive form of her middle name, Natasha. [1]

Career

2018–2019: Studies, Starry Ache, Sensitive Soul

Tala studied English literature at the University of Bristol. [3] graduating with first-class honours in 2019. [4] [11] [12] [10] Tala turned down the chance to pursue a master's degree at the University of Cambridge in favor of pursuing a career in music. [4] [5] [7] [11] [10] Tala finished her first and second EPs, Starry Ache and Sensitive Soul, while she was at university. [11] She finished her single "Lovestained" as she was finishing her dissertation. [11] [13]

Tala's first single was "Blue", [14] released in 2018 which was later included on the EP Starry Ache. [15] She would proceed to release her singles "Lovestained" and "D.T.M." in 2019. "Lovestained" was written as Tala was working towards her degree in English literature. [16] [6] Tala's "Lovestained" would later be placed on Rolling Stone's "50 Best songs of 2019" list at #8. [17] The two singles would be compiled into her EP Sensitive Soul. [18]

2020–present: Girl Eats Sun and other singles

Tala's "All My Girls Like To Fight" was her first song in 2020. [19] It was around this time that Tala had declined pursuing a master's degree in favour of a career in music. [20] Speaking to Wonderland, Tala described music as a "one-shot career" [20] and that she would have "regretted continuing her studies" when there was the opportunity to continue on later in life. [20] Tala described writing "All My Girls Like To Fight" as "constructing an expansive narrative in a song" [20] and she "wanted to portray women having strength and agency in the narrative". [21] The song would be included in her EP Girl Eats Sun. [20]

Critical reception

Tala's All My Girls Like To Fight was listed as one of Barack Obama's favourite songs of 2020. [4] [22] Her song "Tiptoeing" was chosen by Clara Amfo as BBC Radio One's "Hottest Record in the World" on 19 October 2021. [23] [24]

Personal life

Tala is queer [25] and "black or mixed race". [5] [11]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDescription
Hope Handwritten

Extended plays

List of extended-plays, with selected details, chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
UK
DL
Starry Ache
  • Released: 3 October 2018
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
—
Sensitive Soul
  • Released: 14 July 2019
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
—
Girl Eats Sun
  • Released: 13 November 2020
  • Label: EMI Records
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
—

Singles

TitleYearAlbum
"Blue" [14] 2018Starry Ache [15] [26]
"Moontime"
"Lovestained" [16] 2019Sensitive Soul
"D.T.M." [18]
"All My Girls Like To Fight" [19] 2020Girl Eats Sun
"Cherries"
(featuring Aminé) [27]
"Crazy" [28] [29]
"Mad" [30] 2021Non-album singles
"Tiptoeing" [31]
"Party Sickness" [32] 2022
"Is It Enough" [33]
"Leave It On The Dancefloor"
"Stayed at the Party"
"I Can't Even Cry"2024 Hope Handwritten
"Bad Love God"
"Thank Goodness"
"Shiver"
"Jumping the Gun"
"Survival"
"Phoenix"

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Hope Tala McDonald Instagram-@hopetala (link to song in my bio) She/her Mixed black Caribbean and white British 'Not Wild'". Instagram. Arthoecollective. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  2. ↑ McDonald, Hope. "it's my birthday 🤠🥴 can you pls tell me ur favourite song off Girl Eats Sun for my bday present? i really wanna know. and then i have an announcement shaped present for YOU later. tit for tat ok!!!". Instagram. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 Raza-Sheikh, Zoya (7 May 2021). "Meet Hope Tala: the culture-blending creative ready to take off". Gay Times . Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Geraghty, Hollie (2 February 2022). "Hope Tala: "I know what I like in all areas of life"". The Forty-Five . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Aquino, Tara (14 August 2019). "Hope Tala Is a London Singer Soundtracking Self-Discovery". Complex Magazine . Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 Leight, Elias (22 May 2019). "Hope Tala Made the Song of the Summer Morning". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Getting to know... Hope Tala". Dork . 13 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Retta, Mary (30 January 2021). "Hope Tala is ready to take the heat and pursue her dreams". gal-dem . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  9. ↑ Fearon-Melville, Sabrina (16 July 2021). "GETTING MAD WITH HOPE TALA". today was so yesterday | tmrw. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 "All My Girls Like Hope". GQ Magazine . 7 February 2021. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Kim, Soey (14 August 2019). "Hope Tala's Latest EP "Sensitive Soul" Will Banish Your Summer Blues Away". British Vogue . Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  12. ↑ Hellerbach, Miki (13 November 2020). "Hope Tala". EUPHORIA. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  13. ↑ Komonibo, Ineye (19 November 2020). "Hope Tala's "Cherries" Music Video Is Poetry In Motion". refinery29 . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  14. 1 2 Kenneally, Cerys (27 June 2018). "Hope Tala finds soothing ocean tones on first single "Blue"". The Line of Best Fit . Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  15. 1 2 Murray, Robin (10 March 2018). "Hope Tala Unveils Magical New 'Starry Ache' Project". Clash Magazine . Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  16. 1 2 Harvey, Thomas (8 April 2019). "West London newcomer Hope Tala explores infatuations with the bossa nova-driven "Lovestained"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  17. ↑ Spanos, Brittany; Bernstein, Jonathan; Blistein, Jon; Dolan, Jon; Doyle, Patrick; Ehrlich, Brenna; Exposito, Suzy; Freeman, Jon; Grow, Kory; Hermes, Will; Holmes, Charles; Hudak, Joseph; Klinkenberg, Brendan; Leight, Elias; Martoccio, Angie; Sheffield, Rob; Shaffer, Claire; Shteamer, Hank (6 December 2019). "The 50 Best Songs of 2019". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  18. 1 2 Holdsworth, Bryony. "Hope Tala's "D.T.M." is an effortlessly soulful melody for the broken hearted". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  19. 1 2 Holdsworth, Bryony (28 September 2020). "Hope Tala is primed for battle on the ferocious "All My Girls Like To Fight"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Hope Tala Drops Fierce New Single "All My Girls Like To Fight"". Wonderland . 25 September 2020. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  21. ↑ "Hope Tala has shared her new single and video, 'All My Girls Like To Fight'". Dork. 25 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  22. ↑ Ting, Jasmine (20 December 2020). "Barack Obama Reveals his Favorite Songs of 2020". PAPER Magazine . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  23. ↑ Schube, Will (20 October 2021). "Hope Tala Release Bossa Nova-Infused Track, 'Tiptoeing'". uDiscover Music . Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  24. ↑ Taylor, Sam (20 December 2021). "Hype List 2022: Hope Tala: "There has to be a bit of unexplainable magic"". Dork. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  25. ↑ Raza-Sheikh, Zoya (7 May 2021). "Meet Hope Tala: the culture-blending creative ready to take off". Gay Times . Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  26. ↑ Thomson, Zangba (6 November 2018). "Hope Tala releases a lovely debut EP, entitled, "Starry Ache"". Bong Mines Entertainment. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  27. ↑ Kent, Matthew (13 November 2021). "Hope Tala draws on biblical imagery for evocative Aminé collaboration "Cherries"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  28. ↑ "Hope Tala has released her lovely new single, 'Crazy'". Dork. 15 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  29. ↑ "London based newcomer Hope Tala just released new song "Crazy"". C-Heads Magazine. 18 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  30. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (17 June 2021). "Hope Tala shares Paul Epworth-produced new single "Mad"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  31. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (21 October 2021). "Hope Tala delivers bossa nova-inspired single "Tiptoeing"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  32. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (3 February 2022). "Hope Tala returns with first single of 2022 "Party Sickness"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  33. ↑ "Is It Enough - Hope Tala". Apple Music. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
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