#NewMusic: Emerging Artist Asha Maclean Covers Aaliyah’s ‘I Don’t Wanna’

Emerging 17-year-old New York-based R&B/Pop Singer-Songwriter Asha Maclean has released her take on Aaliyah’s classic “I Don’t Wanna.”

The “I Don’t Wanna” cover follows Maclean’s debut single, “Serial F Boy,” which has helped earn her co-signs from Ebro, DJ Clark Kent, Darius Rucker and more. Maclean’s debut EP will be released later this year.

Maclean was born in Lower Manhattan and she was surrounded by the arts with the help of her parents, who introduced her to artists like Michael Jackson and Prince, as well as the R&B artists of the ‘90s.

“My mom is a visual artist and my dad worked with people who were in the music industry and was an artist himself,” Maclean said. “They were a huge inspiration for me to start singing.”

At school, Asha was exposed to the arts even more, as her middle school’s curriculum cycled between dance, singing, digital art, and the visual arts. Gravitating the most towards singing and dance, Asha spent her days in her room practicing and ultimately honing her craft. “I was always singing karaoke-style and making up my own dance routines,” she adds.

By the time Maclean reached high school, she was recording covers and uploading the videos to Instagram. One Billie Eilish cover, in particular, caught the attention of legendary producer Charles Farrar, known for working with ground-breaking acts like Tyrese, Boyz II Men, B2K, SWV and many others.