Rising British-Canadian-Nigerian R&B/pop artist Essosa is back, and she’s not playing coy. Out today via UnitedMasters, her sophomore EP “Crush!” turns the dizzy thrill (and occasional wreckage) of modern love into a six-track world that’s equal parts flirty, cinematic, and emotionally bruising — in the best way possible.

Produced by jkarri (PinkPantheress, Nia Archives) and WAVSDNTDIE (Wretch 32, Tiana Major9, Benjamin A.D), the EP fuses ’90s and 2000s nostalgia with forward-thinking pop production. The result? A project that feels like flipping through a diary you probably shouldn’t be reading — situationships, long-distance flings, and those fleeting connections that keep you up at 2 a.m. wondering if you should text back.

“‘Crush’ is often used to describe an infatuation with someone, but it also means destruction and ruin,” Essosa explains. “That juxtaposition really hit me last year. I wanted the project to live in that tension — everyone understands what a crush is, but the word carries both sides of that experience.”

Stream “Crush!” here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6fn7JM8daBvCxpTkYyqtGY

The focus track “Missing U,” made with jkarri after Essosa returned from Nigeria creatively reenergized, captures the push-and-pull of walking away from someone you still care about. It’s a pop-forward gut-check about choosing self-worth over uncertainty — the kind of song you blast in the Uber after blocking someone’s number.

Across the EP, Essosa moves fluidly between dance-driven anthems and sultry ballads, channeling Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, and Madonna while keeping a foot firmly planted in the contemporary lane alongside artists like PinkPantheress. She’s a true pop-it girl — singing, dancing, world-building, and making it all look effortless.

Her résumé already speaks for itself. Essosa recently joined Rochelle Jordan on the US and European legs of her global tour, and has racked up co-signs from Kaytranada, Missy Elliott, Kali Uchis, Tay Keith, and FLO. Don Toliver even sampled her vocals on “Long Way To Calabasas” from his latest project Octane. Her 2023 breakout single “Waste My Time” has surpassed 70 million streams after going viral on TikTok, with press love from Complex, Clash, On The Radar, and New Wave.

Tracklist:
1. Crush!
2. Missing U
3. Signs
4. Favourite Liar
5. Touch bby
6. He’s Not All That

Following the release, Essosa is bringing the world of “Crush!” to the stage for a pair of intimate headline shows:

September 12 — La Boule Noire, Paris
September 14 — Jazz Café, London

Grab the EP, queue up “Missing U,” and find out which side of the crush you’re on — the infatuation or the ruin. Either way, Essosa’s got the soundtrack.