Tomike Smoothly Makes the Case for Sticking With Your Values and Ethics on Electro-R&B Track “Need to Go”

Tomike_NeedToGo2_crop — Tomike, photo courtesy the artist

Tomike addresses an issue most people have dealt with in some fashion in their lives on her single “Need to Go.” The track, a follow up to her 2019 EP Stage of Love, is about finding yourself where you think you want to be only to find you are not around people like you, not around people who really even understand where you’re coming from or who can relate to your values. In her specific case, Tomike was inspired by her experience of being a graduate of law school with the corporate world ahead and potentially a lucrative career but one where you end up maybe using your knowledge and skills toward ends that don’t fit with your morals and ethics. The lushly electronic R&B song flows with seemingly effortless grace as Tomike’s gently soulful vocals lay out the scene and addressing issues of race in a way that honors her specific experience while universalizing the struggle with setting aside the path that would seem practical and which you’ve worked your whole life to attain only to find maybe it isn’t what you thought it could and would be. It’s a dilemma but one that Tomike makes seem not so difficult in the end by deciding to exit the scene that would force her to compromise not just her values but herself. Listen to “Need to Go” on Spotify and follow the Irish singer-songwriter at the links provided.