Hope Tala has arrived, and she’s brought her diary.

hope handwritten, the musician’s long-awaited debut album, is a collection of sonic vignettes that feels both intimate and expansive. Regalrumination.com spoke to Tala, who shared part of her process in creating the album: “All I knew was that I wanted to make a body of work that was rooted in live instrumentation; from there it became an instinctual process. I always lean R&B, it’s my great musical love, and I definitely hear that in these songs, even if it’s not always prominent.”

She then revealed her many inspirations, which included icons like Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder and Carole King. “I just gave myself the opportunity to follow what felt authentic to me at the time. I find that there can be a bit of a toxic nagging voice that comes from the back of my head saying that I should try to repeat whatever song that I’ve already made is the most popular and I really try to resist that and give myself the space to grow,” she shared.

Tala, known for her seamless blend of R&B, bossa nova, and soul, has delivered an album that transcends genre constraints. hope handwritten is a coming-of-age narrative, a sonic exploration of love, loss, and self-discovery. Tracks like “Phoenix” include lyrics about friendships, while other songs like “Lights Camera Action” show her ability to make uplifting empowering songs.

On her writing process, Tala shared, “My goal as a writer and as an artist is always to be honest and vulnerable, I wouldn’t have it any other way. To me, that’s the whole point of creating art. While making hope handwritten I certainly unlocked something that felt more painful and true, which has been a really beautiful experience.”

As for the albums title, Tala shares that it contains multiple meanings. “Hope is obviously my name, but the crux of the album is this sense of losing hope and the struggle to find it again. Writing is the most important and sacred part of my purpose in this job, hence ‘handwritten.'”

hope handwritten was released on February 28 and is available on streaming platforms like Spotify and Music.