LA-based singer-songwriter Arima Ederra returns with “First Time,” a soulful and nostalgic reflection on love, memory, and the desire to relive a perfect moment. The single marks her second release of 2025 — following the shimmering “Heard What You Said” — and continues her exploration of how time and emotion intertwine in the human experience.
Co-produced with longtime collaborator Teo Halm (Beyoncé, Rosalía, SZA), “First Time” floats Arima’s honeyed, ethereal voice in a warm, dreamy soundscape — equal parts neo-soul and timeless R&B. The song feels like an echo of a beautiful beginning, carried by delicate synth textures and subtle percussion that expand like a memory resurfacing.
“I was reliving the magic of meeting someone for the first time and realized some moments are too beautiful to experience only once,” Arima shares. “That’s one of the many gifts nostalgia and memory afford us. There’s a Chaka Khan song called ‘I Know You, I Live You’ that I really love — the idea that love can resonate so deeply that another person becomes part of your lived experience.”
A Meditation on Memory and Love
“First Time” feels both immediate and eternal — capturing the bittersweet tension between holding on and letting go. Arima channels a warmth reminiscent of early Erykah Badu and Solange, while infusing her distinct mysticism and poetic lyricism.
It’s the sound of falling in love again — not with someone new, but with the moment itself.
A New Era for Arima Ederra
“First Time” marks a powerful continuation of Arima’s new creative chapter following a transformative 2024. She closed last year with a North American tour alongside Ravyn Lenae, and released a pair of introspective singles — “Oh God” (feat. Mereba) and “Really Tired” — that set the stage for her evolution as both a storyteller and producer.
These releases bridge her acclaimed debut album An Orange Colored Day (Arima’s Lab / RCA), which earned praise from major outlets:
“A weightless form of R&B that simmers in the ether like incense.” – NPR
“She reaches into the haze of grief and unearths new visions of her future, full of beauty and emotional safety.” – Pitchfork
Over four years, Arima and Teo Halm refined her sound — a lush synthesis of emotional clarity and spiritual depth — and now, her next full-length project promises to expand that world even further.
About Arima Ederra
Born to Ethiopian parents and raised in Las Vegas before finding her home in Los Angeles, Arima Ederra blends neo-soul, dream-pop, and poetic introspection into something deeply her own. Her work, often described as “soulful surrealism,” has earned comparisons to Jhené Aiko, Nao, and Corinne Bailey Rae — yet remains wholly distinctive for its spiritual tenderness and emotional honesty.
With “First Time,” Arima reclaims nostalgia not as longing, but as gratitude — the ability to revisit love through the lens of time and self-awareness.
Connect with Arima Ederra
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