Nia Archives’ “Luv Like” is a deeply personal jungle workout

Nia Archives is a British producer and vocalist whose throwback jungle beats act as a bed for timeless emotional content. New song "Luv Like," premiering above, fits the template exactly. Upbeat drums whizz and bang as the tempo drives things into overdrive. Meanwhile, underneath the madness Nia opens up about her complicated feelings regarding self image and finding confidence in her appearance. The track is the latest taste of her upcoming EP Forbidden Feelingz, set for release on March 10.

"Luv Like" comes with a lo-fi video shot in Manchester, where Nia moved to a few years ago and discovered a love of all things rave. The video won't do much for the perception that it rains a lot in the north west of England but Nia's energy and soul shines through the gray skies and unavoidable puddles.

Speaking to The FADER about "Luv Like," Nia said: "Although at first listen this track sounds like a typical lovesong. For me, when creating it I was writing about my personal struggle with body dysmorphia. Throughout the track I am pondering how someone could love someone through their high and lows, loving freely flaws and all. I am also talking about learning to accept love whilst ultimately dealing with a warped perception of self and distorted self image.

"For this video, I knew I wanted to shoot it in Manchester to honor my northern roots. Living in Manchester had a massive influence on my journey and it felt very full circle to go back and create a visual there. I worked with my good friend Delphino from Delphino Productions and together we were able to collaborate on Luv Like - which will be our 4th video together. My initial idea was to capture both the angelic and chaotic sides of myself.

"Throughout the video, I am toying with the idea of a warped perception of self and the harsh realities of body dysmorphia. I felt it was important to capture what it is like living with mental illness’ and the constant highs and lows that come with that. The angelic side represents the ‘good’, desirable parts of myself and the chaotic side highlights the darkness that I perceive in myself. This song is extremely personal as it is the start of me sharing my story and i hope that people can resonate with it."

Thumbnail @shotbymelissa_