Between harsh winds and endless snow storms, the Montreal winter is long and bitterly cold. Occasionally, however, the clouds give way and the sky opens up – “Another Day” is the sun emerging, that brief, exhilarating moment in which those warm rays kiss your skin. Hope is therefore the ethos that drives Nia Blankson—better known as Tachie Menson—as she professes love and loss over the dreamy melody of her first official release.

Born in England and raised in Queens, Menson is a Montreal and New York City-based singer-songwriter, publisher, and multi-instrumentalist. Although “Another Day” is Menson’s first musical release under her new moniker, Menson has been making music for years – her rich, experimental, and genre-defying sound has been shaped by her education as a classical pianist at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, as well as her work as the frontman of her band, Pyjama Day. She has already established herself as a familiar face and force of nature within Montreal’s music scene.

Still from “Another Day” music video, directed by Rachel Moghrabi

Released on February 1st, “Another Day” is Menson’s first solo R&B and indie-inspired project. Sonic and conceptual thinking for the track, however, began as early as September 2023. Under the guidance of her mentor, award-winning producer Zeboria Peters (RUSUR), the song took on its characteristic glittery and subtly melancholic shape. Planning for the music video then ensued, and filming took place in the fall and early winter of 2024. Director Rachel Moghrabi and cinematographer Sam Li were instrumental in sharpening the colourful vision that propels each careful frame.

As such, the video’s Valentine’s Day release is no coincidence. Shifting between classrooms at a local high school, “Another Day” follows Menson as she vies for her classmate’s attention. Menson’s longing is palpable – her eyes track her love interest throughout, yet the object of her affection puzzlingly brushes her off. This is the bittersweet note that “Another Day” opens with, of seemingly unrequited feelings, a near-universal experience within queer romances. As Menson leaves school for a house party, however, anticipation builds and builds and builds. Finally, the two reach for one another, ready to connect in the most meaningful way – “Another Day” leaves us with an open, yet optimistic, and largely tender ending.

Peppered with over twenty vibrant extras, and helped along by countless friends and volunteers, Menson shares “the music video was a massive undertaking [... that] not only showcase[s her] work as a debuting solo artist, but also [...] what is possible through collaboration and finding community.” Menson, however, firmly remains the focal point of the video, her voice “flutter[ing]” as she gently strums her guitar.

At its core, "Another Day" is a study in contradiction: it is a track that floats delicately, bookended by Menson’s airy acoustic guitar, yet the lyrics are grounded, cautious, and even expectant at times. Both sonically spacious and lyrically precise, the song is a testament to Menson’s acceptance of being untethered, in embracing artistic uncertainty and evolution.

There is indeed a beauty in waiting, in aching. The result is a simultaneously intimate and expansive track, made even more so by its introspective visual accompaniment.

Watch the music video for “Another Day” below.

Tachie Menson

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Nawaal Bhuiyan is a Montreal-based Bangladeshi researcher, writer, and educator. She is the Head Literary Editor of Scatterbrain Magazine, and enjoys cooking, knitting, and watching reality TV in her spare time.

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