(Credit to BrownSugar for the artwork)Title: “Beacon of Hope” (feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen, Layla)
Artist(s): Alicia Lena, Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen, Layla
From: N/A
Release Date: January 25, 2025
Length: 6:17
Format: CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single, Weekly Airplay
Recorded: Fénix Home Recording Studios, Phoenix, Arizona, USA / Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre(s): RnB, Blues, Hip-Hop, Soul
Label: FREEDOM
Written: January 2025
Writer(s): Alicia Lena, Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen, Layla Sanchez
Producer(s): Alicia Lena, DeAndre Patton
“Beacon of Hope” (feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen, Layla) is a single from American singer-songwriter and RnB vocalist ‘Alicia Lena’ alongside fellow artists ‘Ryan Ross Hernandez’, ‘Jadyn Ghalen’ and ‘Layla Sanchez’. The release of the single comes as a surprise to many with Alicia finally delivering her first studio album since 2012 last year and spending the rest of 2024 performing her residency live shows in Las Vegas with many expecting that she would either continue her residency into 2025 or take some time out following her busy 2024 schedule. But with the release of this single it has led to fans speculating that she may have already been working on the next album, although many commentators in the industry believe this could be seen as a stand-alone single from the RnB singer-songwriter as an opportunity to work alongside long-time friend ‘Ryan Ross Hernandez’ once more as well as two of the hottest names in the music industry currently in ‘Jadyn Ghalen’ and ‘Layla’. Whatever the outcome, the surprise nature of this latest release has certainly gotten her fanbase talking about what could be next for the industry veteran in 2025.
According to sources, the track came about extremely quickly with it being written in early January 2025 and the initial idea being established and considered around the holiday season during a private dinner between Alicia’s family and closest friends, one of which was ‘Ryan Ross Hernandez’ who has worked with her a handful of times throughout their extensive careers. Talking about their work and considering the possibilities of what could be on the horizon for them in the new year, it’s believed that the idea of working on things and putting them out there with no set path or direction could be a liberating way of working with both artists having come from an era of regimented working patterns and rollout structures. It’s thought that the idea was an incredibly refreshing one in the eyes of Alicia, especially given how she historically released her first three albums in a three year span that truly established herself in the industry before going twelve years before she recorded another studio album with a couple of soundtrack singles released in-between as she juggled being in the music industry and family life with becoming a mother for the first time.
It's widely known that Alicia struggled with the idea of finding a perfect balance during this period away from the industry, preferring not to bring up a child on the road as a touring artist and knowing that if she were to continue releasing music it would be inauthentic to not be able to go out and perform those same songs on tour. Eventually opting to step away from the industry almost completely during this period. With this release and the rumours of discussion of changing the way of working, it could appear that we could see more sporadic stand-alone releases from the artist in the future as a new way of working without the strict pressure of finishing records and touring them in the traditional sense.
It's reported that the track initially began with a cinematic piano backdrop that Alicia had been working on for some months before writing the initial opening verse, but with the feeling that this was a track that was much bigger in scope than anything she had done previously she was unsure where the potential track would fit into her own canon, considering the track may be more suited for a movie soundtrack. Effectively shelving the track for the time being, her discussions with her producer and husband ‘DeAndre Patton’ as well as a couple of other trusted collaborators gave her the idea of bringing more artists in on the track, matching the epic cinematic scope of the track with the artistry of a couple of true stars in the industry was thrown out as an idea of creating a superstar team-up track that could match the energy and idea of the song.
The first to come in on the track was Ryan Ross Hernandez, initially planned on only providing guitar instrumentation to the track with a focus on his blues guitar style combining with the soulful nature of the piano instrumentation but was eventually asked to contribute to the songs hook, his vocal delivery serving as the perfect way to get from the opening verse into the songs chorus. Following the arrival of Hernandez, it was decided that Layla would be a perfect fit for the track with her ability to step into different genres and styles but specifically her ability to combine RnB and Pop stylings with a slight hint of Latin tones would be perfect for her to contribute a verse to the song and combine vocally with Alicia to create a powerful moment during the songs chorus. Bringing in Layla in her position as one of the biggest names of this current generation gave Alicia the idea of bringing in one final person from this current generation of stars, opting to contact Jadyn Ghalen for a verse on the track, with the idea that you’d have Alicia Lena and Ryan Ross Hernandez from the previous generation and Layla and Jadyn Ghalen from the next generation as a sort of crossover type of idea. Jadyn came in and delivered a rap verse for the track to complete the process. Showcasing the track not only as an all-star project but potentially as a symbolic passing of the torch moment.
“Beacon of Hope” (feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen, Layla) is the official twenty-first single released by Alicia Lena in her fifteen year career. It was written by Alicia Lena, Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen and Layla Sanchez and recorded at her home studio, Fénix Home Recording Studios in Phoenix, Arizona in January 2025 and later produced and mixed by Alicia Lena and her husband DeAndre Patton at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, California. Set to be released on January 25, 2025 as a CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single and made available to Weekly Airplay and Worldwide Streaming via record label FREEDOM.
“Beacon of Hope” (feat. Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen, Layla)(w. Alicia Lena, Ryan Ross Hernandez, Jadyn Ghalen, Layla Sanchez)Alicia LenaRyan Ross HernandezLaylaJadyn GhalenAlicia + Layla“I’ve been searching for faith in a world that seems hell bent on destroying it
Why do they reject love and choose hate, it doesn’t make any sense
We gotta come together and rise above, spread kindness like a wave of innocence
Break the chains of hate, let love and compassion take its place
Don’t let anger consume, just spread kindness and grace
We can make a difference, if we choose to replace aggression with love’s embrace
Let’s use up all our love before we’re gone
Like a beacon of hope in the dark
Cause after all, no one ever truly knows
Shine brightly on
May your light guide us home
Like a beacon of hopeI’ve never been one for faith
Hope has never come knocking on my door
But maybe that’s all changing now
The days are no longer a shade of blue
The brightest colors are now leading me homeWe need the light in the dark
To help guide us through
Let’s use it all up before we’re gone
Shine bright like a beacon of hope in the dark
Shine brightly on
Like a beacon of hope in the dark
Shine brightly on
Oh, shine brightly onThe world teases in whispers when you just want to roar
Sparkling promises out of reach on a gleaming, celestial shore
Yearning for that utopia where no man wants for more
They scream 'free speech' here but questions are a no-go
"Le cuento el milagro, pero no el santo"
Cutting off my puppet strings from this cruel theatre show
Turn from the false prophets out for profit
Find a better home for the change in your pocket
Shine brightly on, sow good seeds
Spread the love and share what you reap
Walk in His light to guide you home
Head towards that beacon of hopeI’ve never been one for faith
Hope has never come knocking on my door
But maybe that’s all changing now
The days are no longer a shade of blue
The brightest colors are now leading me homeWe need the light in the dark
To help guide us through
Let’s use it all up before we’re gone
Shine bright like a beacon of hope in the dark
Shine brightly on
Like a beacon of hope in the dark
Shine brightly on
Oh, shine brightly onYeah, we need the light in the dark (Uh)
You know that I’ll be your spark (Bet)
They used to say my bite was worse than my bark (Huh)
But I don’t fuck with it
All of that talk
I rise above
Eyes on the goal
I fuck with love
I bring em up (With me)
Along for the ride, we do it in style
Ain’t no hate inside
We only got this one life
Let’s use it all up
Before we gone
Shine bright like a spark
Like a beacon of hope in the dark
A beacon of hope in the darkWe need the light in the dark
To help guide us through
Let’s use it all up before we’re gone
Shine bright like a beacon of hope in the dark
Shine brightly on
Like a beacon of hope in the dark
Shine brightly on
Oh, shine brightly onI’ve never been one for faith
Hope has never come knocking on my door
But maybe that’s all changing now
The days are no longer a shade of blue
The brightest colors are now leading me homeI’ve been searching for faith in a world that seems hell bent on destroying it
Why do they reject love and choose hate, it doesn’t make any sense
We gotta come together and rise above, spread kindness like a wave of innocence
Break the chains of hate, let love and compassion take its place
Don’t let anger consume, just spread kindness and grace
We can make a difference, if we choose to replace aggression with love’s embrace
Let’s use up all our love before we’re gone
Like a beacon of hope in the dark
Cause after all, no one ever truly knows
Shine brightly on
May your light guide us home
Like a beacon of hope”
Credits & Personnel;
CREDITSProduced by Alicia Lena, DeAndre Patton
Engineered by Aniyah Jordan
Mixed by DeAndre Patton, Aniyah Jordan
Recorded at Fénix Home Recording Studios, Phoenix, Arizona / Record Plant Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California
PERSONNELAlicia Lena – vocals, piano, lyrics, composition, production
Ryan Ross Hernandez – vocals, guitar, lyrics, composition
Jadyn Ghalen – vocals, lyrics
Layla Sanchez – vocals, lyrics
DeAndre Patton – production, mixing
Aniyah Jordan – engineering, mixing, rhythm guitar, percussion
