Aliya's New Single “Return” reflects on life, death, and the sacred journey in between

A deeply evocative offering inspired by our connection to Earth, the cosmos, and the essence of being human.

International recording artist Aliya unveils her newest single, “Return,” a soul-stirring collaboration with acclaimed Irish musician Liam Ó Maonlaí. This track is a meditative and expansive reflection on life, death, and the sacred journey in between.

Written during Aliya’s time in the Sacred Valley of Peru, “Return” was born from a profound moment of stillness and contemplation beneath a starlit sky. Surrounded by the presence of the Apus—revered mountain spirits in Andean cosmology—Aliya describes the song as a gift that arrived fully formed, carrying a message of remembrance and belonging.

At its core, “Return” is an invitation to reconnect—with nature, with spirit, and with the deeper rhythms that guide existence beyond the structures of modern life. Through haunting melodies, organic instrumentation, and a spacious sonic landscape, the track embodies a sense of surrender, reverence, and quiet awakening.

The collaboration with Liam Ó Maonlaí brings an additional layer of depth and authenticity to the piece. Known for his emotive voice and roots in traditional Irish music, Ó Maonlaí’s contribution weaves seamlessly into the song’s ethereal atmosphere, bridging cultures through a shared language of soul and sound.

SV: You’ve shared that “Return” was the first song you wrote upon arriving in the Sacred Valley of Peru—can you take us back there?

Aliya: From what I understand about life, there are certain nature beings and celestial bodies, like rivers and mountains, who are always sharing divine information. It's what they embody and so it naturally flows out of them, and if we tune in we can be in conversation with them. For me, this is the voice of God, of Spirit.

The Apus of the Sacred Valley speak very loudly. It is a good place to learn how to listen, as they are very vocal.

I was sitting on the grass outside my little casita on the first night. The sky was full of stars. I was hearing instructions from the mountains and stars and meditating on what that was. They were showing me different things about divine law, I felt myself connected very deeply to my body and Earth, but also I felt myself being stretched beyond this lifetime. I felt a lot into what was beyond this body, but in a very grounded Earthy way. There was a stretching of time and a knowing that one day, I will know that place, where we go beyond our bodies, but that for now I am here.

As I traveled along that bridge, I felt an energy wanted to come through in a song so I pressed record and began to sing. The song came through in its entirety.

So Return is essentially the information I was hearing from the mountains and stars that night, in the form of a song, plus my own personal prayer to life such as ‘may these songs live on, in the ones who will outlive us all’

The last part of the song ‘we come from the earth, from the womb, and to her we shall return’ has many meanings, but the main one I want to speak to is that in this, we do not belong to man made law. We belong to nothing other than infinity, the mystery, the womb of creation ‘from the earth and from the womb. From the stars we bloom, and to them, we belong’

SV: There’s a strong sense of surrender to natural and divine law in your words—how does that philosophy shape your life and your music?

Aliya: I feel this guides my whole life, and has been the inspiration beyond most of my songs. I find myself fascinated by natural and divine law. It's a feeling of wanting to be in service to this, to honour this with my life and creations. It's a feeling of having been given so much, and wanting to give back

SV: What drew you to collaborate with Liam Ó Maonlaí on this track?

Aliya: It was such an organic moment. Return was the first track that Ajeet and I worked on, on my first visit to Ireland. Liam happened to be in the area and came to spend some time with us. On the last day, an hour before we headed to the airport, we shared the track with Liam, and Ajeet asked him if he felt inspired to record anything. I remember the moment so clearly, he was relaxing in the chair, looking out the window, and said ‘sure!’ and got up. I had to finish packing so I left them to it, and came back in the room after it had been recorded. It was simple, quick, organic, and it was very clear after hearing Liam's part that it was the piece that brought the whole song together.

It also felt so special because at that time my love for Ireland was growing and to now have the Irish language woven into the song felt like a Divine orchestration

SV: Can you share a memorable moment from the creative process you experienced together?

Aliya: It's the moments outside of the studio. It's the sharing of meals, swimming in the river, the sea, the Guinness, the conversations. Liam is a very inspiring and deep person to spend time with. Poetry flows from him effortlessly, and his knowledge and reverence for the Irish language and his land touches the soul

SV: You mention finding peace in challenging times—what do you hope listeners feel or remember when they hear “Return”?

Aliya: It's the same hope I have for all my music. I hope that people feel inspired to connect to nature, to themselves and to life. That they remember life is a relationship that they can tend to

SV: If this song is a doorway, where does it lead you next—both musically and personally?

Aliya: This song leads me to continue to travel to visit mountains and rivers around this beautiful earth. To continue to listen and write music with them. To continue to give thanks everyday

ALIYA'S NEW MUSIC