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“Baby, are you sure you wanna cross that line?” Mahalia asks on “Terms and Conditions”, a highlight from her new album. The Leicestershire-raised singer is addressing a would-be suitor, laying down rules for him to follow if he’s to be worthy of her love. The imagery is contractual and business-like. It alludes to another suitor that hasn’t always proved itself worthy of her: the UK music industry.
At one level, Mahalia Burkmar, to use her full name, has been well supported. Her talent was recognised early when she was signed to a major label at the age of 13. Now 25, she remains on its roster. But her music has also suffered from general neglect of her genre, UK R&B. This goes beyond labels to incorporate all aspects of the industry, from radio to awards ceremonies. In February, she wore a Burberry trenchcoat to the Brit Awards with “Long Live R&B” emblazoned on its back. The message was prompted by the lack of UK R&B artists among the nominees.
IRL is her first album in four years, following her studio debut with 2019’s Love and Compromise. It’s topped and tailed by tracks that express fears of being overlooked. “Trying to stay stable is hard when I’m trying to keep my place at the table,” she sings on opener “Ready”. She enunciates the words like a boxer throwing jabs. At the other end of the album, the title track revisits her teenage self’s dreams of having audiences singing back at her. “I just want to see in real life what it is I see when I close my eyes,” she choruses.
The album does its best to make that happen. That’s “best” as in quality songcraft, not flashy moves designed to draw attention. “Terms and Conditions”, co-written with the singer RAYE, is a singsong anthem with versatile switches in tone. A singing Stormzy duets on romantic lullaby “November”. Complicated romantic scenarios recur elsewhere, like the non-committal relationship in “Hey Stranger”, but unfussy beats, uncluttered melodies and adroit singing dramatise them with clarity. If you challenge people to cross lines, it’s vital to draw them clearly.
★★★★☆
‘IRL’ is released by Atlantic Records
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