Mahalia Bares it All on IRL – Her Third Studio Album [@mahalia]

Mahalia is back with her third album IRL– a love letter to herself where she is honest, transparent and vulnerable, even through all the intricate emotions she’s grappling with and working through. Mahalia is letting the vulnerability of her heart exemplify the power of her voice as she asserts her wants and needs, whilst the stunning features only add to the beauty of the project.

‘Ready’, the first song on the album, feels as if Mahalia is giving herself a pep talk as she reminds her self ‘to take a minute’ to celebrate her ‘winnings’ as she focuses on the voice that matters most – hers. ‘In My Bag’ and ‘Terms and Conditions’ sees Mahalia taking control of her situation and setting clear rules to be followed. ‘In My Head (feat Joyce Wrice)’ is smooth on the ears as they talk about holding on to the memory of what something once was, even if it wasn’t the best.

‘November’ featuring Stormzy feels like love wrapped up in a song – it’s sweet, honest and transparent in a way that only love can evoke. You can’t help but imagine two lovers dancing and walking together as Mahalia sweetly sings ‘I’ll be right there forever’ with Stormzy singing ‘Your light guides me home’ back to her. ‘Hey Stranger’ (a line women are all too familiar with) shows the messy emotions situations can bring as she lets the guy know she’s done being his ‘stranger’.

Love can feel like two sides of a coin sometimes because it can make you feel so strong but also so fragile with the one who knows your heart most, which Mahalia perfectly encapsulates in ‘Lose Lose’. The simplicity of the song adds to the raw beauty of her honesty as ‘Goodbyes’ has her wanting answers.

‘IRL’, the final song on the album, has Mahalia letting us know what 13-year-old her was envisioning in her head. Let me introduce you all to how much this means to me and how much ‘I love it when you sing with me’. The road hasn’t always been easy, but this is everything to me and IRL is her baring it all for us in a beautifully crafted album. Thank you, Mahalia.

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