The awesome thing about having a blog is being able to document your thoughts and ideas. You can literally have a thought and then translate it into an article, a think piece, or an interview…the list is endless. There’s no rules or obligations, it’s simply just your thoughts. That’s what makes writing so powerful. So, here’s to me documenting another one of my thoughts. On Monday at 11:40pm, I was making my way home from work when I peeped Instagram and saw that COLORS had uploaded a new video. *inserts Yaaaaas here* I hadn’t clicked on the snippet yet, but I was already getting a feeling that I was really gonna like this one. This time it was British singer-songwriter Mahalia’s time to shine. I hadn’t heard of Mahalia before and after having watched her performance, I’ve been kicking myself ever since for catching on late.
What captured my attention before I even listened to the performance was Mahalia’s style – quite simply the red, on red, on red. Mahalia brings a unique look, a look that many (after seeing the video) will also want to emulate in some capacity. Okay so let’s begin by talking about this red ensemble shall we. First, the red bandana-steez truly speaks to me. I mean anyone who knows me knows how much I love rocking bandana’s and Mahalia does it effortlessly here, keeping it stylish yet, casual. Next, the red bomber crop jacket. Personally, I think the bomber actually completes the look and the bandana adds that extra lil’ bit of 90s flavour. Black seems to be a go to colour for bomber jackets. Red is often viewed as quite a loud colour, yet Mahalia demonstrates how working with vibrant colours, when done well, actually has its perks. The classic red PUMA trainers with white rims also keeps it modern, casual and fresh. She tops this look with my all-time favourite accessory – hoop earrings. I’m also loving the overall she has on with the wide leg bottoms, it’s a move away from the bodycon/tight-fitted trend and I’m here for it! Finally, by keeping it simple with her make up she draws more attention to her colourful and quirky ensemble, perfecting the look.
What I already love about her is that it doesn’t seem as though she feels like she has to try too hard. She sings softly and effortlessly throughout, it is only towards the end that we get a glimpse of the lengths that her voice can stretch to. Withholding all that energy she shocks us with a powerful finish, one we could not anticipate. She sings “Now that I am sober/ I take back what I said/ I’m sittin’ with this love hangover/ And boy it’s hurtin’ my head” in an almost conversational tone, recounting a relatable story that may have spurred out of her own emotions and experiences. It’s crazy how much her voice resonated with me. From her singing “I’ve been at this party for some time now/ Sippin’ on Bacardi ’til it runs out” I began forming a visual image in my head of her sitting at a party in the corner sippin’ on Bacardi. Then I began thinking about that time I sat in the corner at a party sippin’ on a drink on my own in deep thought. Mahalia’s lyrics construct a relatable love story that you can picture from the moment she releases that ‘PHYSCO-ACOUSTIC-SOUL’.
As her voice elevates you can hear those Corrine Bailey-Rae soothing vocal influences coupled with that Amy Winehouse husky-soul. When Mahalia sings “Felt like it could’ve been us against the whole world” you can really hear the brokenness of the song that is topped with the ending “One plus one is none”. I did a little bit of research on Mahalia and I found out that she’s originally from Leicester. She released a musical project called #DiaryOfMe back in 2016, which sees a compilation of songs which span a five-year period. Comparing this performance with her past collection of music videos, it is clear that Mahalia has since reinvented herself and her style, showing growth. I have played this song too many times already. I cannot wait to see how her musical journey unfolds and what she blesses us with next.
WATCH THE FULL PERFORMANCE BELOW
KEEP UP WITH MAHALIA HERE
INTHEWRITERSMIND 