Mahalia just took us back to the beginning of her sophomore album writing days with her latest single, “Ready” – each line representing her state of mind and the people around her when she was working on the project.
The song is like a look at her life, as she prepares to return with her highly anticipated album, IRL. Touching on the struggles that separated her first project from her second, she sings: “You thought I was finished / You thought time was up, secretly I did too (Yeah) / Two years I been missin’ / Left you with an album, now look at this, I made two.”
She then goes on to talk about the need to make the time to appreciate her wins, which is something I think we all should do from time to time if we’re to keep our sanity in this world. “From now on I know I can take what comes my way / And nobody can take that from me / I’m listening to my own voice only, only, oh,” she sings of overcoming the doubters and learning to trust in her creativity.
Speaking of the track in a press release, Mahalia says, “Ready is the intro on my album. It is a song that perfectly describes where I was at when I started writing this record. I was partially scared – mostly excited. It’s been a long journey to get here but ultimately, I’m proud that I did. I loved this one as soon as I wrote it and I’m genuinely so excited for people to hear it. I’m finally ready for this album to come out and I hope everyone’s ready to hear it!”
The R&B track is a smooth song that puts listeners in a reflective mood and, though it’s a story of Mahalia’s career struggles, touches on our own personal battles in more ways than one.
The single was released alongside a white and black visualizer shot by her long-time creative director, Oli Kane. Speaking on her artistry and her motivation to bring a diverse range of emotions to the world of music, she shares her belief that music should be all-encompassing and offer a balance of perspectives.
“This is a real reflection of the journeys I’ve had, what actually happened, and a celebration of everyone who got me there. There are names and family members I mention because it all helped in shaping who I am,” she says of what fans can expect from her July 14 album, adding, “I’m so proud of this album, and so proud of how much I challenged myself to just let those stories out.”
