Mabel performs “Ivy” for COLORS
Mabel, is one of the promises of British R & B in recent years thanks to songs like ‘Finders Keppers’ or ‘Thinking of You’, who also turns out to be the daughter of rapper Neneh Cherry.
Back in October 2017, UK R&B singer-songwriter Mabel McVey released her late mixtape, “Ivy to Roses”. It was a short collection of six, a fully-formed selection of songs that prove why she’s shining far and away one of the finest new talents in the game.
The mixtape was a much better project than its first EP, “Bedroom”. A compilation for nothing flawless. The record simultaneously led her supporters to believe that they wouldn’t be hearing from Mabel for a while – surely she was back in the studio, unlikely to reemerge with a new, cohesive record until the beginning of next year, at earliest.
El mixtape “Ivy to Roses”, it's a perfect balance between dancehall and R&Contemporary b. Her first single 'Begging' uses a catchy dancehall "riddim" and a dramatic melody to tell us a heartbreak story about an insecure man who can't bring himself to express his feelings for Mabel. “You’ve been self obsessed for months, You couldn’t even love me once, But now you tryna make me stay”
The UK R&B singer-songwriter described “Ivy to Roses’, like “another piece of the puzzle. It’s collection of songs that I love and want the world to hear right now. This is only the beginning of my journey but I want people to feel part of the evolution of my music, which is why I’m putting another project out now.”
Now, Mabel came at Colors Studios to offer a rendition of her lead single “Ivy,” a three-and-a-half-minute long track with nothing but vocals and stripped piano. Against a pastel pink backdrop, Mabel delivers an immaculate rendition of piano ballad ‘Ivy’ which comes from last year’s Ivy To Roses mixtape.
In the chorus, she sings that her connection with her lover is “growing like ivy,” and the pre-chorus vulnerably explains the issues draining Mabel: a local grapevine reports that something’s up with her partner, but when it comes to telling her, silence prevails. Yet, she stays, reminding him that “I’m with you anyway.”
Mabel focuses her music on learning and love experiences, and her brevity was effective in making her audience crave more of their stories. Indeed, “Ivy” represents an aspirational kind of love, but its lyrics are gently forlorn. In this sense, the histrionic vocal layering appearing at the tune’s chorus, doesn’t really fit into the scheme of things. While Mabel’s poised vocal performance appears to be usually stunning here, an acoustic approach to the R&B ballad could have done the lyrics more justice.
We are sure that with this interpretation of “Ivy”, Mabel should not worry about gaining more followers. With this latest project, Mabel also establishes her rising status not only as a vocalist, but especially as a powerful narrator.
Mabel came at Colors Studios to offer a rendition of her lead single “Ivy,” a three-and-a-half-minute long track with nothing but vocals and stripped piano. Against a pastel pink backdrop, Mabel delivers an immaculate rendition of piano ballad ‘Ivy’ which comes from last year’s Ivy To Roses mixtape.
