IRL

by Mahalia

Overview

Mahalia spoke of losing momentum to the COVID-19 pandemic, but no one outside her circle could have detected such an effect from what transpired for the singer/songwriter between the September 2019 release of Love and Compromise and the July 2023 arrival of IRL. She won 2020 and 2022 MOBO awards, was nominated for multiple BRITs and a Grammy, and amid the flurry of those accolades earned her third BRIT silver certification. Mahalia was productive, too, releasing an album's worth of EPs and singles. (Was world domination the objective?) She was active enough that IRL doesn't truly feel like a return or even a follow-up. Still, she immediately set this album apart from Love and Compromise by previewing it with the fluid and bumping "Terms and Conditions," a shrewd collaboration with RAYE that is unequivocal about its "rules in place" for a potential lover. There's a similar level of assuredness with regard to partners in songs like "Cheat," the posting of a zero-tolerance policy with help from JoJo and bright late-'90s throwback production, and "It's Not Me, It's You," a subtly stinging duet with a defensive Destin Conrad. The same goes for "November," a ballad of contentment and devotion with an equally glowing Stormzy, and "Wassup," a tough hip-hop soul gem with a typically gruff Kojey Radical. As fine as those songs are, there is an overspill of featured appearances that verge on drowning out a consistently pleasurable singer who makes songwriting sound easy in both introspective and conversational modes. The undaunted folk-soul opener "Ready," strutting "In My Bag," and slick street-soul jam "Isn't It Strange," all of which are unassisted, are just as striking as any track with a co-star. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	07/14/2023
Label:	Atlantic / Eastwest
UPC:	5054197558122

Tracks

1. Ready
2. In My Bag
3. Terms and Conditions
4. In My Head
5. Cheat
6. November
7. Hey Stranger
8. Isn't It Strange?
9. It's Not Me, It's You
10. Wassup
11. Lose Lose
12. Goodbyes
13. IRL

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mahalia   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kojey Radical   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
JoJo   Featured Artist,Vocals
Jahaan Sweet   Synthesizer,Bass
RAYE   Vocals (Background)
Miles Brett   Violin
Stormzy   Vocals,Featured Artist
James McMillan   Horn,Keyboards
The Wired Strings   Strings,Orchestra
Ellie Stanford   Violin
Rosie Danvers   Cello
Daniel Traynor   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Ben Hart   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Jenny Sacha   Violin
Hayley Pomfrett   Violin
Spencer Stewart   Synthesizer
Joyce Wrice   Vocals,Featured Artist
Matt Zara   Guitar
The Elements   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Strings,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Bkay Beats   Guitar
Patrick Kiernan   Violin
Lea Vivyen   Piano
Steve Morris   Violin
Grades   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Meghan Cassidy   Viola
Felix Joseph   Vocals
Max Pope   Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Abby Keen   Vocals (Background)
JD. Reid   Bass,Drums,Vocals,Keyboards
Bryony Mycroft   Viola
Destin Conrad   Vocals,Featured Artist
Cameron Dawson   Bass
James Essien   Vocals
Abby-Lynn Keen   Vocals (Background)
Sally Jackson   Violin
Tommy D   Strings

Technical Credits

JoJo   Composer
Roger Ball   Composer
Ali Shaheed Muhammad   Composer
Jahaan Sweet   Composer,Producer
RAYE   Producer
Uzoechi Emenike   Composer
Kurtis McKenzie   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
MNEK   Vocal Producer
Cadenza   Engineer,Producer,Instrumentation
Heavy D   Composer
Jean-Claude Olivier   Composer
Samuel Barnes   Composer
Hamish Stuart   Composer
Stuart Hawkes   Mastering
Rosie Danvers   Arranger
Malcolm Duncan   Composer
Daniel Traynor   Composer
Ben Hart   Composer,Producer
Joe LaPorta   Mastering
James Kirk   Vocal Engineer
Alex Robinson   Vocal Engineer
John William Davis   Composer
Bernard Kawka   Composer
Jordan Reid   Composer
Jamie Snell   Mixing
Richard J. Rudolph   Composer
Geoff Swan   Mixing
Cameron Gower-Poole   Vocal Producer
Spencer Stewart   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Max Anstruther   Assistant Engineer,String Engineer
Kwadwo Adu Genfi Amponsah   Composer
Michalis "Msm" Michael   Mixing
Keven Wolfsohn   Composer
Paul Bogumil Goller   Composer
The Elements   Engineer,Producer
Jiseok Lee   Composer
Terri Robinson   Composer
Steve Ferrone   Composer
Benjamin Hart   Producer
Leon Ware   Composer
BK   Producer
Flip_00   Producer
Matt Cahill   Mixing Assistant
Carlos Mas   Vocal Engineer
Anthony Watts   Composer
Max Blue Churchill   Assistant Vocal Engineer
Byung Kwan Kang   Composer
Joyce Wrice   Composer
Grades   Engineer,Producer
Ryan Ashley   Composer
Felix Joseph   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Matt Barnes   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Michael Omari, Jr.   Composer
Oliver Rodigan   Composer
Rachel Keen   Composer
Mahalia Burkmar   Composer
Niko Battistini   Mixing Assistant
Max Pope   Composer
Abby Keen   Composer
JD. Reid   Engineer,Producer
Destin Conrad   Composer
James Essien   Composer
Abby-Lynn Keen   Composer
Isabel Gracefield   Engineer,String Engineer
Owen McIntyre   Composer
Minnie Riperton   Composer
Alan Gorrie   Composer
Malik Taylor   Composer
Tommy D   Producer