Tipped as ‘one of the best voices in Ireland’ by GoldenPlec, Dublin born Irish-Greek R&B artist Melina Malone is a force to be reckoned with in the Irish music scene. With collaborations with some of Ireland’s finest artists from Mango X Mathman to Zaska, Booka Brass, Glasshouse Music, and Irish Women In Harmony her powerful vocal performances often leave audiences captivated and Melina can be seen regularly drawing large crowds whenever she performs.
Taking influence from all things Neo Soul, from soul queens Erykah Badu & Jill Scott, to their more contemporary counterparts Amber Mark, NAO & RAYE, Melina Malone’s next single Naive lands ahead on Sept 15th, of her Ireland Music Week showcase debut, and her debut album ‘Aphrodite’ is a powerful debut with heavy nods the aforementioned Soul trailblazers, while also blending flavors of Bossa Nova & 90’s R&B. Melina aims to redefine the standard of Irish R&B with this record. ‘Aphrodite’ is set for release on October 6th 2023.
Her latest singles ‘Lovers Sunday’ & Tru Luv’ have garnered support from the likes of RTE 2FM, BBC1xtra, 98 FM, BBC Introducing, Nialler9, Goldenplec, IMRO, Noctis Magazine, Ones to Watch, and more, plus Spotify Editorial playlist slots on ‘A Breath Of Fresh Eire’, ‘Fresh Finds UK & Ire’, and ‘LED Lights’
On next single Naive:
“Naive is another really special one from the album. I wrote this with musician/producer Steven McCann in 2019 and it’s been a regular appearance in my live sets since then. I brought the demo to Adam Shanahan in 2022 at the very start of the album record, (it was the first track we worked on) and he did such a sublime job on production. It’s the opening track from the album and the beginning of the story for me so I wanted really dramatic, orchestral strings for the intro, (with the help of Ryan Hargadon on keys) building tension and placing the listener right in the story. The production and beat is very heavily inspired by 90’s R&B girl groups like SWV, Brownstone and Destiny’s Child. I love the emphasis they place on intricate soulful harmonies, and you can hear the harms are STACKED, there are layers upon layers in there and I wanted them to be a main feature in the mix, sitting right up there with the bass or keys.
It tells a story of the breakdown of a relationship and how you can sometimes lose yourself in the process of that. This track is the catalyst for the journey this woman goes on to get back to herself and her femininity.”
Listen to it below:
