MAHALIA Announces New Album ‘IRL’

Further to returning with her brilliant and bold new single ‘Terms and Conditions’ last month – today, British star Mahalia has announced her highly anticipated second album ‘IRL’ (an abbreviation of in real life) which is set for release globally on July 14th 2023 via Atlantic Records.

In addition to the album announcement, Mahalia has also announced a huge UK and European Tour for the end of 2023. The ‘In Real Life Tour’ begins in Leeds on October 8th and concludes in Berlin on November 7th. The UK-leg also includes a stop at London’s prestigious Eventim Apollo (FKA Hammersmith Apollo) on 19th October. Pre-sale tickets will be available to purchase now with the official sale to be released on 19th May via www.mahaliamusic.com.

In the world of music, there are shining beacons of light – artists, producers, musicians – that make us happy listeners and effortlessly provide us with inspiration. One of those UK artists is undoubtedly Mahalia. Her debut album ‘Love and Compromise’ landed in the summer of 2019 and soon became a critically acclaimed introduction. Through her music, she effortlessly weaves soul, contemporary R&B and 70s in one intoxicating concoction. Passionate in her commitment to a heartfelt display of emotion, she combats the current trend in music of toxicity in this terrain and calls for a balance in perspectives.

As a result, Mahalia says that “[This culture] has not allowed people to feel all encompassing, suffocating emotions.” Throughout her 2022 release, ‘Bag Of You’, she even apologises for her neediness, but still battles through her conflictions to be transparent, admitting she wants her lover all to herself. In her head, Mahalia wants to make her fans feel in the way that an older generation of lovers made her feel. Citing Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, as well as Anthony Hamilton’s ‘Charlene’ as exemplary love staples.

Emboldened by her inflections, insights and young adulthood, Mahalia is not only breaking the mould on her second album, but determined to live life cognizantly. “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,” Mahalia rationalises. With an innocent, yet assured gleam appearing on her face, “I’m so proud of this album, and so proud of how much I challenged myself to just let those stories out.”