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@mandy_mdlongwa Bares It All On 'Hears My Heart' EP

By @Lesiba on 11/17/2021 in Projects You Should Hear

I find that I get nervous when I write about artists that I love as much as Mandlin Beams, but here goes. 

The South African listener is extremely critical and sometimes unnecessarily so. Making a body of work is no easy task. The ability to create something that has a clear storyline, theme and aesthetic is no simple feat, especially for an upcoming artist with limited resources. So with that being said, what is the story behind 'Hears My Heart'?

Mandlin Beams opens the EP with 3 ballads in 'Love=Dangerous', 'I'm Not Ready' and 'Fall'. The common thread between all 3 of these songs is how intentional she is with her writing and production choices. On 'Love=Dangerous' she gave us a perspective on love that we don't hear all too often. Love has its pitfalls and like everything else in life, too much of it can be a bad thing. I feel like Mandlin Beams is speaking for me because I see love from the exact same perspective as her when she sings 

“I lost myself

loving you

i let you see

the parts that weren’t pretty

I gave my all,

all my love to you

but still you choose

to walk away and leave”. 

I love how when she sings the chorus we start to hear elements of Latin music, which I immediately associated with the romance that Pablo and his wife share on a show like 'Narcos'. A nice touch to drive home the point of dangerous love. 

I feel as though people don't appreciate what it takes to be in love and that ties in perfectly with what she talks about on 'I'm Not Ready'. The chorus really gives me pop vibes but the production is warm with hints of Jazz. I love how Mandlin Beams can say things that are broadly relatable without relying on cliches like when she says 

"why do you do this to me

I can't be there for you

I need to be there for me

How could you want me

How could you want me

When I don't even want me". 

She closes this mini-chapter of the EP with the song 'Fall' and I'll come write out and say it, 'Fall'=My Favourite Song:). I feel like this song is the best example of her intentionality. The song is gentle when she’s gentle and it's intense when she’s intense. Around the 2 minute mark, she starts to open up her vocals and the production follows suit and we have a moment where we get to bask in her deeply emotive vocal performance. Special. 

Things take a turn on the EP with the song 'Unrequited'. She allows the production to convey her emotional state in contrast to the stripped-down nature of the first 3 songs. At this point, I was curious to see what she would be able to do with production that doesn't allow her to flex her vocal range as much and she answered that question on the appropriately titled 'Energy'. She sticks to more or less the same flow and it makes the song feel like an extended chorus. It's one of those songs that are meant to be felt more than 'heard' and proves that she doesn't use her singing ability as a crutch. This brings us to the single of the EP, 'The Sky=My Friend'. On its own, 'The Sky=My Friend' is just a nice song about the sky.. so I thought, but it's way more than that. I finally understand what she means when she says 

"The sky is my friend it tells the story of my life 

One day I'm crystal clear

Then I'm clouded by your lies

You rain down on me

 you brought thunder in my life 

The sky is my friend 

It tells the story, the story of my life". 

This chorus brings the meaning of the whole EP together and it was at this exact moment that sent Mandlin Beams the message below. 

This brings us to the end of the EP. Despite how everything has played out in her love life, she is still open to the idea of being in love again. The right way this time. This is one of my favourite listens this year because I could immediately see how intentional she was with her cover art, writing, beat selection and everything else in between. This is was more than a few good songs put together. In a time where there is virtually no difference between an EP, a mixtape and an album, it's refreshing to listen to something that has a clear theme and aesthetic. Stream 'Hears My Heart' below.




 

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