Leicester-born R&B star Mahalia has just dropped her second single of 2021 with “Whenever You’re Ready”, the follow-up to her Rico Nasty-assisted track, “Jealous”, back in February.
Produced by UK beatsmiths Two Inch Punch and Mack Jamieson, Mahalia’s soul-filled vocals shine through on “Whenever You’re Ready”, a song that samples Montell Jordan’s ‘99 smash-hit “Get It On Tonite”—etching a portal into the R&B sound of yesteryear, while keeping things young, fresh, and exciting.
The track’s airy, carefree and colourful tone is a step in a new direction for Mahalia. With her last album, Love & Compromise, she floated between heartbreak R&B and tropical island sounds, but on “Whenever You’re Ready” and “Jealous”, Mahalia’s seemingly striving for a more glossier, Y2K-inspired sound, which takes her back to her younger days.
“I’m so gassed to be releasing this song,” says Mahalia. “I remember the first time hearing Montell Jordan’s ‘Get It On Tonite’ in Save The Last Dance when I was a kid; it’s been a song that has made me wanna dance ever since, and sampling it in ‘Whenever You’re Ready’ is really special to me. I had so much fun writing it with MNEK and Two Inch Punch. I was going through a breakup at the time and really wanted to capture this part of that process. It’s my new summer jam. I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.”
Directed by The Rest, the visuals for “Whenever You’re Ready” are colour-coordinated, polished, and perfectly capture the silky, sunny vibe of the track. The choreography screams early-00s pop-R&B, with Mahalia and her dancers moving in sync with one another.
Peep the “Whenever You’re Ready” visuals above, and be sure to add the song to your playlists.
