First Listen: Mary Ann Alexander's ‘Better Than This’

Mary Ann Alexander is quickly rising through the ranks in the music industry as an artist who has a bright future ahead, and has managed to align herself with some of the most respected talent in the industry.

She has collaborated with the UK legend Craig David and Tiwa Savage on the song ‘Commitments- Pt 4’ as well as receiving co-signs from the likes of Kehlani. With such a strong output of credentials to her name already, Mary Ann Alexander is looking to be one of this year’s most promising rising stars.

Her upcoming debut EP ‘Love Or A Lesson’ is shaping up to be a vibrant collection of R&B sonics that is anchored by a sensibility rooted in a true love of the genre, with the subject matter staying grounded and gives the listener a true arc of the complexities of navigating relationships and love, with her dulcet tones being the paintbrush of her story.

The initial reaction

Mary Ann’s delivery on ‘Better Than This’, gently glides over the early 2000’s R&B influenced production, with her voice soaking in R&B sweetness that is in full bloom just in time for the welcoming rays of spring.

The track conjures up warm memories of a romance that is bursting with a sense of fulfilment and joy, fused with a light prickle of pain that seeps in the lyrics yearning to be closer to her lover.

“I wrote the song when I was far away from home, so was feeling inspired and reflective. I wanted to capture that and write a sweet song about missing someone and the feeling of home they can provide” Mary explains.

Visuals

The accompanying video gives a peek into the culture of Kerala, India which is Mary’s hometown. The colourful visuals express a sense of community, merged with a feeling of warmth, familiarity and love, which coincides with the messages layered within the song’s lyrics.

“My main goal for this video was to bring a smile to people’s faces”, she said.

“When I say Better Than This, I also wanted it to mean that nothing can beat the feeling of home and show a small part of where I come from by filming the music video there.”

Final Thoughts

As the main goal for both this song and video seem to be giving the fans a sense of reflection on relationships that have given a sense of security to them, whilst also nodding to the people and communities that provide a loving space that cannot be replicated.

Mary Ann Alexander has able to meticulously craft both a song and representing visuals that achieve this by stepping back on to her home turf where she feels most supported, which allows that message to shine through with a true sense of authenticity.

She created the song with esteemed writer and producer Linden Jay (Doja Cat, Chloe Bailey) who has helped bring her ideas to life in a clean and polished way, but by keeping an element of innocence and vulnerability in Mary’s vocals that are the real anchor of the song.

Make sure you check out Mary Ann Alexander’s debut EP Love Or A Lesson out on 20^th March.

Listen here