UK R&B Songstress Mnelia Drops Mixtape ‘Complicated’

Mnelia gets real with her listeners on her new R&B mixtape ‘Complicated’. The long awaited record has 8 tracks which explores Mnelia’s thoughts and feelings across life, love and self-discovery.

Along with familiar songs like ‘Brozone’ and ‘Hold You Down’ featuring rapper Strandz, there are also newer tracks such as ‘Burn’ , where you can hear the crooning voice of Tone Stith, which explore similar themes through lyrical storytelling. Mnelia’s silky vocals across the mixtape deliver a soul-baring collection of tracks that reflect her current perspective.

Mnelia tenderly asks “Does it ever get better from here?”, on the opening track, ‘Ethereal Wishes’ as she sets the tone with smooth synthesizers and soft vocals, whilst at the same time revealing the vulnerability of her position in life right now.

She demonstrates how complicated things can feel when you are trying to find yourself. The tracks ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ and ‘Warm’ follow a similar steady R&B sound, where she candidly unpacks the emotions of a complicated romance.

Speaking on ‘Complicated’ Mnelia explains that the mixtape is the result of “...No plan no big idea, just creating songs true to where I am at in life. When I listened back, all the songs together felt like the season I'm in right now. If you ask me how I feel about life, love, relationships or even just figuring myself out, I'd tell you it’s complicated. That’s what makes this project special to me. It’s honest, it’s real and it’s just a reflection of where I am”.

Closing the record with the aforementioned ‘Burn’, featuring Tone Stith, the south Londoner wraps up her journey with the perfect dash of self-preservation as the track promises to burn the things to the ground which no longer serve her. With a catchy hook and upbeat tone, Mnelia delves into the notion of knowing when to let go. Her vocals blend seamlessly with Tone Stith’s, giving us a song that is easy to replay.

The release of her mixtape follows a breakout year marked by a MOBO Award win for Best Video (‘My Man’) and her performance with Mahalia at this year’s Southbank Meltdown Festival, curated by Little Simz as Mnelia continues to affirm herself as a leading voice in UK R&B.

Complicated is emotionally rich and confident. She captures what it feels like to navigate life and love in all its complexity - the joy, the confusion, the vulnerability - and makes it sound effortless.

Listen here