In what might be the most interesting blend of genres, Jealous by Mahalia, featuring Rico Nasty, is an interesting tune through and through, and both plays into what works in modern music and what’s so beautiful about Mahalia’s musicality.

I have already been introduced to Mahalia’s talents prior to this tune, as she was a prominent feature on Jacob Collier’s 2020 single All I Need, from Djesse vol. 3. After being blessed by her voice on that track, I had high hopes from any music coming from the British singer. To be featured in a Collier track is a heavy feat, and she pulled it off ever so graciously. With that, however, my expectations were quite high for her solo music, whom I had been estranged up to now. 

Immediately, the song starts with a flamenco-style classical guitar, which sets the vibe very quickly. Already, any listener could draw the conclusion that this song would be decorated with a dark veil – a somber tone. The low, thumping drums, as well as the somewhat creepy high-pitched bell-like synths support the setting Mahalia had set out for this song. Her vocals are amazing as always, a healthy blend of melody and rhythm, sometimes verging on hip hop and other times in pop. The most impressive, however, like previously mentioned, is the blend of classical guitars and this proto-horror trap instrumentation ever so dominant in Jealous. Rico Nasty’s feature was an incredibly welcome addition, her part finishing off the track in her own taste. Her place in the song feels like the final piece of the puzzle, and without it the song would suffer from it, I believe.

Overall, I can’t say Mahalia caught me off guard. I was definitely surprised in the direction, but the level of quality I got from this song was exactly what I expected from the singer I already held such high esteem towards. She is an incredibly talented musician, and Jealous makes me very excited to see what Mahalia will release in the future.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.