Mahalia on how nights out dancing in Jamaica and a personal "metamorphosis" inspired new EP 'Luvergirl' • Interview • DIY Magazine

Two years on from ‘IRL’ - the second album that cemented her status as one of British music’s brightest stars - Mahalia is back; but not quite as we’ve known her before. New EP ‘Luvergirl’ sees the MOBO winner and Grammy nominee return with renewed energy and a refreshingly carefree attitude, leaning wholeheartedly into her Jamaican heritage on a seven-track project that’s positively bursting with Caribbean colour and joy de vivre. She may have already collaborated - and stands shoulder to shoulder - with some of the industry’s biggest names (Stormzy, RAYE, Kojey Radical - take your pick), but, with ‘Luvergirl’, she’s at her most potently self-expressive yet: fearless and feisty, but also unashamedly fun. To celebrate its recent release, Mahalia told us a little more about the EP’s origins, ethos, and her transformative trip back to her homeland.

Hey Mahaila, how are you? How’s your summer been?
Hello love! I’m really great right now. Summer has been beautiful this year; I’ve spent almost all of it bouncing between London and Jamaica, so I really can’t complain. I’ve danced through most of it!

Congrats on the release of ‘Luvergirl’! It feels like the perfect soundtrack for some heady, late summer dancing… was this what you had in mind when writing it? Tell us a bit more about the headspace you were in when approaching the EP.
Yes, absolutely: dancing was my only headspace. I didn’t want to think about tempo or BPM - I wanted to make music that made me feel like my spirit was dancing. That’s also how I was trying to feel personally, as I was going through some major personal changes. I wanted it to feel grown and sexy, yet still young and silly!

‘Luvergirl’ is your first release since 2023’s ‘IRL’. Why did you want to share these songs as an EP, rather than putting them towards a longer project? What’s the throughline between these seven tracks that make them all part of the ‘Luvergirl’ chapter?
I think for me, it was about showing people exactly where I am right now. There’s a confidence to me - in my person and in my songwriting - that I don’t think I had when I was writing ‘IRL’. I have described it in therapy and in conversation with my friends as “my metamorphosis”. Turning 27 this year and learning all about the phase of transformation that happens during one Saturn return really fuelled this project. The throughline, for me, is the confidence behind every lyric. Everything feels very sure and I’m not hiding behind anyone; I’m allowing all of my luvergirl stories to be front and centre.

You wrote the EP between the UK, Jamaica, and St Vincent. Can you tell us a bit more about the significance of this trip to the Caribbean in shaping the sound and vision of ‘Luvergirl’? Did you know, prior to going, that you wanted to lean further into your Jamaican heritage this time, or did that aspect of the EP emerge more organically?
I actually didn’t know before going that it would have this big an effect on me. Being in the Caribbean has always made me feel like I can breathe a little bit better. I definitely had moments as a teenager of going and feeling a sense of belonging, but as an adult it feels very different – more significant, even. The first time I went out dancing in Jamaica, I was completely obsessed with the women and their confidence, and the sensuality in the movement and the music. It was just so unbelievably inspiring; I’m not surprised that it influenced the project in this way.

Was there anything about the Jamaican music scene that you particularly loved, or which surprised you? Any fave musicians, venues, or places you discovered while you were out there?
I honestly just love it all. The musicians that I would see at late night jams kind of blew my mind, and meeting other young artists who are just coming up or just starting out, completely bursting with talent, was genuinely really exciting too.

“The first time I went out dancing in Jamaica, I was completely obsessed with the women and their confidence, and the sensuality in the movement and the music. It was just so unbelievably inspiring.”

‘Luvergirl’ also sees you collaborate with a stellar list of featured artists. Now, this is something you’re absolutely no stranger to, but with ‘Luvergirl’ having such a clearly-defined essence, how did you decide who was the right fit for the project?
It actually wasn’t on purpose, having all Jamaican artists. I suppose it kind of just went that way because of everything I was listening to and everything I was being inspired by - it made sense. But in the end, what it came down to was who I thought could best compliment the project. All the artists on ‘Luvergirl’ are personal favourites of mine, so actually all these features felt like many dreams come true.

When announcing ‘Luvergirl’, you said: “Falling in doesn’t scare me, falling out doesn’t scare me, the pain doesn’t scare me. If anything, it kind of inspires me.” This is a mindset that we’re sure a LOT of people would love to have; how did you get to this point yourself? How do you manage the self-sabotaging tendencies that can crop up around falling in love?
Therapy, probably. But also honesty: I’ve always been brutally honest about my feelings, sometimes in moments when maybe I shouldn’t have been. I have an incredible relationship with my mum, who I shared all my silly stories with as a teenager, and now as an adult. She also shared her stories about love with me, and it made me want to go and make my own. She’s the original LUVERGIRL.

As you get older, do you feel like you approach romantic situations in your own life in a different way? If so, how?
I definitely feel like I approach romantic situations in a different way. I suppose they just don’t feel so serious. Yes, of course I am looking for my life partner, but I’m also enjoying the fun of every person that comes before that. I think, fundamentally, my life motto is that I only get one go, so I wanna live it well. I suppose that also means I wanna love well too.

What does being a ‘luvergirl’ mean to you? What are its defining characteristics or hallmarks?
I think it’s about having an open heart – whatever that means to you. For me, it’s about being deeply in love with my own love, meaning the way I love and the way I want to be loved. Being a luvergirl has also made me really appreciate the essence of girlhood. Falling in love with my girlfriends again and really putting weight and time into those relationships are a fundamental part of this lifestyle.

The EP’s final track, ‘Farewell (Pretty Jamaica)’ is a beautiful, poignant homage to your late Nanny Pearl. How has making ‘Luvergirl’ informed your understanding of the relationship between identity, place, and music? What lessons do you think creating this project has taught you?
This project has mostly taught me to be unafraid: to just jump in with both feet, even if the fall might cause some pain. My relationship with identity is ever growing and I’m excited about what’s to come. I’m excited to spend more time in Jamaica; I’m excited to spend more time at my grandma‘s house; I’m excited about finding out who Mahalia is at this part of my life.

‘Luvergirl’ is out now via Atlantic Records.

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