Where does music take you? Does it lift your spirits? Does it motivate you to finish that last 20 minute cardio workout? In the new song “Relationship” from the wonderful singer/songwriter Arina Mai, this petite-sounding singer fills in the void of doubt and reveals more about her inner beauty to her listeners.
URL: https://www.arinamai.com/
Mai, who is based in Denmark, first came to my attention with her KP Larsen-produced track “Get Closer”. That song spoke a new language to me – one of merging mental health and inspirational music that crossed over from the Christian or New Age genres. “Relationship” still stands at a crossroads; Mai’s non-conforming genre tends to feel electro-pop, New Age and even a hint of R&B. Her voice isn’t smoky, rather, it’s light-airy, and if were a color, it would be sea foam blue. Her voice hugs the listener in a long, embrace. Her words I should write a song/ how could I do that without knowing one, evokes a feeling of being out of place. The start of something new. A clean plate. She also calls to mind the fear a lot of people have – do we have experience? Do we bring baggage to a relationship? As the song marches on (or in this case, the pulsing and the cascading electro keys), the lyrics open yet another interpretation. You met me in my life/seeing now I’m working/ seeing now I’m worth it / you and I / oh, you and I / oh, you and I, she sings. At this point, I felt like she was inferring music was her true love, her longest lasting relationship. She’s made it work. The song ends with bright tones, three beats, as if her head, heart and soul were all in unison.
In her press materials, Mai notes that she suffered traumatic events when she first started as a professional music. Though she started writing songs at age 13, and sang in church and even won a talent contest, Mai left music only to return after a career-changing setback. I think “Relationship” relives some of that grit and heart that she endured. You can hear it her voice, as lovely as she sounds, she’s a fighter. She’s conquered her own Mt. Everest. In just three-and-a-half-minutes, the listener steps into Mai’s shoes. As frail as her voice sound, like a figurine kept in a china cabinet, she delivers a knock-out punch of a song.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/arina-mai/1304464778?uo=4&app=music
“Relationship” grew on me; each listen felt like it opened my eyes to new surroundings, nuances in her voice that twirled around words differently. It might be her accents, but her voice stylings are charming. As with “Get Closer” the movement in the song is invigorating and evocative. The two tracks are very different, yet, they are very similar because of Mai’s fearless artistry. She puts herself and her story on the line. Sounding revitalized and refreshed, “Relationship” is a top tier song. It’s now one of my favorites for the summer of 2020, and possibly for the year.
Kim Muncie