Mysie is one of the most exciting musicians in London right now. – i-D
A voice of purtity, richness & resonance – SUNDAY TIMES
Stunning, already impressively assured – THE GUARDIAN
Premiered on Radio 1Xtra last night, South-East London’s Mysie is releasing her new single PLAY today.
“PLAY is about connecting to my inner child” explains Mysie. “It’s about being fearless and disregarding the rules. To be able to play, is to be able to be free without overthinking every move”.
Written with long term close collaborator Gold Spectacles, PLAY follows on from recent cut CTRL; both tracks showcasing a fresh, electronic sound from Mysie who continues to break new ground with her songwriting.
Mysie has received unanimous praise for her music from all corners of the media so far, including i-D, Sunday Times, The Fader, Evening Standard, Notion, Hunger, Dork Magazine, Radio 1, 1Xtra & 6 Music, whilst also being tipped as one to watch by the likes of The Guardian, The Independent, Gal-Dem, TMRW, Dork Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit and more.
More About Mysie
As a child, the music in Mysie’s home, played by her parents and through her own speakers, prophesied the arrival of a future star; a young black woman with an immense presence and songwriting prowess. The likes of Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan and Sadé were introduced to her by her parents. It acted as an invaluable introduction to the sounds that would, in part, inspire Mysie’s own.
She was the one who chose to make music her calling. Not since her grandfather Israel Magembe, a man credited with bringing jazz music from Congo to Uganda with his band Kampala City Six, had an instant relative decided to become an outward-facing musician, despite her family’s talent. It was a dream that manifested early.
The music she would move to as a dancer in her youth played a key part in widening her musical influences, showing her how the concept of genre could bend through an artist’s worldview. The likes of J Dilla, Thundercat and Flying Lotus introduced her to the alternative scene that would grow wider as she explored its depths, uncovering more influential artists that inspire her today, like Sampha and Moses Sumney.
Her debut EP Chapter 11 was released in 2019 and following singles such as Bones & Patterns catapulted her into the limelight as a limitless, creative force behind not just her music, but every aspect of the accompanying visuals for each track. Mysie’s undoubtable talent was celebrated by the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards in 2020, where she picked up the inaugural Rising Star Award off the back of her early releases.
Following a fruitful mentorship with Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Fraser T Smith via The Ivors programme, Mysie signed to Smith’s own label 70Hz in 2021. ‘Undertones’ EP was released last spring, racking up support from across the board; both the BBC and Iggy Pop professed their love for what Mysie was making. Despite the pandemic, she managed to perform the EP at two sell-out headline shows in London, as well as abroad, bringing the project to life.
Joyride EP followed last year, a project about the turmoil of love, and how we change as people as it starts to fall apart. It acted as a counterpoint to what Undertones stood for: a mature and smart look at love’s dissolution, written as it happened.
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