"Regardless": Miraa May
Production: kadiata
Album: Care Package EP
‘I walk how I want to/ I talk how I want to/ I don’t care what they say or how they feel about what I do’
In recent years, the self-titled ‘Tottenham songbird’ Miraa May has made a name for herself for her brazen and energetic releases. ‘Regardless’ proves no exception to this rule; it is infectious, attitude-heavy and unashamedly confident. With Afrobeat rhythms and an electropop production style, May composes a tropical-infused sound which soon reveals its feminist theme. ‘Regardless’ preaches resolute self-love, explicitly rejecting misogynistic industry expectations (‘I groove how I wanna groove/ I make moves if I want to/ I don’t care if they know’).
The barefaced lyricism and summery sound make for a powerful pairing; ‘Tell them I’m sexy regardless’, plays the first chorus, and with it the arrival of the beat drop. May delivers her fiery lyrics in a sometimes conversational tone, working particularly well at tongue-in-cheek moments such as the bridge (‘Huh, I could never take no disrespect/ Disrespect me, it’s off with your head’).
‘Regardless’ treads a fine line where a heavy subject matter meets an upbeat sound. May offers us a well-crafted balancing act, which is as sunny-sounding as it is self-assured.