The smoothness of the synths, the moderate burst of energy created by the bassline, and of course the velvet-soft delivery of the verses; in Mela Bee’s new single “Shine,” it’s truly difficult to pinpoint where the greatest source of catharsis lies within the song and its instrumental makeup.
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Truth be told, the fluidity of the arrangement makes every conceivable element in this track sound like something you should write home about this spring, and although I expect a higher level of quality from indie players of this caliber, I was still pleasantly surprised by how sharp an effort Mela presents us with in this track. “Shine” has a much more relaxed feel than her feature in “Bullish” did, but you can tell where our singer is taking things from comparing her last single side by side with what she’s recently submitted in this piece. Swagger remains a centerpiece in her sound, but it’s now catalyzing a lot of excitement in her lyrics and the beats framing them less than it defines a narrative on its own.
Mela Bee has been putting her spin on the surreal pop style blowing up the underground in 2023 all year long, but instead of the pseudo-postmodernism and blatant trap and drill tenacities of the radio dial, she’s calling upon a deeper influence from R&B to help her establish an instrumental concept here. This is an entrancing melody that we start with in “Shine,” and rather than kicking it up with blistering bass components, the synth creates a would-be cushion for Mela’s voice that wouldn’t have existed in this single otherwise.
She is unafraid of experimenting with any parts of her sound if it means getting a point across to the audience about her skillset and the emotion she’s putting into her work, and I wish I could hear more of this moxie in the releases her contemporaries put together. Every instrument in this song is heavy, but even the most complex of intricacies – like the bassline – contributes something more than a sophisticated feel to the progression of the material. That’s critical to this track being as memorable as it is, not to mention highlighting why its creator is one of the more trusted talents coming out of her scene this year.
There are no two ways about it; Mela’s rise to fame in 2023 has been worthy of attention, but I can’t say that I don’t understand what the hype has been about when I listen to something like “Shine” on top of what I already heard in “Different Breed” and “Bullish.” It hasn’t even been a year since I found out about her music, and already I think Mela Bee’s development is evident and audible when breaking down her present discography, and it’s likely going to get better as she stacks up more hours in the studio and the stage. I hope to catch her on the latter soon, and I think those who hear “Shine” this month will as well.
Levi Colston