Shyli Madhala – Pink for My Money (2021)
Through her debut single ‘Pink for My Money’, Shyli Madhala unleashes breath-taking honesty and emotion. With meaningful lyrics and soulful performance, she lays out painful emotions from growing up only to celebrate who she has become because or despite them. A poignant ode to who she is, the single lets us all know that it is okay to simply be human and to find beauty in what society tries to make us hide.
A very powerful opening from Madhala, she really lets us know what she is about from the first moments. Drawing on inspiration from artists such as Otis Redding, Janis Joplin and Ray Charles, she fuses RnB with soul, jazz, funk and groove for an unforgettable sound. Honest, authentic and emotive, her debut makes you yearn for more.
Madhala opens ‘Pink for My Money’ with seriously soulful vocals. There is a rich flow to her vocals that pull you in. Her voice seems to transport you to a smoky jazz club which is enhanced by the jazzy vibes of the music. The spoken sections of the vocals are an interesting injection that pushes the theme and message of the track. Through the lyrics, you are pulled into the doubts and uncertainty that comes from the expectations forced on us by society. While touching on these negatives, she smoothly leads you to a celebration of who you really are and the empowerment needed to be yourself. This is pushed perfectly through the run of vocals in the latter part of the track.
While the vocals fill you with empowerment after acknowledging the pressures of growing up, the melody is a seductive river of richness. The piano line that meets her soulful vocals to draw you in is rather delicate with a sultry edge. The jazzy swish of the drums have you swaying to the melody. When the saxophone enters, you are dipped into the pure luxury of lounge jazz that is utterly undeniable. The arrangement of the music is decadent and you really can’t stop listening to it.
Shyli Madhala sets the bar high with the soulful, seductive, empowering richness of her debut single ‘Pink for My Money’. Her vocals are a silken slide that wrap you in the emotions of the lyrics. The power of her performance is bolstered by the melody that transports you into jazz bars and swaying decadence.
Find out more about Shyli Madhala on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
