Heartbreak is one of those life events that make you take a step back and look at your life, yourself, your world and call it into question. On her new EP What’s After “I Love You”?, MALIA masterfully muses those topics, following a life-changing breakup, as she explores the various facets of heartbreak.
With pristine production and radical vulnerability in her lyrics, she embraces emotions, both good and bad, and finds beauty in the pain. Through the tracks, all in chronological order of a breakup, the EP follows MALIA as she navigates a relationship, from the initial stages of love to the cracks beginning to show, to the life-shattering aftermath of losing it all and finding yourself again. She channels the heartbreak into gorgeous R&B ballads that are as insightful as they are heartbreaking.
Throughout the EP, separated by 30-second instrumental interludes, MALIA moves gracefully and honestly through heartbreak and shows that even after one of the most life-shattering events, you can come out of it stronger, wiser, and kinder than ever. “The only way is up,” she sings on closer “Undone”, instilling a sense of hope, optimism, and growth.
On the EP, MALIA shares, “This is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been in my writing and it makes me feel so exposed to share but also empowered because the growth I experienced through this intense pain created the best version of me yet,” she says. “Sharing these songs with the world forces me to continue to remain open and live from a place of love over fear. I hope my story reminds people that moments of darkness however painful, actually hold our hand and help us elevate.”
Often described as healing, MALIA’s sounds aren’t just something you listen to, they’re something you feel. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, MALIA now resides in Los Angeles, a sound that is reflected in her music: her voice, coupled with the sultry R&B arrangements, feels warm, soothing, and sunny. After opening for The Internet’s Syd while currently on tour with JMSN, What’s After “I Love You?” is the perfect offering from the LA songstress.
