First emerging in March of this year, Irish alt-pop artist Saige has spent much of 2020 thus far dropping a series of meticulously crafted singles, all flavoured with a tasteful darkness akin to the likes of Lykki Li and Lana Del Rey. She returns with her most accomplished and emotively raw release to date, "Mama." She turns to soul-bearing lyricism on the subject of social media, saying, " I wrote the song with my own mental health in mind, at a point where I was feeling vulnerable during the last lockdown."
With international lockdowns affecting mental health the world over, this harrowing yet enchanting foray will no doubt hit close to home. Referring to the single in an email statement as “an introspective delve into a mind that is feeling isolated and vulnerable,” it's not just Saige's lyricism alone that encapsulates the emotional weight but also her vocal timbre, which sounds dutifully exasperated whilst maintaining her wildly melodious delivery.
Taking shape around the the breathy vocal cut that opens the track, the melancholic chord progression is first to set the pensive tone. Her voice, smooth as silk, backed by lush chords perfectly maintains it, adding a transcendent quality to the track that pulls you out of your day and into introspective and enveloping atmosphere. Unfurling into the chorus, Saige's densely layered harmonies elevate the track even further into a truly unforgettable experience.
