R&B singer-songwriter Mereba is bracing for a monumental comeback in a genre lacking standout talent. Since her stellar 2019 studio album, The Jungle is The Only Way Out, the soulful singer has been working hard to refine new material. There have been a few singles here and there over the years to tie fans over including her 2021 EP, AZEB.
Heading into the new year, Mereba releases a project that continues to showcase her widely underrated talent. The Breeze Grew A Fire is Mereba's third studio album. The new project reflects a time in the singer's life transformed by motherhood. In the years since, between 2019 and 2025, one would wonder about how the artist has been impacted by Father Time. Over the 13-track project, Mereba dives into the essence of nature and leads fans down a winding musical road filled with self-reflection, harmony, and hope for the future.
The opening track, "Counterfeit" talks about staying true to oneself. In somewhat of a mantra way, the track plants a foot in the sand and features Mereba at her best. Like most of the tracks on the album, "Counterfeit" is isolated in its production while still keeping in step with the overall arching storyline.
"Ever Needed," the album's second track, is a callback to some of Mereba's earlier work. Despite being known for her rap lyricism, as well as her R&B, rap is virtually non-existent on this album. Aside from the first two, Mereba is more in tune with R&B than ever before. With no features as well, Mereba leans heavily on her soft-spoken vocals as they carry over the course of the album.
The Breeze Grew A Fire sees the best of Mereba as an unapologetic artist reclaiming her voice and pushing boundaries with her step into producing. Tracks like, "breeze grew a fire" and "Meteorite" are sharp and cutthroat in their expansion of Mereba's vision. Years of working within the hip-hop collective Spillage Village with the likes of J.I.D and Earthgang have proven Mereba can keep up with the best of them.
Despite the folk and blues elements infused within the album, the musical tones help elevate the hip-hop production. In the years between projects, motherhood has blessed Mereba in ways that enrich her music. "Starlight (my baby)" and "Heart of a Child" are some of the prime examples of motherhood themes and soul mixing.
Going from the all-around rapper to a more water-flowing singer has always been in Mereba's blood. Toward the end of the album, there are a few tracks that fall on the more upbeat tempo pace. "Hawk" makes great use of that fast-paced tempo to create a perfect harmony on the track.
On The Breeze Grew A Fire, every track is curated to fit perfectly within the project. From the first note to the last, earthy musical tones take root in the lyrics to speak through Mereba. It's clear the pause between projects only proved to sharpen Mereba's songwriting ability. In a crowded R&B field, the need for fresh takes on rebirth, love, and self-reflection are needed. Seems everything under the sun has been done within the frame of the genre. Mereba encourages listeners to step out into the sun, feel the warmth of the beloved Mother Earth, and reconnect with it.
The Breeze Grew A Fire is out on all available music platforms.
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