Artist on My Mind: Laura Mvula

My homeland (well, one of them, anyway), the United Kingdom seems to really be upping its game with regards to music. In the past few years, the Isles haves brought forward some amazing voices such as Adele, Lianne La Havas, Ellie Goulding and many more. I posted about English singer Lianne La Havas earlier.

Another incredibly talented English lady by the name of Laura Mvula was brought to my attention by a former classmate earlier this year. Mvula appears to be a rather gentle lady in spirit, but is a musical force to be reckoned with, no doubt about that. Every now and then, a musical act comes along that makes you think "This is going to be a classic. I will still be listening to this when I am 80." Mvula is definitely one of those rare musicians.

The first song I heard by Mvula was her first single, "That's Alright". This song is the full-package: it has an incredibly intricate, powerful, enjoyable and memorable beat, but also has poignant and meaningful lyrics that linger on the listener's psyche and excite the senses.

"I will never be what you want and that’s alright,
Cause my skin ain’t light and my body ain’t tight.
And that’s alright.
But if I might, I must stand and fight."

Mvula delivers this vivid and strong message with soulful, velvet-smooth vocals that will leave you hitting the repeat button again and again. The video is also absolutely stunning. From her outfits and makeup, to the dancers, to subtle symbols and metaphors; it is beautifully made.

 

It's hard to choose which of her songs and videos to put on here. I quite literally want to post all her songs and videos, but I decided to try and practice some self-control and limit myself to four in this post. The second one song I'll share is called "She" and it has the most subtly spectacular melody and choral arrangement. The music video is also incredibly touching.

And then there's "Green Garden", which is a light, happy summer tune that has been featuring quite heavily on my summer playlist. The composition of this video is to die for, in my opinion. C'mon, look at those bubbly dancers and dashing drummers!

Mvula is a stunning woman and has style to boot. She wears beautiful outfits with a colour-scheme that includes a lot of neutrals such as ivory shades, blacks and browns that complement the tone of her skin. She masters the act of looking eye-catching and sexy without resorting to overly revealing clothing choices. Mvula is a class act.

 

One major draw for me is the fact that Mvula wears a shaved hairstyle. I think as women we often place far too much emphasis on our hair, attributing to it the bulk of our femininity and looks. She is the classic example that while long hair is attractive and most a definitely feminine feature in its own right, it is not the fountain from which all femininity and beauty flow. I would dare anyone to argue that Mvula does not look both womanly and attractive with her choice of hairstyle. It also allows her to play more with her make-up, accessories and clothing and contributes greatly to the uniqueness of her musical persona. I may be gushing a little bit too much, but I am a really big fan of this lady.

Images c/o: Google and the Laura Mvula Facebook fanpage