2023 has been an exceptionally big year for the pop scene outside of the mainstream. After dropping a string of successful singles and remixes to kick off what has started to feel like a very important year for the culture, Mela Bee’s rivals have been making a lot of noise, but with her new spring jam “Shine,” this rising star in the indie circuit disputes the notion that a rookie can’t rule their scene with a little help from the right rapper (in this case, Kodie Shane). The stylistic theme of this track sways pretty liberally between hip-hop and dreamy but progressive pop, but it never feels fragmented by the diversity of its influences. This is a scenario where duality creates a more cohesive sound than singularity can afford, and it’s keeping Mela Bee in some top-tier company, to put it mildly.
With her vocals, this player doesn’t just sound comfortable with the verses she’s belting out but is instead quite relaxed. Confidence is one thing, but she sounds like this is coming to her naturally, without any serious degree of rehearsal – although I’m sure there was a lot of practice ahead of hitting the studio here. She has the essence of a natural because she isn’t having to force these melodies together; they were destined to be united from the start. I can’t argue with the chemistry in “Shine,” and it begins and ends with the singer of the song herself.
These harmonies are soft enough to be a little spacy, but the execution from Mela Bee is too surgical to lend any stony elements to the melodic faceting here. Even where there’s a club-style hook in “Shine,” she’s using it in such a way that drawing comparisons between her style and what some of the downright complacent players in contemporary pop have been doing is impossible. This is far more intellectual and artsy than what the mainstream is producing this spring, and I don’t think you need to dig very deep through the current Billboard charts to concur with my opinion.
A dance remix of “Shine” is possible given how simple a beat this is beneath the augmented parts, and as long as Mela Bee’s voice stays in the middle of the spotlight, there’s no limit to what you do to manipulate the melodic angles to this single. She already proved with “Different Breed” that she can be bold as an experimentalist when necessary, and I don’t want that part of her personality as a professional recording artist for anything in the world.
Mela Bee is becoming one of the most consistent young voices I’ve covered in 2023, and her versatility makes me excited to hear what a proper album under her moniker is going to sound like. Pop fans don’t need to be told where the gilded treasure in their genre is, and they’re rightly giving Mela a lot of attention this spring because of how unique and affectionate a melody she can dish out. She’s got the qualities of a superstar, and I think they’re being put to use brilliantly in “Shine” this May.
Loretta Kim