100M+ streams later, and it’s been nearly four years since the release of Mapei’s debut album, “Hey Hey”. Since then, the Swedish American artist has been busy contributing her vocals to various projects, like Silk City’s “Feel About You” (a.k.a. the collaborative project of mega producers Diplo and Mark Ronson). She’s also had time to reflect on what’s most important to her, as has been working hard on her follow-up album, an album that promotes self-empowerment while also lamenting the struggle to be oneself in an age of extreme narcissism. Now, on the 30th of August, she’s finally ready to show the first glimpse of her new, anticipated project, by dropping the powerful single “Rise Up”.
When Mapei describes the sound of her new track, it sounds like a poem in itself; “tie dye and waves, 70’s esque, but also afro beetish”.
“In ‘Rise Up’, I wanted to capture that americana spirit of the 70’s” Mapei explains. “The song came to me out of the blue one day, when I was out in L.A doing some writing. I just started singing “Rise Up” to myself, which turned into chanting. After that, it only took two hours in the studio until the song was finished. The track is about friendship, and about moving forward towards positivity. In the verses, it’s almost like I’m channeling my uncle, giving advice. The lyrics are meant for pushing one forward in the right direction.”
