Mariella - Disconnect (Official Video + Review)
Mariella released her hotly anticipated second single ‘Disconnect’ on November 30th, accompanied by the official video.
Since the release of her debut single ‘Deserve it’ in early October, Mariella has been featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday UK playlist. She also receives continued support from Fresh Finds UK, NPR Music, BBC Introducing, BBC 6 Music, and more. We here at WORDPLAY named her as one to watch in the Alt-R&B scene, and with ‘Disconnect’ she is certainly living up to that expectation.
‘Disconnect’ manages to balance minimal and ballad-y power chords with punchy high hats and an Afrobeat-inspired rolling instrumental, giving it the sound of a relaxed electronic dance track, and proving Mariella is anything but a one-trick pony. When asked about the inspiration behind the lyrics, Mariella exclaims "I wrote Disconnect about growing apart from my partner at the time, and really trying to hold onto the remanence of our relationship. A lot of the lyrics relate to each other, painting a picture of electricity and sparks, to best represent a turbulent, unpredictable but passionate relationship.”
Since Mariella’s graduation from the infamous BIMM Brighton academy with a songwriting degree, she has honed in on her talent. “I really liked the juxtaposition of using words that connect to one another and have a common theme, against the concept of the song which is about realising you are both different, distant, and ultimately out of sync.”
As a homage to her roots, the video is set in her hometown of Brighton. “In hindsight, the song is like a mirror that shows me how much I’ve grown as a person since I wrote it, and going to Brighton to shoot the visual is an ode to my old self."
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Words: Jessica Holmes