Melina Malone: A Rising Neo-Soul Star

Melina Malone is an up-and-coming Irish neo-soul singer that wowed the audience with her silky smooth vocals at this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. This performance was a milestone in her musical career, serving as the supporting act for Gregory Porter, a Grammy Award winning Jazz singer.

I made my way backstage at Cork Opera House to meet the young singer after her electric opening performance at the sold out show. She greeted me with a warm smile and an enthusiastic handshake. It was obvious that she was still beaming after receiving a resounding applause from the audience. She voiced how honored she felt to open for Porter, an artist she obviously thought so highly of.

I sat down to chat with Melina about her life, her inspirations, Irish neo-soul artists, and most importantly, her music.

The Dublin born Greek-Irish singer began her musical journey from a young age thanks to the encouragement of her musically inclined parents that raised her on a staple diet of Marvin Gaye.  Her father was in a Dublin based Ska band, while her mother was involved with country and folk music. While in college, Melina discovered her passion for neo-soul, R&B, and even some South American sounds, like Bossa Nova, all of which are offshoots of jazz music.

Melina’s beautiful and powerful vocals have mesmerized audiences and received acclaim from industry peers and media outlets, like GoldenPlec magazine, which stated that she had ‘one of the best voices in Ireland.’

She draws influence from prolific neo-soul artists like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Amber Mark, and UK based R&B singers, NAO and RAYE. She has worked with a number of other Irish artists, such as Mango X Mathman, Zaska, Booka Brass, Glasshouse Music, and Irish Women In Harmony.

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Her Discography

Melina Malone released her first single, “Now or Never,” in 2019. The track introduced Ireland to her sensual vocals and featured Steven McCann. This was followed by the single “Ti Ein Afto” (2020), and “No Better Place” (2021). 2021 also saw the release of “Heartbreaks & Promises,” a collaborative project with Mango X MathMan, a Dublin based Hip-Hop duo that are entrenched in the city’s rave culture. This collaboration resulted in a lively dance anthem which was reminiscent of 90’s dance hits.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Melina spent her time on writing new songs that she planned to release as singles. During her spare time, she began exploring her Greek heritage, developing a keen interest in Greek mythology.  She paired her fascination with Greek mythology, particularly the role women played in it, and the experiences of women in contemporary society, to create the concept of her debut album, Aphrodite (2023).

Speaking about her debut album, Melina said “I’m just really inspired by the stories of Greek myth and the women in Greek myth. So that’s kind of where that link comes from. I loved looking at Greek mythology through a feminist lens. That was definitely the catalyst for the album. I just feel as if a lot of the stories are usually told from the perspective of a man. I wanted to retell their stories from the perspective of a woman. The track, ‘Nectar Honey Ice Tea,’ which takes from the tale of Medusa, is retold from her perspective, rather than the man that slew her. I wanted to know why she became a monster.”

Melina further explored her Greek roots on the track, “Ti Ein Afto,” her enchanting reinterpretation of the famous Greek love ballad which was originally performed by Sophia Loren. Besides showcasing her impressive vocal range, it allowed her to demonstrate her dynamism.  The album was praised in reviews by local music media outlets, such as Hot Press, which gave the album a near perfect score of 9 out of 10, calling it “an audiophile’s wet dream.” The Last Mixed Tape labeled the album as a “home run”.

Earlier this year, Melina featured on the feelgood track with ZASKA, an established Irish guitarist who blends neo-soul, funk, and indie jazz, titled “No Right Time.” “Zaska is a long time collaborator of mine,” said Melina. “We do a lot of gigs together, and I love his music. He is so talented.”

The song was written over a week in the Irish Cultural Center in Paris about two years ago. “It was a really fruitful and creative time there. We were able to kind of explore other things in our music and other genres and kind of meld our two sounds together.” She revealed that there are a couple more collaborations that will feature on ZASKA’s upcoming album.

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Future Projects and Collaborations

With so many young Irish artists establishing themselves in Ireland’s neo-soul and jazz scene, I asked her about artists that we should keep our eyes on.  “Definitely check out Qbanna. She is fab, really amazing. We are definitely going to collaborate in the future.”

Qbanna is a dynamic Cuban-Irish singer-songwriter who infuses her Cuban heritage with her contemporary music. She draws influence from Latin music, pop, soul, R&B, hip hop and even folk music, but hesitates to classify her music as neo-soul, preferring to categorize it as alternative pop.  Qbanna was also performing at the Cork Jazz Festival 2024 as a supporting artist for the headliner jazz supergroup, Buena Vista All Stars.

I was curious about her thoughts on Bricknasty, a Ballymun-based neo-soul hip-hop fusion band which is making big waves in the Irish music scene.  “I’m a big fan of what they’re doing. Bricknasty are so boundary pushing and it’s just really great to see acts like that getting massive opportunities. They have been going from strength to strength. It’s great to see artists, local artists, who are paving the way for everyone in that genre.”

Towards the end of our chat, I asked if there are any upcoming projects. Melina revealed that she is releasing a new single in November. Personally, I think her performance at this year’s Cork Jazz Festival is a precursor of bigger things that the future holds in store for this talented singer. Check out her socials for updates on upcoming events and new releases.

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