meimei hits the ground running with her debut single, backbone. The Manchester based singer teams up with producer Mattu, and the collaboration is immaculate. 

Already having a notable presence through her success overseas (with her EP reaching number 3 in the Chinese charts, and performing in big stadiums in Asia), it was only a matter of time until we began to hear about meimei. 

The track begins with atmospheric keys, before her Jorja Smith-reminiscent rapped opening verse plays out over fluttering drums with quick-fire melodic flows and the self-assurance of a younger H.E.R. or Ari Lennox, only reaffirmed more with the themes of love and heartbreak - ‘I can’t put me through hell again’ she tells us. 

The song sees her dipping in between English and Mandarin, confidently showing her identity as a mixed race, bilingual musician. The single aims to empower women and encourage them to act as their own ‘backbone’. It’s uplifting lyrics are honest, and personal, and really help us to understand meimei. 

When speaking on the track, she said that “after depending on someone else’s love to validate my happiness, creating ‘backbone’ was to remind myself of the reliability I must learn to develop for myself in order to grow.” 

The spacey, nocturnal production recalls memories of Jhene Aiko’s ‘The Worst’ and SZA’s ‘Good Days’. Switching between hip hop, alt-R&B, and pop, meimei combines genres with the confidence of someone that’s already made it, but in this new chapter of her career, this is only her first move. 

As she begins to make waves in the UK, this should be a guaranteed add to your playlists. It’s a fantastic debut offering from the talented songwriter and leaves us wondering what’s coming next down the pipeline.

Check out the track below!