Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
“For the average lover, heartbreak isn’t a stranger.” It’s with this sentiment that Mnelia created her latest EP, ‘Closure Tapes’, her “heartbreak bible.” While the record was born out of a period of intense pain and grief for the artist, her focus has always been on what the music would do for others; her own healing secondary. “When I decided to become vulnerable within my artistry, it was more of a choice for the people that were supporting me than for myself,” Mnelia explains. “My favourite artists are the sacrificial ones. They’re the ones that put it all in because they care more about what it’s doing for the world. There’s so much more reward in giving than there is in taking.”
Five years on from her first release, and three years since her single ‘Say Yeah’ put Mnelia on the map, ‘Closure Tapes’ arrives after a deeply reflective time. “It’s been a rollercoaster but everything’s happened exactly how it needed to,” Mnelia ruminates. She looks back fondly on her musical roadmap, cherishing the lessons she’s learned along the way.
The EP features a number of collaborations, from South London Drill artist Kwengface to American R&B dynamo, Jayla Darden. Closest to Mnelia’s heart, however, is a link up for the remix of ‘Genesis’ with three of her best friends, Miraa May, Joyce Wrice and Bellah. “The whole project is about personal experiences, so if I was to bring anybody in [for the remix], it’s going to be these girls, without a shadow of a doubt,” Mnelia says. “In my personal life, they’ve been my pillars of support, but it’s also such a privilege to have friends that do the same thing as you in terms of career.”
Read the full interview: clashmusic.com/next-wave/next-wave-1130-mnelia
“For the average lover, heartbreak isn’t a stranger.” It’s with this sentiment that Mnelia created her latest EP, ‘Closure Tapes’, her “heartbreak bible.” While the record was born out of a period of intense pain and grief for the artist, her focus has always been on what the music would do for others; her own healing secondary. “When I decided to become vulnerable within my artistry, it was more of a choice for the people that were supporting me than for myself,” Mnelia explains. “My favourite artists are the sacrificial ones. They’re the ones that put it all in because they care more about what it’s doing for the world. There’s so much more reward in giving than there is in taking.”
Five years on from her first release, and three years since her single ‘Say Yeah’ put Mnelia on the map, ‘Closure Tapes’ arrives after a deeply reflective time. “It’s been a rollercoaster but everything’s happened exactly how it needed to,” Mnelia ruminates. She looks back fondly on her musical roadmap, cherishing the lessons she’s learned along the way.
The EP features a number of collaborations, from South London Drill artist Kwengface to American R&B dynamo, Jayla Darden. Closest to Mnelia’s heart, however, is a link up for the remix of ‘Genesis’ with three of her best friends, Miraa May, Joyce Wrice and Bellah. “The whole project is about personal experiences, so if I was to bring anybody in [for the remix], it’s going to be these girls, without a shadow of a doubt,” Mnelia says. “In my personal life, they’ve been my pillars of support, but it’s also such a privilege to have friends that do the same thing as you in terms of career.”
Read the full interview: clashmusic.com/next-wave/next-wave-1130-mnelia
