Live Report: Melina Malone dazzles her audience on the Y&E Series

Dublin-born, Irish-Greek R&B singer Melina Malone has been dubbed Ireland’s best-kept secret, but the secret’s out now with her recent debut album, Aphrodite. Released October 6, Malone’s long-awaited EP put a modern spin on the role of women in Greek mythology, drawing parallels between what it means to be a woman today and in historical myth. The sublimely produced results in a stirring and sonically masterful listen, testament to Malone’s thrilling talent.

Since emerging as a promising voice in 2021, her live performances regularly draw in large crowds, leaving listeners stunned with her vocals and radiant energy. Last night was no exception, as the rising soulful singer took over the Hot Press Instagram for a radiant Y&E Series set.

Alongside music partner and musician/producer Steven McCann on guitar, Malone was all smiles as she dove right into her set, making the most of her time. The pair kicked things off with her most recent album single ‘Naive,’ written, as Malone prefaced, by McCann and herself a few years ago. The track has made a regular, much-loved appearance in her live sets since, but only recently found its rightful place on Aphrodite.

Shaped by a beat instantly reminiscent of ‘90s R&B, Malone’s sublime vocals bent and jumped to land on every note of ‘Naive.’ McCann lended jazzy, neo-soul acoustics that Malone snapped along to as she sang, her voice silky and expressive with every line, run and syncopation.

Once in a blue moon, a singer comes along whose voice itself is an instrument — and Melina Malone is that singer.

Representing the Greek roots threaded through Aphrodite, her second song, ‘Ti Ein Afto,’ Malone introduced as, “Probably the catalyst for my album.” Singing some parts in Greek, her powerful vocals radiated through the melismatic tone of the Hellenic classic, which she shaped into something wholly unique.

“Sun-kissed cheeks, the lively scene just like in Greece,” she crooned, her voice dripping soulful, honey-sweet notes.

“It’s a Sunday,” she pointed out in between songs, smoothly adding, “Lovers’ Sunday, as we like to call it over here.”

Another album single, ‘Lovers Sunday’ was as lush and smooth stripped-down as it is on the immaculately produced record. McCann and Malone vibed out to the slow soulfulness of the song and, like the best things in life, took their time.

During a quick break, the singer told her audience, “It’s just really nice to be here, singing these songs the way they were mostly written.”

She turned to a keyboard, playing a few notes as she explained, “I have recently returned to the piano. I’ve been a little bit nervous to play keys for a while, so please bear with me!”

Counting her partner in, Malone’s vocals led into ‘Nectar Honey Ice Tea’ as the keys added more sparkle to her shining performance. Her voice was a flame that burns slowly through the start of the song, before kicking up at the chorus.

Sweet instrumentals and Malone’s delicate delivery masked the bite of her searing lyricism. “Let it be known the kind of man you are,” she declared on the bridge, embodying the unapologetically feminine voice that powers her debut album.

Giddy over her first “official return to the keyboard,” she finally briefed her besotted audience on the final song, a cover and favourite of Malone’s. “This is ‘Thinkin Bout You’ by Frank Ocean,” she announced, before counting them in.

Her keys took the lead while her voice cradled the notes, doing more than justice to Ocean. Malone’s vocals flew on the chorus, airy and weightless, before returning to the depths for a mellow, stirring outro, and a goodbye that came too soon.

Malone supports Macy Gray at the National Stadium this Friday, October 27 — tickets here!

Catch up on Melina Malone’s full Y&E Series performance below:

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Watch the Hot Press Y&E Series - supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media - live on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressinstagram) at 7pm each night.

Catch the following up-and-comers take over the Hot Press Instagram in the coming days…

Monday 23rd: Kayleigh Noble
Dublin’s ‘pop princess’ will grace the Y&E series as she prepares to release her debut album, Just a Girl. With a recently sold-out headline show at Dublin’s Grand Social, and her ever-growing streaming audience, Noble’s future is luminous. The pop star’s debut – worked on almost exclusively by women – will narrate a layered story of dysfunctional love, marked by her vocal depth and lyrical prowess.

Tuesday 24th: Ispíní na hEireann
After honing their chops at some of the best trad and folk sessions in Dublin, the dazzlingly raucous group – who boast a massive online following – burst onto the scene in a big way last year, with the release of their debut album, the aptly-titled The Hard Working Men. They've maintained a socially-conscious stance on their latest single, 'The Mica'.

Wednesday 25th: Brinda Irani
Initially rising to prominence as a popular busker in Dublin, the teenage singer-songwriter cemented her status as a star-in-the-making with her stunning debut original single, ‘A Shadow’ last year – followed by a string of brilliant tracks in 2023. This year also saw her crowned one of the regional winners in the A New Local Hero talent search.