Premiere: Malaki – 'Baby Bubblegum (feat. Matthew Harris)'

The first single from Malaki's collaboration project Cocoon was a veritable success on its release, snagging spots on major Spotify playlists and amassing nearly 50, 000 streams in its first two weeks. Today, Hot Press is proud to premiere the Dublin rapper's second single from the project, 'Baby Bubblegum'. The track features his best friend and constant collaborator Matthew Harris.

Malaki took to Instagram to introduce Tyler Doyle, the illustrator responsible for the single artwork. A student at NCAD, Doyle's illustrations caught Malaki and Harris' eye immediately. "The beauty she captures in simplicity is palpable", they write. A playful cartoon coupled with a deep, cool colour palette, the illustration mimics 'Baby Bubblegum' itself.

Ever the genre blenders, Harris balances a funk bass line and a sparse, almost laconic guitar lick to steer Malaki's lovesick couplets. The groove-driven track can only mean that Malaki's got more hits in store as the Cocoon project unfurls. 'Baby Bubblegum' will be available on all streaming platforms this Friday, but for now, you can listen below.