Track of the Day: Malaki - 'Never Mind'

Rising Dublin artist Malaki has returned with a powerful new single 'Never Mind', his first piece of new music in 10 months.

The raw new track follows the release of his EP, Don’t Forget To Take Your Medicine, in 2021. The EP centred around a character called ‘Calvero’; a manic alter ego and caricature of his worst anxieties.

'Never Mind' is the first taste of music in an exciting new chapter for the Irish rapper and genre-blending artist. Opening with textured harmonies and a simple acoustic guitar melody, the urgent percussion kicks in ahead of Malaki's mile-a-minute verses juxtaposed with spoken word utterances. Themes of alcoholism, vice, and self-medication run throughout the track.

“I left the party to breathe / But the goddess of Eden was a bottle to me,” Malaki spits in the first verse; “Stepping over overdoses in those brand-new Gucci loafers,” in the second. The song urges listeners to discard the term “never mind” in its entirety, as hiding your emotions only does damage.

Recorded at The Clinic in Dublin, ‘Never Mind’ is a candid look into those struggling and afraid to ask for help. The infectious, guitar-driven track hits deep lyrically, arriving as a sense of relief and hope for the future. Part punk, part rap and full of melody, ‘Never Mind’ is Malaki stepping into a new realm, both lyrically and sonically.

"'Never Mind' is an ode to the lack of awareness and how we deflect our true feelings using those two words. It’s about how we turn a blind eye and refuse help until it’s reached its breaking point and by then it’s nearly too late," Malaki recently said of the single.

“It’s an anthem for the people who have found solace in recovery and a light for those who are seeking it. I want people to dance to it, but to feel loved in a community that may sometimes make them feel isolated and use alcohol or drugs to capture feelings they so crave.”

Breaking through as one of Ireland’s most prolific and exciting young artists, Malaki has seen early support from the likes of BBC Radio One’s Jack Saunders, BBC R1 Introducing with Gemma Bradley and BBC ATL Introducing, to name a few, as well as appearing on Ireland’s The Late Late Show in 2021. More recently, he performed a blistering set at Live@Aloft, and hit every Irish festival stage on the circuit: Electric Picnic, Forbidden Fruit, Sea Sessions, Body & Soul and more.

Not afraid to share his vulnerable side, Malaki’s soundscapes are already starting to make waves in both his home country and the UK.

Malaki's lyrical dexterity in dealing with mature themes has successfully opened the floodgates for discussions of male mental health, as he tackled toxic masculinity and the impact of Dublin’s housing and homelessness crises on younger generations.

Revisit our 2021 interview with Malaki here.

Listen to 'Never Mind' below.