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Mahalia
Boardmaster21 (76) (51385229597) (cropped).jpg
Mahalia performing at Boardmasters Festival in 2021
Background information
Birth name Mahalia Burkmar
Born (1998-05-01) 1 May 1998 (age 26)
Origin Leicester, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active 2015–present
Labels Asylum

Mahalia Burkmar (born 1 May 1998), known mononymously as Mahalia, is a British singer, songwriter and actress. Mahalia has released several EPs and three albums, Diary of Me (2016), Love and Compromise (2019) and IRL (2023). She also acted in the film Brotherhood (2016). She had her breakthrough in 2017 with her performance of "Sober" for the YouTube channel Colors. In 2018, she was ranked number one on YouTube's Ones to Watch list.

Life and career

Mahalia WBLS interview 2023 04
Mahalia in an interview with WBLS in 2023

Mahalia is from Syston, Charnwood, in Leicestershire. She was born to musician parents. Her father is British-Irish and her mother is Jamaican. Mahalia has described the town she grew up in as a predominantly white area with "a lot of racism". She has two brothers.

She attended Roundhill Community College until she signed a record deal aged 13, when she transferred to a performing arts school, Birmingham Ormiston Academy,where she took acting classes. Mahalia further expanded her actor training at Urban Young Actors, Leicester.

As a child, she would often spend her summer breaks at home writing music—she wrote her first song at age eight and signed a deal with Asylum Records at age 13. She performed live for the first time aged "eleven, or maybe 12" at an open mic. She released her debut EP, Head Space, in 2012. Mahalia was later introduced to Ed Sheeran, who she went on to perform as a supporting act for, duetting with his on his song "Gold Rush". She supported Sheeran and Emeli Sandé in their 2014 UK tours. She sang on the title track of UK #1 album We the Generation by Rudimental in 2015.

In 2019, Mahalia was featured on BBC Radio 1's Brit List. Her album Love and Compromise was released on marketed as her debut album. The album concept was influenced by an interview with Eartha Kitt, which Mahalia's mother showed her when she was a child. Mahalia won Best Female Act and Best R&B/Soul Act at the 2020 MOBO Awards.

In 2021, she released "Jealous", a collaboration with American rapper Rico Nasty. She was nominated for her first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Mahalia was included in the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

In 2022, Mahalia was among the performers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She was also one of the opening acts in the all-female lineup at Adele's British Summer Time concerts in London's Hyde Park.

In 2023, Mahalia released her second studio album, titled IRL. In support of the album, she toured Europe, North America and Australia.

Influences

Mahalia in Sydney
Mahalia performing in Sydney, Australia in May 2024.

Mahalia has listed Corinne Bailey Rae, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Jill Scott, India Arie, Ed Sheeran, and Kate Nash among her musical influences.

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details
Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
UK
R&B
SCO
US
Heat.

Love and Compromise
  • Released: 6 September 2019
  • Label: Asylum
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
28 4 23
IRL
  • Released: 14 July 2023
  • Label: Warner Music UK
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
31 2 81
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums
Title Details
Diary of Me

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Details
Head Space
  • Released: 10 July 2012
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Never Change
  • Released: 11 December 2015
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Seasons
  • Released: 21 September 2018
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Isolation Tapes
  • Released: 1 May 2020
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Letter to Ur Ex
  • Released: 20 May 2022
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
UK
UK
R&B
BEL
(FL)
Tip

NZ
Hot
US
Bub.
US
R&B
US
R&B/HH
Airplay
US
Adult
R&B
"Borrowers" 2015 Never Change
"Back Up Plan" 2016 Diary of Me
"17"
"Silly Girl"
"Mahalia"
"Roller Coaster"
"I Remember"
"Marry Me"
"Independence Day"
"Begin Again"
"Sober" 2017 Non-album singles
"Hold On"
(featuring Buddy)
"No Pressure"
"Proud of Me"
(featuring Little Simz)
2018
"No Reply"
"Water"
(with Kojey Radical and Swindle)
"I Wish I Missed My Ex" 43
  • BPI: Silver
Love and Compromise
"Surprise Me" 43 Seasons
"One Night Only"
(featuring Kojey Radical)
"Do Not Disturb" 2019 3 Love and Compromise
"Grateful" Non-album single
"Simmer"
(featuring Burna Boy)
46 34 32
  • BPI: Gold
Love and Compromise
"Square 1"
"What You Did"
(featuring Ella Mai)
90 29 7 15 13 6
  • BPI: Silver
"BRB" 2020 20 Isolation Tapes
"Jealous"
(featuring Rico Nasty)
2021 34 Non-album singles
"Whenever You're Ready" 36 17
"Roadside"
(featuring AJ Tracey)
93 37
"Letter to Ur Ex" 2022 Letter to Ur Ex and IRL
"Whatever Simon Says" Letter to Ur Ex
"In the Club" 31
"Bag Of You" IRL
"Terms and Conditions" 2023
"Cheat"
(featuring JoJo)
"Ready"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released, other artist(s), and album name
Title Year Other artist(s) Album
"We the Generation" 2015 Rudimental We the Generation
"Keep It Pushin" 2018 Russ Zoo
"All I Need" 2020 Jacob Collier, Ty Dolla Sign Djesse Vol. 3
"Energy" Pa Salieu Send Them To Coventry
"Pretty" col3trane Non-album single
"No One But You" Justin Nozuka Then, Now & Again
"Closer" 2022 RM, Paul Blanco Indigo
"Five Star Hotels" 2023 Raye My 21st Century Blues

Awards and nominations

Year Organization Award Work Result
2018 BRIT Awards Critics' Choice Award Herself Nominated
BBC Sound of 2019 Included
Metro Ones To Watch 2019
2019 MTV Push Nominated
Soul Train Music Awards Best New Artist Nominated
Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award Nominated
2020 British Female Solo Artist Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding New Artist Nominated
2021 Grammy Awards Best R&B Performance "All I Need" (with Jacob Collier and Ty Dolla Sign) Nominated

Filmography

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