Aggressive and forceful – sometimes nothing less will do when creating a buoyant rhythm to back up a voice like that of one MJ Songstress, whose new single “Carousel” just so happens to feature one of the sexiest grooves I’ve heard in 2021 thus far. For a singer like MJ, there’s never much need to get crazy when it comes to stylizing the backend of a mix, but this didn’t stop her from turning up the heat on the beat in her latest release, which I’m going to go out on a limb for and deem one of the best dance tracks of the new spring.

Website: https://mjsongstress.com/

This temptress’ voice produces a layer of fragility that comes in strong contrast to the formidable nature of the percussive pulsation in the backdrop, but I get the idea this was essential – in her mind and in regards to the conventional pop model as it stands today – to create some juxtaposition in the music. There’s no such thing as an iconic pop song created with singular dimensionality from an aesthetical perspective, and in this sense you could say that MJ Songstress was doing her part to follow in the footsteps of legends (by doing exactly what they didn’t).

I’m definitely picking up on a trip-hop influence and some ambient frills in the design of “Carousel” that I want to hear more of out of this player’s work in the future, and personally I don’t see why experimenting beyond those genres should be out of the question, either. There’s no limit to what a vocalist of this caliber can do when they aren’t restricting themselves artistically, and from where I sit MJ Songstress has already given us more than enough evidence to verify her genuine talents and, more importantly, the ambition through which she wants to utilize them.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mj-songstress/1337533343?ign-gact=3&ls=1

If you’re in the mood for some pop music that moves your hips while stimulating your mind and thirst for a louder beat, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of “Carousel” as soon as possible this season. MJ Songstress does almost everything right in this release and its companion video, and whether it takes her a minute or a dozen months-plus to work on a follow-up, something tells me keeping tabs on her upcoming output is going to be a smart move as both a music critic by profession and a lifelong enthusiast by passion.

John McCall