Madison McFerrin - “(Please Don’t) Leave Me Now”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Jazmin Sullivan, SZA, Jamila Woods

After catching a Madison McFerrin set at SXSW last year, the factor of how her songs are performed is what most stood out. Using looping of both her voice and electronic instrumentation, McFerrin adds an improvisational layer that personalizes her neo-soul grooves in unique ways. As she prepares for the release of her debut full-length I Hope You Can Forgive Me, McFerrin is embracing R&B-pop influences more than ever. She balances experimentation and accessibly with studied ease, sharing two preview singles “(Please Don’t) Leave Me Now” and “Stay Away (From Me)” so far. The dichotomy is clear in the opposite messages of each song and has McFerrin falling into both the groovier vibes of the former and the spaced-out atmosphere of the latter. Ultimately, the smoothness of Madison McFerrin’s core sound is equally hypnotic and toe-tapping, a presentation of an artist coming into her own on what could be a highlight release of 2023. (Kevin McStravick)

2022 Review: R&B vocalist Madison McFerrin has continued to broaden her catalog since the release of 2019 EP You + I, sharing a couple singles a year that notably jump around the pop and soul spectrum. “Over The Ocean” resonates like a timeless, instrument-less chant (a cappella looping is McFerrin’s most enriching space) while “GUILTY” is a mantra chopped and reinvented over the course of the house-rhythm track. Her latest is a collaboration with electronic artist Photay, the appropriately titled “Dream” that filters classic girl-group pop melodies into an eclectic, electro-pop bounce.