Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Mariah Buckles (aka Mariah the Scientist) is quickly becoming a new R&B songstress we should keep in mind.
The singer talks about a range of topics in her music, whether heartbreak, self-destruction or cheating. It’s only going to grow more once she puts out more music and she becomes more open. With lyrics like “I guess it’s better that / It’s over now / ‘Cause all the things that / You lied to me about / Was just too much for me / To swallow down / Now it’s takin’ over / Tryna take me out,” she shows the vulnerability she puts in her music.
Her 2019 debut album “MASTER” has a slew of songs to get familiar with her work. Standout tracks for me and others are “Note to Self,” “Note to You” and “Reminders.”
Her sophomore project “RY RY WORLD” is where I got familiar with her. The whole album top to bottom is a beautiful body of work. Tracks like “Aura,” “Walked In,” “2 You,” “Always n Forever” and “All For Me” really give the project the feels it needs with amazing production.
Mariah has music videos for a couple of the songs mentioned if you want to check them out on YouTube. She hasn’t had a breakout hit yet, but don’t count her out — she puts out music this generation loves to hear.
For Mariah, music wasn’t her first career; she loved science and her family did too. She told Complex News, “I don’t think I’ll do this forever.” She sees herself eventually starting a family or even going back to science. The interviewer, Speedy Norman, asked her if she saw herself “eventually transitioning out of this lifestyle” and she replied, “absolutely.” She said in the interview that she only started making music as a sentimental gift for someone that loved music. Then people around her started telling her she had something special, and without them, she doesn’t think she would have pursued music.
The person for whom she wrote the music for didn’t even want to listen to it because he told her he “didn’t wanna jawn on u.” This just means he didn’t want to roast her, and she felt sad about that, but thought that it was also funny because she made the music for him. She also never confirmed or denied who she was talking about in her music. She feels like if she does it will be a constant requirement, explaining all of her music. It would be like “opening up Pandora’s box,” and it’s her business.
What’s to look for next from Mariah? Well, Mariah has been doing a lot of small venues and festival performances around the U.S. so if you wanna check her out live, follow all her socials @Mariahthescientist. I personally went to see her when she performed in Philadelphia last week and I loved it. Her vibe was so cool and she loved interacting with the fans. She performed a lot of the songs I mentioned. Fans also await the deluxe version of “RY RY WORLD” that Mariah promised. So check her out. I promise she won’t disappoint.
Isaiah Ireland is a second-year Media & Culture major. II978280@wcupa.edu