Mabel Alabama-Pearl McVey (born 19 February 1996) is an
R&B and
pop singer and songwriter. The daughter of English music producer
Cameron McVey and Swedish singer
Neneh Cherry, she rose to prominence in 2017 with her single "
Finders Keepers" which peaked at number eight on the
UK Singles Chart.
At age four, she taught herself to read through
phonetics and
audiobooks, but soon developed
anxiety from being sensitive to her surroundings and being bullied due to racial backgrounds.[13][14] Her parents—who were against the use of medication—encouraged Mabel to express herself through music and a journal.[15][16] The following year, she learned piano and wrote her first song.[13][17]
To help manage her anxiety, the family moved to Sweden when she was eight and lived in her mother's native countryside home near the town of
Hässleholm in southern Sweden, and later moved to
Stockholm in October 2004.[18][19][20][21] First she attended an international school, but later transferred to
Kulturama a school with aesthetic training and courses including musical, music & song as well as visuall arts and design. [22]
At age 15, Mabel enrolled at the
Stockholm music school
Rytmus Musikergymnasiet (a music high school) where she took a three-year course in songwriting, production and
music theory. She commented on her time at the school on Swedish radio: "I was drawn to RnB and wanted to write songs on piano, but the most popular students wrote indie songs on guitar."[23][24][25] While in
high school she had a popular Swedish style blog, chronicling her girl-gang's style. It was so successful that it landed her in the front row of international runway shows with her mother
Neneh Cherry, including the likes of
Stella McCartney and the
Paris Fashion Week.[26] Mabel's stylist is her Swedish high school friend Simone Beyene [27]
Career
2015–2018: Bedroom and Ivy to Roses
Mabel told
Swedish morning show
Nyhetsmorgon that she moved to
London as soon as she graduated Rytmus musikgymnasium in
Stockholm because she found the London
R&B scene appetizing.[28] Mabel released her debut single "Know Me Better" in July 2015,[29] which caught the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ
Annie Mac, who made the song her Tune of the Week. Within weeks, Mabel signed a recording contract with Universal. In March 2017, after the releases of the 2015 and 2016 singles "My Boy My Town" and "Thinking Of You", she released "
Finders Keepers" featuring British rapper
Kojo Funds, which reached the Top 10 of the
UK Singles Chart in late 2017.[30] In May 2017, she released her debut
extended playBedroom.[citation needed]
In October 2017, Mabel released "Begging", the lead single from her debut mixtape Ivy to Roses, which was released shortly after. In December, she collaborated with
Not3s on "
My Lover". Following the January 2018 release of a second
Not3s collaboration, "
Fine Line", Mabel opened for English singer
Harry Styles during the European part of the second leg of a tour in the support of his
debut studio album.[31] After her tour with Styles, she embarked on her own headline tour through the United Kingdom and Europe.[32] In June, she was featured on "
Ring Ring" alongside American rapper
Rich the Kid and British DJ
Jax Jones. Later that year, after releasing "
One Shot", she co-wrote "Blind", a song for British girl group
Four of Diamonds.[33][34]
2019–2020: High Expectations
In January 2019, Mabel was nominated for
British Breakthrough Act at the
2019 Brit Awards.[35] She re-released Ivy to Roses with a new cover art and the inclusion of all the singles that had been released since the first edition's release. With this, Mabel also released "
Don't Call Me Up", which debuted at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. The song peaked at number 3, becoming her highest-charting single to date.[36] On 7 June 2019, she released "
Mad Love", the second single from her debut studio album, High Expectations, which was released on 2 August that year. The song debuted at number 18 in the UK, later peaking at number 8.[36]
Following a teaser titled 'Allow me to reintroduce myself', posted to her social media in June 2021,[49] "
Let Them Know" was released on 18 June 2021.[50][51] On 16 July 2021, Mabel released the song "Take It Home" as part of
Pokémon's
25th anniversary album.[52] In August 2021, she performed on the
ITV2 reality series Love Island.[53] On 29 October 2021, Mabel and
Joel Corry released the song "
I Wish".[54] The song was followed by a cover of the
Cyndi Lauper song "
Time After Time", which she recorded for the 2021
McDonald's Christmas television advertisements.[55] The second single, "Good Luck", featuring
Jax Jones and Swedish EMD act
Galantis was released on 18 March 2022. Mabel's second album is called About Last Night...[56]
About Last Night peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, Mabel's highest-charting album to date, it also peaked at number 4 on the Scottish Albums Chart, once again her highest to date.[58]
2023: Hiatus and Swedish Radio
On 8 June 2023
Sveriges Radio announced Mabel would be one of the hosts of the 2023 season of Swedish radio show Sommar.[59][60]
While hosting
Swedish radio show Sommar Mabel said she had been writing a lot of new songs with support from her parents, and together with her brother Marlon. In addition to feedback from her boyfriend Preye,[61] an executive at
Sony who runs the 'Strawberries & Creem Festival' and son of ex-footballer and BBC pundit
Garth Crooks.[62]
She stated that in the past she was reluctant to include her family, but that has now changed. She added that this is material is different from her previous work, and adds that she knows this is a cliché. "This is a new chapter in my life. I have once again changed the team I work with. And for the first time, I have decided to let my family in. I need them. They are my anchor that keeps me grounded, but they are also my compass that guides me back to my true self. As soon as I feel lost or inadequate".[61]
2024–present: Lead single and other collaborations
On 5 January 2024, Mabel and DJ and music producer Jaydon Lewis released remix of "Finders Keepers" - Mabel's song released in 2017. On 19 January 2024, the remix was released on all streaming[63]
Mabel also featured in Ghanaian rapper
Black Sherif's song "Zero" which was released on February 9, 2024[64]
On 19 March 2024, BBC Radio 1 announced their Big weekend Line up for 25 May 2024 which includes Mabel as she will be performing on that date. [65] This will be her first show since October 2022.
On 20 March 2024, Mabel posted a statement on Instagram in which she will be officially returning for new music. [66]
On April 17, Mabel gave her phone number and everyone who called received a link to pre-save her new single "Look At My Body".[67] The date of the single is not yet known, but it is known that the song will feature
Shygirl.[68]
On April 25, Mabel has released her new single "Vitamins".[69][70]
Personal life
Mabel is dating Preye Crooks, who runs the 'Strawberries & Creem Festival' and is son of ex-footballer and BBC pundit
Garth Crooks. They started dating in November 2021.[71]
^"MTV Video Play Awards: Check Out Which Artist is Most Played - BNL". Beirut The Only Way It Should Be, NightLife, Clubbing, Events, DineOut, Concerts, Festivals, Clubs, Pubs, Bars, Hotels, Restaurants, Lifestyle, Music, Fashion. 13 February 2012.
Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.