20 year-old Toronto R&B artist Ebhoni has returned with the sensual, dancehall-inflected single, “MIA” Over a minimal, mood-heavy instrumental, she coos about the thirsty men in her life that she makes “beg like a kid.” Projecting boss-level confidence, “MIA” nods to the pop experimenter who shares the song’s name with a cool reminder that “bad gyals do it well.”
Produced by Alex Lustig (Drake, Gunna, PARTYNEXTDOOR, et al.) and Merna, “MIA” is inviting and mellow, warmed by dancehall’s anthemic energy and the neon glow of pop radio signifiers. It’s a fitting canvas for Ebhoni’s self-assured bars. She says the song is full of love for herself and her body, and for others who feel the same. “I had so much fun making ‘MIA’ and I felt super good and empowered showing love to my likkle boobs lol,” she writes. “So, this song is for the bawdest of the bod who embrace and love what they mama gave them!”
“MIA” is Ebhoni’s first solo single of 2020, but it follows quick on the heels of her vibrant July collaboration with Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire, “Never Lonely.” Over the last few years, her string of animated, confident R&B singles has won both commercial and critical success. In the middle of a productive 2019 run, Pitchfork wrote that she is “reclaiming the Toronto R&B crown for women.” Throughout her career, Ebhoni’s made a point to partner specifically with Black-owned businesses, support other women artists and workers, and to uplift the local LGBTQ+ community, which she’s done through efforts like hosting Pride Toronto. In its own way, “MIA” fits into this side of her career, offering self-empowerment in the form of a heater of a single. It’s also further proof that Ebhoni is a must-follow. Stay tuned for more soon.