Mapei, a former rap artist from Stockholm, has unveiled a new single, Don't Wait, after a bit of a hiatus from the industry. To the shock of many fans, it barely included any rap, but to the absolute adoration of us, it's a brilliantly focussed single which could easily be leading the charts - we've not stopped listening to Don't Wait since discovery, and cannot wait for its availability in the UK to be announced!
The simplicity of it all really hits home from the very first strum of the guitar. There's not much about this, as of yet, which you couldn't call organic - the introduction of the "Hey" vocal for example, which reminds us of The Lumineers single, 'Ho Hey' is particularly real ... the way in which Mapei sings, by the way, comes across quite the same. She has an aura about her which is very innocent and sweet, and to those who don't and wouldn't know her, why should she have any other persona?The backing vocals though (other than that "Hey"), as you may have gathered, are not quite so organic and have, in fact, been processed many times over. However, this doesn't take away any elements of the performance, as some may quickly assume, and really only adds a bit of culture, a bit of spontaneity, and a bit more of a pulse to the already loaded track ... adding a blend of Daft Punk to the mix.The lyrics are just as brilliant as the overall performance of the track. She seems very sincere in what she is singing, and the introduction of a small rapped segment, which is about love and care, is a sweet addition that you wouldn't really expect to hear, or associate with the rap game.There's something particularly refreshing about this track, which means that, for us, if she stays on this route, Mapei will most definitely be one of the hottest acts to look forward to this year - we can't wait for more!!
Paul.