Introspective and eclectic, Madia is probably as far from the typical ‘R&B chick’ as one can get, thanks to a strictly-upheld moral compass (by way of years of choir experience in her Seventh Day Adventist church), her paternal West African roots and a winding path of songwriting and self-discovery that was set into motion years before she left elementary school. The MBA-holding singer and songwriter, who got her start in the music business at various open mics, collaborated with Erykah Badu’s former background singer Yahzarah (Madia’s song “One Day” appears on her 2003 Blackstar album) and met future producer LaSean, an alliance that’s resulted in two well-received independent CDs (the Limit Is The Sky, On My Way) and her latest effort, Go Get It.
The subjects and situations that the Philly-born and Jersey-raised artist sings about—big city life, broken hearts and being in and out of love —may be pretty conventional, but her approach is not, especially since Madia is too savvy and self-possessed to be a push-up bra-rocking plaything. “Forgive and Forget’s” is soothing and languorously paced, but her coquettish vocals bristle with resolve as she shows an arrogant mack daddy the door: “Take me for a fool you tried to play me like a sucka/ Thinking I would take all that you give because I love ya/You’ve got me mistaken yeah you’ve got the wrong one/Not that I don’t love you see, but you and me are done.” The glittery “Don’t Look Down” describes the anxiousness of re-opening a wounded heart to a new man who promises he has the medicine, and the buoyancy of “Wanna Be” is the aural equivalent of pasting on a fake grin when encountering your ex and his new girlfriend for the first time in public: “You and me breaking up, breaking up it was a scene/ As much as I hate to say it, maybe this is what you need/There’s gonna be a time when, you’re gonna miss me/know that I’ll miss you too, send you light is all that I can do.”
No matter what she happens to be pontificating on, Madia’s uniqueness and instantly inviting vocals will regale practically anyone within hearing range. Except for a couple of tracks that try too hard or push too far (“Make Me Feel,” “Call Me Crazy”), her third time is a charm (especially the reflectively inspirational title track), a masterpiece delivered with a level of continuity that some can only dream of. This great combination puts Madia’s Go Get It in the running as one of the best independent releases of 2013. Highly Recommended.
By Melody Charles
