Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia using songwriting as her diary, Mariah the Scientist was raised on a fixed diet of classic R&B that ranges from The Temptations to Boyz II Men. The singer-songwriter, who originally attended St. John’s University in New York to major in biology, found music as a vehicle of expression after her relationship with her then-boyfriend went sour. Fast forward to now, Mariah finds herself veering closer to the forefront of the genre with every release.
After debuting her self-released EP To Die For—scraped from all streaming platforms since its release—in 2018, Mariah inked a deal with RCA Records. Her first single under the partnership, “Beetlejuice,” sees themes of love gone wrong front and center in the song. “It’s just life—it’s not like relationships going sour is anything that anyone anticipates,” she shared about the record. It serves as a predecessor to “Reminders,” originally made in her college dorm room while documenting the dissolution of her first love. The song’s music video, having accumulated over 1 million views, is a visual display of Mariah the Scientist’s talent both on and off camera as the lyrics translate on-screen.
Mariah’s debut album, Masters, similarly delves into her partner’s shortcomings and infidelities whilst exploring topics of love lost, self-worth, and trust. The 10-song project is executive produced by Tory Lanez, who discovered the singer prior and eventually became her mentor. Among the several standout cuts from the release, songs such as “Note to Self,” “Thanks 4 Nothing,” and “Not A Long Song” quickly rose to acclaim. Mansa appears as the lone feature while production is handled by the likes of Earl on the Beat, WondaGurl, and Play Picasso to name a few.
Coming off the heels of her debut, Mariah the Scientist joined Trippie Redd on their first-ever collaborative effort “Abandoned,” which appeared on the latter’s A Love Letter to You 4. In 2020, she returned from a brief hiatus to release her beat-switching single “RIP,” the first taste of her sophomore album aptly titled Ry Ry World. Although the record turned many eyes and ears toward the singer, Mariah’s Lil Baby-assisted “Always n Forever” became her most popular song to date. The accompanying video sees the two Atlanta natives hit the Magic City parking lot and win the lotto, garnering over 5 million views on YouTube.
Ry Ry World, released during the summer of 2021, continues to expand on her idea of love and the emotions enveloped within it as she welcomes fans into the immersive, introspective experience. Comprised of ten songs, the project boasts features from Lil Baby and Young Thug with standout cuts like “Aura” and “2 You” setting the tone. Unlike her previous project, which introduced her knack for melancholic songwriting, the album displays Mariah’s hitmaking sensibilities and her tendency to defy expectations. It’s clear, especially on songs such as “Walked In” and “Brain”—which seemingly addresses her relationship with former boyfriend Lil Yachty—that the songstress’ views of love are seen from a different lens.
While on her first-ever headlining show run, The Experimental Tour, Mariah the Scientist unveiled her four-track EP titled The Intermission which is a compilation of gems held in the vault over the past several years. “This project is really important for me, because it’s really all about my fans. I’ve kept some of this music from them for so long and it’s been overdue for me to share this art,” she says. “Also, I wanted to showcase more of my personality.” The project includes focus tracks like “Boy’s Don’t Cry” and “Church,” a reiteration of a song that she originally put out in 2018.
Serving as an unapologetic voice in today’s R&B, Mariah the Scientist’s sullen soundtracks to love have become blueprints for the modern woman. Now aged 24, she’s achieved a lot through her therapeutic confessionals and affirmative ballads, but there is so much more on the horizon for the rising superstar that we have yet to witness.
