alt-r&b singer mélat digs deep on her massive collaboration with jansport j ‘move me ii: the present’

The best artistic collaborations are the ones that are bigger than the sum of their parts, where the collaborators don’t just work well together, but bring out the best in each other. That’s definitely the case with alt R&B singer Mélat and producer Jansport J. On their latest collaboration, the unwieldily titled Move Me II: The Present, the two are like raspberries and chocolate. Or french fries and chocolate. Or anything and chocolate. Mélat’s melting soprano swirls around J’s beats, each taking turns pulling focus.

The record is rich in hooks and textures. Whether singing about some late night regrets (“4AM, Call Me I’m Up”), a new boy (“Beautiful Black Boy”), or police violence (“Worries (Revelation 8:3)”), the duo digs deep. Jansport J’s sun-stained soul samples keep Mélat’s soaring voice grounded while giving her room to fly when the song calls for it. Nodding to MC Lyte’s classic “Lyte as a Rock,” the closer “Too Good To Last,” saves the biggest hooks and most inventive beat for last. With a sober eye towards a relationship, Mélat recognizes that the best things may not be meant to last, but that’s no reason not to love it while it’s here.