Mahalia Burkmar (born 1 May 1998), known mononymously as Mahalia, is a British singer and songwriter. Mahalia has released several EPs and three albums, Diary of Me (2016), Love and Compromise (2019) and IRL (2023). She also acted in the film Brotherhood (2016). She had her breakthrough in 2017 with her performance of "Sober" for the YouTube channel Colors. In 2018, she was ranked number one on YouTube's Ones to Watch list.

Life and career Mahalia is from Syston, Charnwood, in Leicestershire. She was born to musician parents. Her father is British-Irish and her mother is Jamaican (Debbion Currie, the first singer of English band Colourbox, in 1982–1983). Mahalia has described the town she grew up in as a predominantly white area with "a lot of racism". She has two brothers, one of whom is Jamaal Burkmar, a dance choreographer and social media influencer.

She attended Roundhill Community College until she signed a record deal at age 13, when she transferred to a performing arts school, Birmingham Ormiston Academy, where she took acting classes. Mahalia further expanded her actor training at Urban Young Actors, Leicester.

As a child, she would often spend her summer breaks at home writing music—she wrote her first song at age eight and signed a deal with Asylum Records at age 13. She performed live for the first time aged "eleven, or maybe 12" at an open mic. She released her debut EP, Head Space, in 2012. Mahalia was later introduced to Ed Sheeran, who she went on to perform as a supporting act for, duetting with him on his song "Gold Rush". She supported Sheeran and Emeli Sandé in their 2014 UK tours. She sang on the title track of UK No. 1 album We the Generation by Rudimental in 2015.Mahalia. Greenbelt Festival. Retrieved 7 March 2025.

In 2019, Mahalia was featured on BBC Radio 1's Brit List. Her album Love and Compromise was released and marketed as her debut album. The album concept was influenced by an interview with Eartha Kitt, which Mahalia's mother showed her when she was a child. Mahalia won Best Female Act and Best R&B/Soul Act at the 2020 MOBO Awards.

In 2021, she released "Jealous", a collaboration with American rapper Rico Nasty. She was nominated for her first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Mahalia was included in the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

In 2022, Mahalia was among the performers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She was also one of the opening acts in the all-female lineup at Adele's British Summer Time concerts in London's Hyde Park.

In 2023, Mahalia released her second studio album, titled IRL. In support of the album, she toured Europe, North America, and Australia.

Influences

Mahalia has listed Corinne Bailey Rae, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Jill Scott, India Arie, Ed Sheeran, and Kate Nash among her musical influences.

Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected details Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications UK UKR&BPeak positions for UK R&B Albums Chart: For Love and Compromise: For IRL: SCOPeak positions for albums in Scotland: For IRL: USHeat. Love and Compromise Released: 6 September 2019 Label: Asylum Format: CD, digital download, streaming 28 3 — 23 BPI: Silver IRL Released: 14 July 2023 Label: Warner Music UK Format: CD, digital download, streaming 31 2 81 — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums + List of compilation albums Title Details Diary of Me Released: 16 December 2016 Label: Asylum Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Extended plays + List of extended plays, with selected details Title Details Head Space Released: 10 July 2012 Format: Digital download, streaming Never Change Released: 11 December 2015 Format: Digital download, streaming Seasons Released: 21 September 2018 Format: Digital download, streaming Isolation Tapes Released: 1 May 2020 Format: Digital download, streaming Letter to Ur Ex Released: 20 May 2022 Format: Digital download, streaming FML Released: 9 November 2023 Format: Digital download, streaming ILY Released: 16 November 2023 Format: Digital download, streaming Luvergirl Release date: 15 August 2025 Label: Warner Music UK Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles + List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album UK UKR&B BEL(FL)Tip NZHot "Jealous": "Whenever You're Ready": "Roadside": "In the Club": USBub. USR&B USR&B/HHAirplay USAdultR&B "What You Did": "BRB": "Whenever You're Ready": "Borrowers" 2015 — — — — — — — — Never Change "Back Up Plan" 2016 — — — — — — — — Diary of Me "17" — — — — — — — — "Silly Girl" — — — — — — — — "Mahalia" — — — — — — — — "Roller Coaster" — — — — — — — — "I Remember" — — — — — — — — "Marry Me" — — — — — — — — "Independence Day" — — — — — — — — "Begin Again" — — — — — — — — "Sober" 2017 — — — — — — — — BPI: Silver FML "Hold On" — — — — — — — — rowspan="5" "No Pressure" — — — — — — — — "Proud of Me" 2018 — — — — — — — — "No Reply" — — — — — — — — "Water" — — — — — — — — "I Wish I Missed My Ex" — — 43 — — — — — BPI: Silver RMNZ: Gold Love and Compromise "Surprise Me" — — 43 — — — — — Seasons "One Night Only" — — — — — — — — "Do Not Disturb" 2019 — — 3 — — — — — Love and Compromise "Grateful" — — — — — — — — ILY "Simmer" 46 34 32 — — — — — BPI: Gold Love and Compromise "Square 1" — — — — — — — — "What You Did" 90 — — 29 7 15 13 6 BPI: Silver RMNZ: Platinum "BRB" 2020 — — — — — — — 20 Isolation Tapes "Jealous" 2021 — — — 34 — — — — rowspan="3" "Whenever You're Ready" — — — 36 — — — 17 "Roadside" 93 — — 37 — — — — "Letter to Ur Ex" 2022 — — — — — — — — Letter to Ur Ex and IRL "Whatever Simon Says" — — — — — — — — Letter to Ur Ex "In the Club" — — — 31 — — — — "Bag of You" — — — — — — — — IRL "Terms and Conditions" 2023 — — — — — — — — "Cheat" — — — — — — — — "Ready" — — — — — — — — "Pick Up the Pace" 2024 — — — — — — — — Luvergirl "Pressure Points" 2025 — — — — — — — — "Different Type of Love" — — — — — — — — "Instructions" — — — — — — — — "Pity" — — — — — — — — "FCUK" 2026 — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Guest appearances + List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released, other artist(s), and album name Title Year Other artist(s) Album "We the Generation" 2015 Rudimental We the Generation "Keep It Pushin" 2018 Russ Zoo "Low Ride" 2020 Poppy Ajudha "Energy"Pa SalieuSend Them To Coventry "All I Need" Jacob Collier, Ty Dolla Sign Djesse Vol. 3 "Pretty"col3trane "No One But You" Justin Nozuka Then, Now & Again "Closer" 2022 RM, Paul Blanco Indigo "Five Star Hotels" 2023 Raye My 21st Century Blues

Awards and nominations Year Organization Award Work Result 2018 Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award rowspan="8" BBC Sound of 2019 rowspan="2" Metro Ones To Watch 2019 2019 MTV Push Soul Train Music AwardsBest New Artist Brit AwardsCritics' Choice Award 2020British Female Solo Artist NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding New Artist 2021 Grammy Awards Best R&B Performance "All I Need" (with Jacob Collier and Ty Dolla Sign) 2024 Brit Awards Best New Artist rowspan="2" rowspan="2" British R&B Act

Filmography Brotherhood (Noel Clarke, 2016) – as Thea

References

External links