Artists often treat their music as personal diaries openforthe world to read and interpret, fromthe ups and downs of their long-term romancesto thequick flings and gripes on life and love. For MariahtheScientist,the art form of translating heartbreak into relatable ballads worked in her favor, earning her a growing fan base and budding mainstream career.
Born Mariah Buckles, the 23-year-old artist adopted her stage name from her genuine love of science. Before she decided to pursue a music career, Mariah the Scientist moved from the eastside of Atlanta to attend St. John’s University in Queens, New York, and earn a degree in Biology. While enrolled in college, she began to write songs in her dorm room with the encouragement of friends. She eventually released herToDieFor EPindependently on SoundCloud in 2018 which led to her big break.
The once hopeful anesthesiologistmoved back to the southand began totakeher music careerseriously.In February 2019,she signeda deal withRCARecordsand issued hermajor-labeldebutalbum,Master,in August of the same year. The albumfeaturesfan-favorites such as “Beetlejuice” and “Reminders.”
Now, a couple of years later,MariahtheScientisthas grown in experience, an aspect reflected in her latestrelease,RyRyWorld. She moves back-and-forth between Atlanta and Miami staying inher home-grown territory.This time around, her sophom*oreefforttakesa different path than theaforementionedMaster,offering a variety of sounds and new perspectives.WhileMasterwas whollya serenade ofa problematicromance,RyRyWorldfinds Mariahexperimenting with new, updated sounds.
OnRy Ry’s World,Mariah leans on her ability to tell stories through song however adds a brighter outlook of her universe. The varying and sometimes extreme emotions remain, however, the sultry singer adds more playful tunes and upbeat moments. Fellow Atlanta artists Lil Baby and Young Thug are both featured on separate songs.
“I definitely feel like Atlanta has influencedme,this is my hometown.And people like Lil Baby and Young Thug, I just really like their music and resonate with them as artists,” the singer said over an audio-only Zoom chat toVIBE.“Ireally liked them in general and I really wanted those features because I just respect them as people.”
“I’m just really relieved. I feel like it took so long to get this project out. And the feedbackhas beenreally beyond what I was expecting. So that’s beenreally exciting!” she exclaimed.
With her latest project,MariahtheScientistcreates just that. For her, the music is very personal and the ultimate signifier of her continuing evolution. We caught up with the singer shortly after the release ofRyRyWorldand discussed the project, creating from experience and her genuine appreciation of science. View the conversation below:
This interview had been edited for length and clarity.
VIBE:How do you approachbringing,the less positive aspectsof romanceand relationships to your work?
Mariahthe Scientist:I think I’m just discussing my experiences. I mean, granted I wish they were better experiences to talk about but that’s just how it’s gone so far. Hopefully movingforward,it changes. I mean I think lately it has been evolving into a more positive spacebutgenerally speaking,whatIhave togooff ofso far hasn’t really been the best. This is more like being honest about that.
Doyou think that singing about your experiences and your personal ups anddownsisan important partofyourown healingprocess?
I think that when I have something on my chest … like something I just want to get off my chest. I do thinkit’seasier to relieve myself of that when it comes to writing asong, buta lot of times Idon’thave much to talk about. You know at all like, go on long binges of not writing anything and then like,all ofasudden,I’llhave something to talk about again and thenI’lljust binge write formaybe aweek ortwoweeks at a time.Itdefinitelygoesback and forth a lot. I think overallit’sjust…Idon’tknow,it just comes down to honest emotion. I feel like it comes in waves, youknow?
What made you decide to name itRy Ry’s World? If it were a real place we traveled to, what are we going to see? What does it smell like inRy Ry’s World?
Initially,there was a different title and I think I just sat on it a little too long. I didn’t like it as much by the time the project was coming out. Plus, like the dynamic of songs and everything it was just shifting. I felt like it was just more oriented aroundmyself,and I didn’t really want it to be… I don’t like the idea of this project necessarily being fully about somebody else I kind of feel like it’s just more about me
I think it would just be a lot of scientificsh*t going on(laughs).Literally, Iswear I love science. I know a lot of peopledon’treally make that correlation, I thinkit’sjust a name, butI’mobsessed with it. IfRyRyWorldwasa place, I would bring space closer to the skyline, the skylinewillbe like the planets. I think you will find the most exotic plants and flowers and fruits, as the norm, like you can go outside and pick it. I think it would be colorful. I think it would be just like a utopia, to be honest.All ofthe natural things in life but enhanced. Like on steroids, the most beautiful things but justreally morevibrant.
Do you thinkyou’ll ever branch offyour music careerand get back into science professionally?
I’vedefinitely thoughtabout it, especially over Corona. It [coronavirus pandemic] just changed my perspective on a lot of things including [my] career. I had a lot of time to … I don’t want to say studying and reading bookseveryday,but Idefinitely wasmore in a place where I was trying to pick up more information on subjects that I found interesting. Idefinitely wouldgo back into it [science] professionally for sure. I’m trying to see if I can find some sort of avenue to make a hybrid out of my career. I don’t really like the idea of having to pick and choose. I feel like you should be able to have everything. I don’t like the idea of beingcategorized orhaving to pick a category. I just feel like life isreally vastand you should be able to jump around,to be honest. It’s not like wejust aresingle faceted.
WithRyRyWorld,it’s been about two years sinceMasterwasreleased. What can you say have been some defining moments or some pivotal points for you personally or as an artist between the twoprojects?How have you been able to kind of keep track of that growth and evolution?
I think I’ve just changed in general as a person, and I think I’m still changing every day. In a good way,though. I feelreally goodabout it. I was just in a completely different place when I was writing and recordingMaster.It wasmore dark. I think I still have that capability of being in some darker place but realistically, that’s not what I want to be. That’s not necessarily the kind of person I want to be. I don’t want to be constantly in a dark place. I do appreciate the mysteriousness that I hold but, I don’t think that I would just want to be constantly speakingondark and dreary moments. I would rather have better things to talk about. Like I said earlier, it’s not that I wanted it to be like that. Those are just the experiences that I had, but hopefully,I’m hoping that it evolves to a better place. I mean, I feel like it isalready,but you know it probably gets even better.
What do you thinkorhope fans take most from this project?
I just want themtolike this project.Granted,itseems like it’s about someone else, but a lot of times I’m talking tomyself.I just feel like it’s more aboutthe perception. I think you should just be honest. I would like them to take from it that…I think I just have a lot of layers, very many layers. I just feel like I’ve been a million different people in this lifetime, which is weird because I’m only 23.I’m surethings will change more but I just feel like I have just changed so much and I’m still changing.
Evenwith that being said, thatdoesn’tmean that Ihave tobe one person. I could just be different things every day. You can just be different. I just want everybody to realize thatwe’redifferent on purpose. If we were all the same…which makes no sense as to whyeverybody’sforcing this narrative to just all be on the samesh*t. Everybody wants abust-down, everybody wants to go to the club every night, and everybody wants a Birkin bag.That’scool, butdo you want that because everybody else wants it, or do you want it because you really like it? I just feel like you can be different and have a bunch of different layers and theydon’thave to look anything like the layers of someone else. This should be respected. This should be cool.
Do you think you’ve been able to learn more aboutyourselfasa musician?
MTS:Cognitively, and the ability to make everything into a metaphor, I feel like it’s pushed me creatively. It’s shocking. It shocks me sometimes. I’m a big fan of myself…I know that soundsweird,but I like how my inspiration comes out. How it winds up being produced or what I wind up creating, I’m just a big fan of myself creatively. And I hope that doesn’t sound, you know, some sort of co*cky I just…I really shock myself sometimes in this. It’sreally cool. [My] imagination is just so interesting to me and it’s just an amazing place and I just wish people would tap more into that instead of being so forced [into] these boxes.
