FEATURE: Spotlight: Revisited: Mariah the Scientist

FEATURE:

Spotlight: Revisited

PHOTO CREDIT: Vijat M

Mariah the Scientist

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SHE is busy on tour…

PHOTO CREDIT: Carl Chisolm

and will play in the U.K. in August at All Points East 2026. Mariah the Scientist is someone I spotlighted in 2022. I did want to come back to this artist, as she is one of my favourites. Her album, HEARTS SOLD SEPERATELY, came out last year. I want to start out with Rolling Stone and their chat with Mariah the Scientist. They spoke with the “R&B star on the set of a new music video to go deep on her excellent new album, being more than a famous girlfriend, and getting what she deserves”. I have chopped the interview up a bit, but I did want to include these particular sections. She was being interviewed with her sister, Morgan. It is an interesting conversation:

“However, Hearts Sold Separately is Mariah living in her truth: it’s a concept album about her fierce willingness to love, even when she and women like her are treated like disposable, tiny toy soldiers instead of real forces that can change lives – and the world. It’s her best work yet, a tight, cohesive 10 tracks of literary, diaristic songwriting and expansive production. But on the promo circuit, her romance with Thug – indeed a major source of inspiration – can take up too much space. In the YouTube comments of a recent interview on a prominent platform, a fan wrote of the host, “She asked about Thug the whole time like we don’t care abt [sic] him.”

Speaking generally, Mariah says, “I think that it’s crazy when I go to an interview and somebody is making it seem like they care about me and my success and they care about my music and they fuck with me as a person, and then all they want to talk about is my relationship. Or you notice that they know more about what they’ve seen about my relationship than actually being a listener of my music. What I don’t like is when interviews will be an hour long, two hours long sometimes, and the one headline they choose is ‘Mariah the Scientist is with Young Thug.’ It’s like we literally just sat here and talked about all this other shit, and this is what you chose to publicize about me?”

The album is so cohesive, thematically and sonically. How was working with Dvsn’s Nineteen85?

I think everybody should be a big Dvsn fan. I feel like they’re a really good tag team, for sure. Me and Nineteen85 are also a really good tag team. He definitely showed me the value in collaboration. Before I worked on this project, I was more the type to be like, “I don’t need no help. I’m just going to use this very basic YouTube beat that has no evolution at all.” I thought that was going to be enough. He helped me realize what it could be like to think outside of a box and explore more texture.

So this is your first time working with one executive producer from start to finish?

Yeah, for sure. I had never been to the studio with a producer and just sat there and worked on something. I used to get so much anxiety from it, so with him, it was definitely a slow start. I didn’t know what to say or what to tell him. I’m not super well-versed on musical terms. Obviously, as you grow in making music, you learn more about it, but at the time I couldn’t be like, “Oh, maybe if you cut the metronome on, then I can tell you that I wanted to be on the fourth beat instead of the third beat.” Working with other people who are not just musically inclined but knowledgeable on things like that, it made the process more technical.

You’re also such a words person. Even the way you creatively speak and conceptualize things in interviews seems to translate to your lyrics. Where did that come from for you? Did you read a lot as a kid? Talk to adults a ton? I was an only child, so I was always chatting with grown-ups.

I feel like my sister – I only have one sister [motions to Morgan] – tells me that the way I piece words together [is] unconventional. I don’t know. I went to college, [but] I’m not blaming college. You know when you see a new word for the first time and you don’t know what it means? It’s almost like I don’t want to take the easy route and just define it. It’s like I’m trying to use the context clues to figure it out before I actually define it. Sometimes I’m wrong, but I think over time, the words that you didn’t know at all, I feel like they just stick out. I struggle with exactly what I’m trying to say, but there’s almost always a word that could describe it. Maybe you just don’t know the word yet. And I do feel like when I find new words, I like to try to incorporate them. I just try to use what I think I know.

What are your favorite things that you’ve written for this album?

There’s a song called “Rainy Days.” I just like the word play. When I make a song and the words are basic, I don’t want to use the song anymore. I almost feel like with “Burning Blue,” the wording was basic. Not the first verse, but the hook though. I just feel like it was so simple. I just feel like that’s not really my style. I would like to elaborate more in the music. There’s another song [on the album] called “Eternal Flame,” and I like that one because I did a good job in describing this metaphorical place. I feel like people are going to wonder what that song is about.

What inspired Hearts Sold Separately?

The climate of the world made me want to make a whole project about love. I feel like nobody prioritizes love. Everybody looks at love like it’s a problem. I feel like back in the day, it wasn’t like that. Everybody wanted to have a family unit and be married. Now it’s like everybody is shying away from that a little bit. I just feel like there’s this long-standing war between men and women and I don’t know what that’s about. I wish it wasn’t like that, but it just is. And the more men and women I meet, I realize even though we are all human, there are huge fundamental differences that you don’t really acknowledge when you’re younger. I just feel like I’m Eve and I fucked around and bit the apple or something. Now I see everything totally different than what I thought it was. That was the catalyst of everything I wrote.

It also sounds like, in the song “United Nations,” you’re also expanding this idea of love as a potential solution for bigger social problems, not just romantic dynamics. It sounds like you’re also evoking your faith in that song, too.

Yes, for sure. Yeah, it was longer. I cut it a little bit short because I feel like when you talk about what you believe in, sometimes your listeners….I’m not trying to preach to them. I’m just expressing my own beliefs and hopefully that encourages other people. “United Nations” was one of the first songs I made that fell into the theme of what I was trying to get across.

I am really moved by the parts in “United Nations” that aren’t just about romantic love. Do you feel like your love for your sister is reflected on the album, too? Are there more platonic types of love that you feel like you’re exploring here?

We really have a weird relationship, not in a bad way. It’s just that we are different. I don’t know why I feel so strongly about people who are different from me. I have to get to the value and the balance. I don’t know why I’m doing that instead of just withdrawing or retreating.

But that sounds like how you’re thinking about men and women, right? It’s like there’s a difference there, but it’s worth understanding.

Yeah, for sure. I feel like I’m always chasing understanding, which is a problem. It really makes you not be able to rest. So I’ve been trying lately to practice my I-don’t-give-a-fuck vibe. But it is just not the way I am. I do feel like something like “United Nations,” saying “Forgive us for the fuss and fighting” is probably about me and my sister. I don’t have many songs that aren’t about a romantic relationship. It’s actually really rare that I can write something like that. So I do feel like I must have been writing about something that I felt really strongly about, and it’s not very many things that can get me worked up. My sister is one of them.

I know you have to go shoot this video. So this is your most successful music on radio with “Burning Blue,” and now “Is It a Crime” climbing up the charts, how has reaching this new height in your career impacted what your vision is for yourself and for your future?

I feel like when I first started off, from Complex asked me something about doing certain numbers and I told him that I remember reading that to get [RIAA] Gold was 75,000,000 streams. At that point, I had never done any of that. I was like, “Oh my gosh, I don’t think I’ll be able to do this ever.” And now I have done it multiple times. And with the radio stuff and the Billboard Hot 100 and all that, it’s just like because I’ve never had it, I didn’t know how it works. It’s almost like imposter syndrome, and people are like, “Oh, you had a number one song on rhythmic and urban radio. How do you feel about it?” Hearing my song on radio is like so weird. I can’t believe that. Or if I’m in a store and they’re playing it and they don’t know that I’m there, it’s very interesting”.

I want to move to this year and an interview with Billboard. They spent time with Women In Music Rising Star. An artist growing in confidence, I do feel that everyone should be following Mariah the Scientist. There have been a couple of great collaborations this year. Make Me with Latto and Bottles & Lights with Chxrry:

“Brought up in her beloved Atlanta, this year’s Women in Music Rising Star has been singing all her life. After moving to the Big Apple to study biology (hence her stage name) at St. John’s University, Mariah dropped out her sophomore year to embark on a music career at the encouragement of friends who had heard some of her original songs. She released To Die For, her debut EP, on SoundCloud in 2018, and buzz around the project caught the attention of Tory Lanez, landing her a deal with RCA Records in conjunction with his One Umbrella label, where she started building her lovelorn catalog with 2019’s Master and 2021’s Ry Ry World. By 2022, she left those deals for a six-month stint as an independent artist, before landing at Epic Records, where she remains today.

On those early projects, Mariah fine-tuned her confessional songwriting style and sharpened her ear for her now-signature ’80s Prince-inspired soundscapes — and on 2023’s To Be Eaten Alive, her first album on Epic, she made serious commercial advances. The set became her first project to reach the Billboard 200, and in early 2024, Mariah also made her first two Hot 100 appearances as a featured artist.

As Mariah’s star rose, so did internet scrutiny of everything from her live shows to her tumultuous relationship with headline-grabbing Atlanta MC Young Thug, with online commentators frequently making Mariah the butt of ther jokes. “I don’t even laugh at that,” she says bluntly. “I don’t laugh at none of that s–t. I think that ridicule is really unnecessary.”

But Mariah didn’t allow the chatter, particularly around her high-profile relationship, to cloud her year. As Thug navigated his rocky homecoming following his RICO case victory — including a collection of messy leaked jail conversations between him and his boo — Mariah stayed true to the “war on love,” toy soldier aesthetic of Hearts Sold Separately, hitting the road for her biggest headlining tour yet, playing iconic venues like Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

When we speak, as she nears her trek’s April 10 conclusion at Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy, Mariah is already formulating her next project — and it likely won’t be what fans expect. “I’m trying new things and doing new things, but the heartbroken narrative is kind of jaded for me,” she says. “That’s my whole MO and my claim to fame, but that’s not how I feel every day of my life.”

Does the title Rising Star resonate with you?

When some people hear “rising star,” they may go, “I heard of her several years ago, how is she even included?” But those are the kinds of people who would prefer to continue letting you go excluded. I’m appreciative of the consideration.

You are the third consecutive R&B singer and the fourth consecutive Black woman to be named Rising Star. What does that mean to you?

I never expected to do these things, so to be honored for my art makes me think it wasn’t so random. Maybe this is something I’m supposed to be doing and continue doing. This gives me motivation to continue pursuing longevity in my career.

Was there a particular show on this tour that proved that you’ve reached a new level?

That South Africa show [on Jan. 3 at Pretoria’s SunBet Arena] was probably bigger than any show I’ve ever done, and they were screaming and crying at the top of their lungs. English is not necessarily everybody’s first language in South Africa, so it was honestly unbelievable. It left a huge impact on me; I can’t forget it. I want to go back.

Have you found time on tour to write?

I try to create space for it. I’m more inclined to write by myself. I don’t like to do that around people, and I’m always around people on tour. When I’m on the bus or in my room, maybe I can listen to things and try to come up with ideas. Otherwise, I’m too overstimulated.

Were you expecting a Grammy nomination last year?

I don’t want to say I expected a nomination, but when I wasn’t included, I was like, “Well, damn, what do you need?” “Burning Blue” went gold [in three months]; it went platinum the same calendar year. It debuted on the [Hot 100] at No. 25 — ain’t nobody doing that these days, especially not Black artists. [“Burning Blue” was the highest-debuting female R&B song on the Hot 100 in 2025.] But they don’t owe me anything.

But I will say this: Kehlani definitely deserves what she got. If anybody was going to get [that Grammy], I would rather it be her. I told her, “I really hope that they don’t do you wrong.” She deserved that.

How have the women on your team pushed and protected you during this moment in your career?

Everybody knows my sister [Morgan] is insane. It’s an element to her character and vibe — before she walks in the room, you know she’s a force to be reckoned with. My cousin, Ty, is my assistant and she’s really helpful, never takes anything personally and can get almost any job done. I’ve started incorporating a stylist named Jaclyn [Fleurant], and she takes the weight off my shoulders as far as procuring things.

Jennifer [Raymond] is my A&R, and her personality is like a rainbow. She’s such a positive person and truly shows up. And, of course, everybody at Epic and Olivia [Mirabella], who’s my agent at CAA. It seems like she can get me booked anywhere, anytime. She really kept me on the road for so long, so shoutout to her. I appreciate that because it has paid my bills!

Do you have new music on the way?

I’m itching so bad to put new music out, but I want to set aside a time to cultivate a cohesive project the same way I did with Hearts Sold Separately. When I get off tour, I’ll probably go and sit in the studio a little bit. But I do have some songs that I’m considering including”.

There is not a lot of press or interviews from this year. However, People chatted with Mariah the Scientist. She was nominated for five awards at the 2026 BETs. She won one award: the Viewers' Choice award for Burning Blue. I wanted to spotlight Mariah the Scientist again, as a lot has changed in the past four years:

“On the title of the album, Mariah chose to play with the phrase "parts sold separately" in toys — and related it back to relationships.

"I feel like with toys or things that you buy in the store... You buy a toy and you think, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to get home and I'm going to play with it.' And it's nothing like breaking the box open and then [you realize] you need batteries," she says.

"I feel like in relationships it's like that. Maybe you see something that you like, but you're not thinking about the fact that you had to put a lot into it to make it work," she adds. "It's not like you rip it out the plastic and it's go time. It just doesn't work like that. I feel like it requires more to power it and keep it lasting and working. It's not as simple as what it looks like in the package."

Now, on top of the writing process being so freeing, she feels seen when her fans sing the lyrics back to her at her shows.

"When I wrote 'No More Entertainers,' I thought that it would be hard for people to listen to because [not] everybody has dated an entertainer, but they sing the song so aggressively at my shows and I start thinking, 'Did you date Leonardo DiCaprio?'" quips Mariah, who got engaged to Young Thug in December.

"They just see me, I don't know. It's almost as if they don't even care what I say or what I'm talking about, kind of how I feel about somebody like Frank Ocean," she continues. "I feel like I don't know exactly what he's talking about. Maybe his exact experiences aren't mine, but maybe it's because he's speaking metaphorically or in these parables-esque talk that it makes it easy for me to digest."

At the 2026 BET Awards, which are happening on Sunday, June 28 in Los Angeles, Mariah received five nominations — including album of the year. Reflecting on the nominations, Mariah says she doesn't want to set her expectations too high for taking home a trophy.

"I'm like, 'Wow, 2026 is just coming in hot,'" she says. "I feel like every time I turn around, they're saying, 'Mariah, you have this new nomination.'”

She continues, "I just think that being considered in general is nice. I feel like it's almost the highest form of respect for your art to be considered”.

That is about it. I think it is important to focus on the brilliant Mariah the Scientist. She is a brilliant artist who I feel is underrated and deserves a lot more attention. If you do not follow her already then make sure that you do. This is an artist who I really love and feel you should check out. Mariah the Scientist is…