With a sleek sound bridging neo-soul and electronic pop, Madison McFerrin has been a captivating artist to get to know over the past several years. She’s a singer-songwriter and producer who takes relatable topics and dresses them up in ear-catching tones, often performing as a charismatic one-person act. Debuting in 2019 with the imaginative You + I EP, McFerrin took a big step forward in 2023 with the expansive and breathtaking I Hope You Can Forgive Me LP, and now there’s more.
This week, McFerrin announced the beginning of her next chapter with a new song called “Ain’t It Nice.” She told her newsletter subscribers “I can’t believe the time has come for me to share my favorite song & visual to date, and this is just the start 😏 A new era is beginning, y’all — who’s ready??”
The song is suave and sexy, exploring the all-encompassing sensation of newfound desire over rippling arrangements of keyboards and drum loops; McFerrin worked on the single with co-producers Orange Julius, aka Julius Rodriguez, and Maddi St. John (who, fun fact, is an alumnus of XPN’s intern program). Though there’s no official word just yet on what else the new era entails, we can’t wait to see and hear.
Watch the music video for “Ain’t It Nice” below. Madison McFerrin’s next gig is April 27th at the Brick Lane Jazz Festival in London. Find tickets and info on the concert here; revisit our 2019 interview with McFerrin here, watch her early 2020 Key Studio Session here, and listen to her 2023 Free at Noon concert here.