Mabel

Mabel Alabama Pearl McVey is a British singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of Swedish singer Neneh Cherry and British producer Cameron McVey. Born on 19 February 1996 in Málaga, Spain, she grows up with a background in both British and Swedish pop and dance music, and later trains at Rytmus Musikergymnasiet in Stockholm, where she takes a three-year course in songwriting, production and music theory.

Career

Mabel makes her debut in July 2015 with the single “Know Me Better”, which leads to attention from BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac. She signs to Universal shortly afterwards. Her early releases include “My Boy My Town” and “Thinking Of You”, before “Finders Keepers” featuring Kojo Funds becomes a major UK hit in 2017, reaching number 8 and later earning double-platinum certification in the UK.

In 2017 she also opens for Harry Styles on the European leg of his tour supporting his debut studio album. That October she releases her debut mixtape, Ivy to Roses, which includes the UK Top 40 single “Fine Line” and is supported by “Begging” and a headline tour across Europe.

Breakthrough and major releases

In 2018 she appears on “Ring Ring” with Rich the Kid and Jax Jones, and later releases “One Shot”; both songs are later added to a reissue of Ivy to Roses. The reissue also includes her single “Don’t Call Me Up”, her biggest hit, which reaches number 3 in the UK, charts in the Top 10 across many European countries, and enters the Billboard Hot 100. The song is certified 3x platinum in the UK and sells more than 5 million certified records worldwide.

Her debut studio album, High Expectations, is released in 2019 after the single “Mad Love”. The album peaks at number 3 in the UK and remains on the UK Albums Chart for more than 100 weeks. “Mad Love” reaches number 8, and the album becomes one of the longest-charting female albums of all time.

Later singles, collaborations and second album

In 2020 Mabel releases “Boyfriend”, another UK Top 10 single. Later that year she collaborates with AJ Tracey on “West Ten”, which reaches the UK Top 5, and with Clean Bandit on “Tick Tock”, a UK Top 10 hit that also charts internationally. She also records “I Wish” with Joel Corry, which becomes a Top 40 hit in the winter.

“Let Them Know” is issued in 2021 as the lead single from her second album and reaches number 19 after promotion on Love Island UK. “Good Luck”, featuring Jax Jones and Swedish EDM duo Galantis, follows in 2022 but does not enter the UK Top 40. Her second studio album, About Last Night..., is released through Polydor Records in 2022, debuts at number 2 in the UK, and is followed by the single “Overthinking” featuring 24kGoldn.

Awards and recognition

Mabel is nominated for British Breakthrough Act at the 2019 Brit Awards and wins Best British Female at the 2020 Brit Awards. She receives the Brits Billion Award for surpassing one billion UK streams and scores 11 UK Top 40 hits.

Other activity

In 2023 Sveriges Radio announces her as one of the hosts of that year’s season of the Swedish radio show Sommar.