Music Review // Malade "Give Up"

When I see a song titled “Give Up” the pessimistic side of me kicks in and I feel like we’re about to hear something sad, defeated.   However, Malade has created quite the opposite here as this is an anthem for standing your ground and knowing your worth.  In this scenario, the singer is not doing the giving up but rather stating that they shouldn’t be given up on.

One of the lines I really like in this song is: “I know I’m a piece of work / A flower can’t grow without a bit of dirt”   There are lyrics within here that can just constantly remind you that love and relationships (and life) are things which you must constantly work at.  So many people give up at the first sign of distress and as important as it is to know when to walk away it’s also equally important to not just leave for reasons which you’ll find anywhere.

Malade flips the script with the chorus of: “I’m not a woman you give up on / You must have a problem”.  I like that rather than the person singing about giving up feeling like the problem and like they are giving up, they’re instead turning it on the other person and more people should be this confident.  I hope this song does act in that sense where it can build confidence within people who may not have otherwise felt it.

At first I heard a lot of Alessia Cara in this song.  It’s that pop but also R&B with soul.  By the time I got to the chorus though I was reminded of groups such as Destiny’s Child, En Vogue and SWV.  I don’t feel like there are as many groups of artists out there creating music like this still, so to have one person covering that sound just makes this song feel even more special.