Grammy-nominated singer Melanie Fiona has returned with her new EP, Say Yes, her first project in 13 years.
The six-track set includes the previously shared title track, reggae-tinged “I Choose You” and empowering “Mona Lisa Smile.” It also features an extended version of “Say Yes” with her collaborators Andre Harris, Charlie Bereal, SiR, Thundercat, and Chris Dave.
“This project is a reflection of my journey—learning to embrace change, trust the process, and say yes to whatever comes next,” says Fiona. “I’m so proud of these songs and the stories they tell, and I can’t wait for my fans to experience them in full.”
On “Make Me Feel,” featuring rapper LaRussell, Fiona acknowledges that relationships face storms and it’s about weathering them together to reach brighter days.
“Wait, we’re waiting out the rain / I know where there’s joy there’s pain / And for your love I will wait / And babe, it won’t always be this way / Even if we both change, my love is gon’ stay the same,” Fiona sings.
LaRussell appears in the second verse, rapping, “The sun don’t always shine but when you smile it feel like it.”
On “Do That,” driven by a thick bassline, Fiona is so spellbound by her man’s love that she can’t help but ask, “How did you do that? / Is it magic?” Lines like “Even when we love for hours, it’s too fast” make it clear that she is singing about bedroom intimacy, yet the lyrics still can apply to romance on a broader level.
Say Yes follows Fiona’s sophomore album, The MF Life, released in 2012 via SRC/Universal Republic Records.
The album included her Grammy-nominated ballad “Wrong Side of a Love,” “4AM” and “Gone and Never Coming Back.” As for features, she the Canadian singer enlisted John Legend, J. Cole, Nas, and T-Pain.
In an interview with Rated R&B, Fiona opened up about how the time between her last album and new EP helped shape the artist who she is today. “It’s about freedom. I spent a lot of time deconstructing my professional career and asking myself how I wanted to rebuild it,” Fiona explained.
She added, “So, closing certain chapters, gaining different life experiences, traveling, making new friends, expanding my creative palette, having children, getting married, and spending more time with my parents. These are things that are important to me feeling like my life’s purpose has been fulfilled. I feel fulfilled. Freedom is the goal — to do what you want, when you want, how you want, is the ultimate thing.”
Fiona also spoke about the direction she wanted to take with Say Yes. “It’s a fun project. I don’t think it would feel heavy to people, no matter what the context is. Everything was created with a lot of joy,” she shared.
“There’s vibration and sonics that I don’t think people have heard from me, collaborating with people I have dreamed of working with for my whole career. These are things that I’m very excited about and, again, not overthinking it.”
On April 27, Fiona will kick off her Say Yes Tour in Philadelphia at the Theatre of Living Arts. The 15-city tour will make stops in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New York, Toronto, and more before wrapping up June 1 in Los Angeles.
Stream Melanie Fiona’s Say Yes EP below.
