‘Be Still For Me’ is the debut single from soulful singer-songwriter Mallika Vie. The tune owes to what Vie describes as the ‘simplicity and power‘ of 1960s soul balladry. She beautifully explains the conception of the song, rooted in her frustration at trying to emulate popular tropes and conventions in contemporary music.

‘One day, amidst my frustration, I stumbled upon this quote by Otis Redding: “I like any music that remains simple, and I feel this is the formula that makes “soul music” successful…There is nothing more beautiful than a simple blues tune. There is beauty in simplicity….” – and everything clicked. I went back to listening to the songs I truly loved. I let go of the statistics about what genres were popular; I let go of my notions of what type of work was most likely to impress my peers; I let go of trying to prove my worth as a musician. When I went back to songs like “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King – uncluttered, unpretentious, tender, and utterly mind-blowing, a dormant part of my soul finally re-awakened. Like my favorite soul ballads of the 60s, I wanted my songs to be unaffected and powerful. I wanted the guitar arpeggios, saxophone lines, and my voice to feel like a warm blanket to curl up in, rather than a tool to impress others.

‘Lyrically, the song is similarly tender; it’s about helping a loved one through a rough spot – not by problem-solving, but by simply being there to hold them in their pain. We often don’t allow ourselves or our loved ones the time and space to grieve. This song is me offering my listeners the time and space to grieve, without having to rush to feel better. It’s saying – “one day, we’ll figure stuff out. But we don’t need to do that right now. Now, you can just collapse into my arms. You can cry. You can rest.’

Vie’s vocals are the winning element of the track. With plenty of space in the ‘uncluttered‘ arrangement to roam about, she treats the listener with some raspy lows and swooping high notes in her crystal-clear head voice. The first few verses sound like a lullaby with just light guitar sitting behind Vie. The arrangement becomes fuller with saxophone but still maintains its tenderness.

(Image copyright: Mallika Vie)