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Photo by Daniela León

As it turns out, I had seen Magi (pronounced: Mahd - j - eye) Merlin live many moons ago in 2023, at a crowded House of Vans in Mexico City - opening for Omar Apollo. I had almost forgotten about it, until we sat down to talk at a skatepark in Brussels, and realized we had once before inhabited the same space, and that without any of us knowing it, some of the songs she performed that night would become part of her debut album: POWER HOUSE. 

The Montreal-based artist’s album has been in the making for the last 4 years, and serves as a 12-track exploration of human multifacetedness, womanhood and the constant process of becoming. “I'm just very proud. It feels so nice to have this conclusive, well-rounded moment where everything comes together. I'm so excited for it to exist and for people to hear all the music”, she says.

From the performative standards of the beauty industry, to the eggshells women are expected to walk on daily, Magi doesn't look away from the uncomfortable. Neither does she when turning the lens on herself. When I ask her whether constant self-analysis is selfish, she pushes back thoughtfully: "I think it's an essential part of existing, because my self-analysis is also an analysis of the people around me. I'm not in a vacuum." 

Wrapped in a genre she and her longtime collaborator and producer funkywhat have coined "Broken R&B,” the album also encapsulates how their musical relationship has changed. This being, as Magi has slowly stepped into her own as a producer, meaning that the songs have gone from being a “you produce, I sing” creation, to a truly collaborative process. “As a woman especially it feels like you can't be what you don't see, and I wasn't seeing me. Now I'm seeing more female producers, and I’m happy to be another example for somebody else”. The tracks’ mix of genres, unusual beat counts, haunting outros and exciting rhythms are proof that Magi and funky have a good thing going and are creating songs that feel like a revelation.

Magi Merlin is, by her own admission, a work in progress, but an edgy and cool one at that. After spending time with her talking about “accidental Renaissance”, human contradictions and the Freak Master living inside all of us, I'd argue that her “becomingness” is precisely what makes her one to watch, and that if you truly want to do something, you should do it scared!

*Interview has been modified for length and clarity:

OnesToWatch: Hi Magi! Your debut album is called POWER HOUSE. What does a powerhouse mean to you? 

Magi Merlin: I think it's a person that is fully aware and conscious of all contradictions that make them up, and being fully aware and okay with that. It’s also choosing to utilize all that power and all that energy to be the best person that they can be in the world. 

Do you feel like a powerhouse?

I'm definitely working towards being the ultimate powerhouse. But, yeah, I also think it's accessible to everybody and it's good to remember that too. Because it's not only one person who can be the powerhouse and we all look up to them, everyone of us can be a powerhouse!

You've self-described as having this genre of Broken R&B, maybe mixed with some pop elements. What is broken R&B? 

Broken R&B is really the perfect way to describe what funkywhat (my main producer and collaborator) and I ended up creating together. All of my influences and music we listen to didn't fully resonate with the music that we were making. We were like, “What are we making (laughs)”? So we came up with the broken aspect because it's really taking everything apart and putting it back together. 

Was there a point where you and funky were, like, “Is this wrong because it doesn't align with a specific genre”? And to you, what is the value of a genre if music ends up being so personal to an artist? 

Good question. I don't think we've ever felt like we're doing anything wrong, but it's because we also are quite combative to systems. So, we were very excited by it not landing anywhere. It's not on purpose, but it ended up happening like that because fundamentally we kind of have this against the grain mentality. 

And when it comes to genre itself, I think categories make people feel comfortable and they serve as a jumping off point. Because, I think about a few times that we played a show, and then people will come up to us after asking “What genre would you say that was”? And it is helpful to have this nice little thing where they might not know exactly what I'm talking about, but it helps them put two and two together. 

Great answer. I think it's indeed an accessibility point and it’s great to just make what you want and disregard boxes.

Indeed, but it’s also following the fear, because it is something that's quite intimidating to not do what people expect or want. In the end, you don't have to adhere to what you think people are expecting from you!

The name of funkywhat is coming up. He's your main collaborator and so essential to what the music has become. What do you think would have happened to you as an artist if you hadn't met? 

I was very ready to find someone to work with. When I was about 17 I decided that I'm definitely doing music. I had maybe one inkling of doubt so, I had this conversation with my grandma who is a spiritual guide, and she has this method that she made up. I had a session with her, and I just remember coming out of it being ready to commit to music 100%

That’s crazy. I need to meet your grandma.

Lowkey (laughs). I started writing songs when I was in elementary school and then to play those songs live I learned to play guitar. I don't even say I play guitar because I am not good (laughs), but that’s when I learned about the concept of production. So, I think I would have found somebody to produce with because I was so determined, but when I met funky, I think we had a soul connection, like a click where we really got each other. He had just started making beats when I met him, he was maybe 6 months into it, and we happened to live on the same street - so it was very serendipitous. 

If I hadn't met him, I would have met somebody else or maybe grown the courage to produce myself earlier on, but the music wouldn’t be what it is.

And how has your journey into production been? 

I was always so intimidated by it. As a woman especially it feels like you can't be what you don't see, and I wasn't seeing me. Now I'm seeing more female producers, and I’m happy to be another example for somebody else.

Same with skateboarding. I never thought I could do it because I never saw girls do it. I had an old friend come to my place to show me Ableton, and they really walked me through. And I was like “oh, it’s not as intimidating as I feared”. The person who was showing it to me was like, “they made it so that you can use it, it's not made so that you have a hard time creating what you want to create”. That made me less intimidated by it. 

It can be so intimidating, but that view helps.

In the end you just gotta commit. I really do love production because it added a lot of vocabulary for me, musically. Now I can go into a session with confidence and have input on how we should section out the song or like what should happen here.

I think what's so enjoyable about your album is how moving it is, there's not a single song that falls flat. There are many beats that are not a standard 4 count, so it keeps things exciting. What was the process of making the rhythms?

I don't know if I said this, but it's been over four-ish years since the production of the album started. The oldest song is pixxxie, actually, and it was fully produced by funky, which was cool but surprising, as he normally doesn't make “pop” beats. And so, the production of the record has really followed the production of our musical relationship. So it very much started off with funky as the producer and me as the singer. And then as the years go by, I'm learning how to produce myself and now we're starting music from scratch together. I love that there's some old us and new us kind of strewn around.

pixxxie is one of my favorites! What's the last song you wrote for the album?

The newest is POPSTAR. It was written 6 months before it was released, which is funny.

Moving more towards the lyrics, there's a huge theme about self-analysis as we've been discussing already today. I’m wondering, from a philosophical perspective, how selfish do you think it is for one to constantly be analyzing themselves? 

Balance is the key. Sometimes an overanalysis can be kind detrimental to yourself and to other people too, because it ends up just looking like you take criticism poorly.

I think people should take the time to ask themselves questions about what they want, about why they make decisions,etc. Where we're kind of just going through the motions of life, which is loud and hits you in the face all the time, it's hard to find time to think. This is one huge privilege of mine that I have, is to be able to sit and ponder.

I think it's an essential part of existing because my self analysis is also an analysis of the people around me. I'm not in a vacuum, and I think that that's also a cool thing to think about: who am I in relation to everything I'm around? 

For example, the idea of shaving or not as a woman is such a construct. Do I do it because I want to or because it’s expected?

It 's true. We do. Hair shaving is a great example because another topic you deal with heavily is what it means to be a woman in this world. Going back to pixxxie, you kind of reclaim this figure of the manic pixie dream girl …

Yeah, I kind of thought of it as a sort of opportunity to let a girl speak, you know? This is the girl who I think a lot of women are kind of projected onto. In some of my relationships I felt like this person wasn't really like dating me as a person, instead they kind of saw me as a reflection of themselves or an extension of who they were. I wanted to be a bit tongue in cheek and make these people come face to face with their behavior.

In the theme of womanhood and powerhouses, at the end of the song EAT!ME!OUT! , which is a great title but the way (both laugh), you have a really captivating outro. It's about someone called the “ ultimate Freak Master." So I was wondering who or what this is.

Yeah, I think it's a character or entity that exists kind of everywhere. I'm sort of embodying it with this grandiosity, but I really think it's this all-accessible, all-knowing entity that exists in everyone. To give you a personal anecdote, I had this lucid dream once where I was like “I can do anything I want in this dream”, and then there was a voice that said “Yes, you can. What do you want to happen”? And I was like “ Oh, I want that to happen”, and so the thing happened. But then I realized that I was alone and I was like, “Who the fuck was that?, Who's talking to me in my own brain?" That was a really scary question and I kind of got intimidated by that. So I asked, “Oh, are you me or something?" And then the voice answered doubtfully “Yeah. Uh, I'm you.” I woke up and I thought about how that must be a Freak Master.

That 's so intense. So it’s a bit like a freak as in fear?

I think the Freak Master is this little voice in your head or the angel on the shoulder, you know what I mean? The intuition. And it’s especially freaky because fear comes with everything, and you'll just have to do it anyway. It's another thing I’m currently learning about through skateboarding and life. The fear doesn't go away, you're just gonna have to do it and feel afraid. 

There's kind of layers to what you did with this project, and the 3rd one would be the art direction. I love the album cover, what does it represent?

It's funny because when funky and I were coming up with the album name, funky said it made him think of liquid metal for some reason. I remembered that I have this old picture of these metal workers and I knew that's exactly what I wanted the cover to be. I wanted Renaissance and this painterly aspect that is sort of frozen in time. I don't know if you know, the subreddit “Accidental Renaissance”?

No, what is that? 

It’s pictures that people take and it just looks like a Renaissance painting, so that was a big reference. When it came to the actual metal work, it felt so perfect, having the pieces of this powerhouse being created in this metalwork shop in real time. It’s like being in the process of making or being born.

It's also like armor, what you're wearing in a way. 

It was this crazy historical piece from the Montreal costume department that my stylist Lori found. I find it interesting because armor is both a defensive thing, but it's quite sharp too, so it's sort of the offensive too - it lowkey cut me. 

There's, like, a lot of contradictions which is another topic that you deal with a lot, the multitudes we can contain. 

Yeah, absolutely. It's coming to terms with the complexity that is being a human being. People, me included, are way too black and white about everything and I realized how toxic that can be because then it doesn't allow me to make mistakes. Life is just nuanced and I think it's the greatest strength to be able to have these contradictions, and to be kind with yourself.

Who are your OnesToWatch?

I was listening to Tiffany Day a lot, the hyperpop queen! Sassy 009 is great, I’m also listening to Kelela a lot. I also really like Ino Casablanca and Dua Saleh, who is also a great actor. That’s a lot of names, but yeah. 

Well, speaking of acting, I found out that you were also in the movie Mile End Kicks recently. How did this sidequest come about? 

It 's funny. There was an agent who was like “Hey, are you interested in sending in a self-tape”? I sent it and they were like, “Yeah, sick! See you later” (laughs). 

I really find acting fascinating, it’s the ultimate psychoanalysis. Who is this person? What would they do? How would they act? I had so much fun and I was taking it way too seriously. 

My character is small, she’s the host of a poetry night, and I thought to myself “she has to be a little annoying” - you kind of have to be if you're going to be an organizer. The biggest compliment was when one of my friends who watched it said “You didn't seem like you. You were a little bit annoying”, which to me was a success!

That 's so fun. I can’t wait to see it and congrats on your album! Thanks so much Magi.

Thank you!

Listen to POWERHOUSE here: