Xocoa McGee, a veritable renegade in the alt-contemporary pop scene with her so-raw-it’s-off-the-bone rap verses and cinematically augmented drops, struck the airwaves with the impact of a meteor on Earth in Bye Bye Ali. When she isn’t waxing lyrical with the conviction of Cardi B and Minaj, Xocoa McGee is proving she’s no stranger to pitch-perfect harmony. Lyrically, Bye Bye Ali strikes a far more empowering chord than the iconic hit Flowers by Miley; consider the track as the antivenom equivalent to remedying your world after it has been ran through by someone who paraded pain as love – if your breakup playlists are missing this hit, it’s time to amplify the vindication of riding solo and on your own terms.
Raised in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and musically forged through formal training at the Royal Northern College of Music, McGee builds entire emotional terrains. As the sister of Ben Jolliffe from Young Guns and the niece of a member of Tangerine Dream, her lineage practically hardwires her to thrive in a world where storytelling and sonic impact collide. She pulls from the past and the now with equal potency, wrapping visceral narratives in contemporary production that leaves bruises and clarity in its wake.
Bye Bye Ali is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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