Mangos is a crowning moment for Sydney RnB, and one that arrives with the triumph of an artist that has long been a master of her craft.
Milan Ring has been undeniably woven into the fabric of this city, and so FBi sounds the way it does because of her. The trajectory of being named Independent Artist of the Week in 2019 to winning the SMAC Award for Best Live Act in 2021 shows how much her music has meant to this city. This connection continues with Mangos, an outpouring of emotion.
It’s an album grounded in her trademark instrumentation – percussive in a way that’s organic, melodic in a way that’s euphoric, every element injected with emotion. It elicits an intimacy that feels as if Milan was playing the record for you by candlelight in her home. There are songs grounded in forthright declarations of love, liminal instrumental moments afloat with spoken word recordings, flirtatious groove-driven numbers, and of course, Milan Ring guitar lines – soaring. You need only recall the beautifully expansive pink sky backgrounding Milan’s street stage set at FBi Turns 20, the sun setting on a perfect day, but forever rising for a Sydney artist whose music is made for the world.
Words by Darren Lesaguis