Simmer
by Mahalia (featuring Burna Boy)

Album: Love and Compromise (2019)
Charted: 46
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Songfacts®:

  • Mahalia Burkmar is a R&B singer who wrote her first song at age eight and signed a deal with a major record label with Atlantic imprint Asylum when she was just 13. This summer-ready song from her debut album was her first track to reach the UK singles chart.
  • The song finds Mahalia asking her lover not to rush her. There are times when she wants him close by, but also other times when she needs her own space. The singer tells him he's making it "too hot" for her and she urges him to "cool now, simmer, simmer."
  • Mahalia wrote the song with pop songwriter Wayne Hector, who has penned hits for the likes of Westlife ("Flying Without Wings") and One Direction ("Best Song Ever").
  • The song was produced by Jonah Christian (Lil Wayne's "Dark Side of The Moon") and Felix Joseph (Kwabs' "Perfect Ruin").
  • The dancehall-inspired track samples the beat of Beanie Man's "Who Am I."
  • The track features a guest verse by Afro-fusion singer Burna Boy. Mahalia recalled to Billboard that the collaboration came about when she and her producer were listening to "Simmer," and they both "came to the realization that someone else would sound great on the track."

    The producer suggested hitting up Burna Boy, but Mahalia found contacting the Nigerian artist wasn't easy, so she eventually turned to her manager. He pulled some strings and managed to get Burna Boy on board. "I was so amazed by his talent and his melodies, and I just thought that taking that step to experiment - especially with an artist like Burna Boy - was so worth it," she said.

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