IRL (initialism for In Real Life) is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Mahalia. The album was released on 14 July 2023 through Warner Music.[2] The album was inspired by the singer's "traumatic breakup" and her visits to "therapy".[3] In support of the album, Mahalia embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia, commencing in October 2023 in Leeds[4] and concluding in Brisbane, Australia on 8 May 2024.[5][6]
IRL received a score of 80 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on six critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[8] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.2 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.
Elle Barton of DIY called the album a "delight", writing that it strikes "a perfect balance between familiarity and unpredictability, immediate choruses coexisting with a relaxed, breezy sound".[9]NME's Erica Campbell described the album as "bold, vulnerable, classic R&B", with IRL "reflect[ing] a young woman fully becoming herself, not just confidently throwing her hands up but boldly letting her guard down too".[1]
Red Dziri of The Line of Best Fit wrote that "Mahalia is not casting as wide a net as she did in her career-defining debut" and "if IRL is not as consistent as her previous output, this new album still cements Mahalia as a major R&B/Soul fixture both nationally and abroad".[10] Lucy Fitzgerald, reviewing the album for The Skinny, found it to be "satiny and consistent, [but] sonically and lyrically you're eager for some bigger swings. [...] IRL is like a path reflecting dappled sunlight: we can see patches of brightness but its full light is obscured".[11]
^Wired Strings consists of cellist Rosie Danvers, violists Bryony Mycroft and Meghan Cassidy, and violinists Ellie Stanford, Hayley Pomfrett, Jenny Sacha, Miles Brett, Patrick Kiernan, Sally Jackson, and Stephen Morris.
