MPHO: 'Box N Locks'

Released on Monday, Jul 20 2009

Published Tuesday, Jul 14 2009, 10:00 BST | By Nick Levine | 6 comments

Now this is how to do a debut single. The opening couplet tells us who MPHO is (a "feisty little brown girl raised in Brixton town" apparently), the second acknowledges that we'll probably expect her to make something called "urban music", then the chorus proceeds to shatter our illusions: "So sorry but I didn't know, that I fit in the box and all the locks are supposed to be unbreakable."

Fortunately, the music is just as compelling as MPHO's lyrics. Built around that guitar hook from Martha and the Muffins' 'Echo Beach', this is a three-minute blast of bold, vibrant pop that sounds very now without sounding like anything else on the radio at the moment. And the most exciting thing about MPHO's debut single? It's not even the best song on her upcoming album.

> Click here to read our recent interview with MPHO

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6 Comments

Your Responses

Brian, Ireland., on July 23rd, 2009
Great song!

Matthew, Chester, on July 22nd, 2009
Luvin' it!!! So many great female acts establishing themselves this year. BOX N LOCKS FOR NUMBER 1!!

Paul, Lancs, on July 19th, 2009
What a tune and a half! Love it to bits - prob coz I love Echo Beach so much anyway! But LOVE MPHO's attitude that she's not gonna be hemmed in just with writing and performing 'urban' music - why should she? Well done, missus!

James, Watford, on July 16th, 2009
impressive debut, sounds unlike anything else around right now, which i really like in a new singer's debut song. if it's true that there are better songs than this from her album then that bodes very well indeed.

Isy, London, on July 14th, 2009
I love this song so much. It's so different t oeverything else I've heard recently. Number 1 please! ^_^

Bella, London, on July 14th, 2009
Come on DS! Your music reviews are usually so spot on....but this song....well I hesitate to call it a "song". More like noise that gives me a headache