Whether it’s her bilingual duet with Cuco on “DameLove” or her feature on Little Jesus’ “Fuera de Lugar,” which highlighted her ability to cross over into any and every genre, Mexican indie singer/guitarist Girl Ultra knows how to carve out her own corner. And with a new single, “blu,” off her forthcoming EP, Blush, out June 12 via Big Dada / Ninja Tune—on top of an opening slot on Chromeo‘s tour—there’s more than enough on the horizon for fans of Girl Ultra to feast upon.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Mariana de Miguel grew up with several artists whose influence is still prevalent in recent releases, ranging from Boards of Canada to Madonna. From there, she picked up the guitar and started to hone in on her songwriting, debuting in 2017 with her Boys EP before putting together projects such as Nuevos Aires and EL SUR, the latter of which became a breakthrough moment for her in 2022.
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Always one to bridge between worlds with a bold brush of individuality for good measure, “blu,” the recent single off Blush, finds Girl Ultra looking inward in relation to self-image over trip-hop drums and guitar-heavy on dreamy effects. The repeated vocal echoes from Mariana, sounding more like a signal rather than overt singing, add to the enclosing atmosphere of the song that consumes without being abrasive. Given the relatively brief runtime, it’s a testament to Mariana how much she’s able to do in her introspective examination of her femininity.
Captured on the streets of NYC by director Ellie Rha, the music video for “blu” shows Mariana wandering around the city with seemingly nowhere to go. While blue is appropriately the primary color that surrounds Mariana, it’s the violent disruption of the color red that serves as a reminder of the track’s edge. The simplicity of the visuals doesn’t seek to take away from how vivid the music is in itself, letting the daze of “blu” take over.
SHOW PICKS OF THE MONTH!
Although still based in Mexico City, Mariana has already accumulated a following in the US and elsewhere, having gone on a headlining tour in 2022 that included an LA show at the Roxy. That same year, she also appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk, a fitting space for her to play, considering how tranquil her music can be. So much so that most, if not all, of her releases so far offer a bit of calmness to the mind, allowing an escape from the hustle and bustle of life.
Words: David Sosa
“blu” by Girl Ultra is out now on all streaming services. For more on her upcoming EP and tour dates, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
North American Tour:
Sept 27 – The Eastern – Atlanta, GA
Sept 28 – Rabbit Rabbit – Asheville, NC
Sept 29 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC
Oct 1 – Franklin Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA
Oct 2 – Roadrunner – Boston, MA
Oct 3 – The Anthem – Washington, DC
Oct 4 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
Oct 7 – MTELUS – Montreal, QC
Oct 9 – HISTORY – Toronto, ON
Oct 10 – MegaCorp Pavilion – Newport, KY
Oct 11 – Royal Oak Music Hall – Detroit, MI
Oct 12 – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL
Oct 14 – Palace Theater – Minneapolis, MN
Oct 15 – The Midland Theater – Kansas City, MO
Oct 16 – Steelhouse Omaha – Omaha, NE
Oct 18 – The Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
