by
25103283
introduction:
Mulaa Joans. Mulaa Joans is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter who has been making a huge impression online with her soulful, multi-genre style. She was born and raised in Bath and now lives in London. To describe her style, I would say she has a mix of raw and emotional lyrics with soft, simple melodies. Mulaa’s music is produced by prominent artists, including producer Yakob. He has created successful, popular songs that I could describe as dark and soulful, which matches greatly with Mulaa’s vibe greatly. As a Spotify RADAR: First Listen artist ( Music Wiew 2025). She is quickly growing her following, establishing her place as an emerging artist with a unique sound and attitude to her work. Her style could be compared to that of Billie Eilish, Etta James, and Rihanna. She represents a new generation of artists who are able to switch between genres while still having a clear and authentic sense of self. From an A&R standpoint, she stands out not because she is chasing trends, but because she knows her creative identity at an early age, as well as it being the beginning of her career.
Mulaa moved to London at 17. This change had a huge impact on both her music and her identity. London is one of the UK’s major music industry hubs, and trying to navigate it can feel intimidating, competitive, and stressful, especially for emerging artists. These experiences have influenced her life and her songwriting, as she writes about the themes of struggling to fit in, confidence, and self-worth. (Teitz A. 2025). I believe her personal experiences add depth and authenticity to her songs, rather than making them seem manufactured. Her music provides a fresh, creative, and distinct perspective because it is based on real-life situations and emotion. She typically writes about relatable situations from her own life, making listeners connect with her on a more intimate level. An example would be her single “Members Only,” which touches on her struggle to fit in after moving to London. While the song is about her own experience, the feelings behind it are universally relatable. Many young people have similar experiences when moving to a new location, such as starting university or building connections in the creative industries, making the song emotionally relatable to her intended audience.
Mulaa also stands out for her strong vocal presence as well as her emotionally genuine lyrics. She knows how to use her voice to express emotion, which fits the personal and intimate aspect of her music. Additionally, she has a specific fashionable visual identity that stems from her passion for fashion. This adds to her overall charm and helps shape a clear artist image, which is vital in a visually driven industry. Truly authentic artists are rare in this competitive market, as everyone is trying to make it, which gives Mulaa a huge advantage, as she can be differentiated. Rather than her trying to be a manufactured pop singer, she is 100% true to herself both musically and personally. This authenticity fits perfectly with how younger audiences relate with music nowadays, as they choose musicians that are genuine, “cool” in their eyes, and different, as well as someone they can relate to. Her songs also show her talent for creating powerful emotional and visual worlds through music. The mood, tone, and storytelling in her music show that she has great potential not only as a recording artist but also as someone who can be unique and have interesting visuals. Mulaa is already showing qualities that promise her long-term potential rather than her short-term (“one hit wonder”) popularity.
Mulaa Joans’ sound is a mix of alternative pop, R&B, and neo-soul. She takes inspiration from artists she looks up to and creates a blend of her own that sounds unique and fresh. This is helpful for her, as the latest trends in music aren’t tied to just one genre (Teitz, A. 2025). Listeners consume music through playlists based on mood and emotion. Mulaa’s music fits perfectly with these facts as her songs are raw, soulful, and emotional, and that is essential for steady streams. This is also very ideal for playlisting as streaming services like Spotify will push her music and label her vibe to listeners that match that listening style, and this is better than just being top of charts, as you will stay relevant and fans will be more loyal. Her vibe is perfect for “Deep vibes” or “Late night feels” type playlists that attract true fans who actually listen to the music rather than just playing it in the background.
Mulaa is a strong vocalist and has an impressive tone and register, yet also has a delicate voice. She sounds passionate through tone and delivery rather than loads of vocal tricks. Because of this, her music seems more genuine and intimate because you can feel it when you hear it. This is becoming more and more valued in the genre that she is tied to. Another great strength of hers is that her voice does well in recordings as well as live performances.
Mulaa Joans has grown dramatically in a brief amount of time. When I first discovered her, she was consistently posting singing covers out of her window to be different, and she had 2 songs released that had fewer than 5,000 monthly Spotify listeners. Today, she has millions of streams across all of her tracks and 469,800 monthly listeners. Her popularity and ability to remain persistent can be seen by hits blowing up more and more every day, like Members Only (1.8 million streams) and Still a Little Something (2.4 million streams). She has a large social media following of 46.1k Instagram followers. However, even though her following has significantly grown, she makes sure to communicate with fans directly, give updates, and announce releases/ tease her new music to build excitement. Her social media presence and streaming successes show that she is prepared for the industry and has a shot at growing even more.
Mulaa is showing huge potential, considering she is still in the early stages of her career. Right now, Mulaa has just done her first-ever headline show. She is making an effort to connect with her fans and transform them into her world when performing. These shows may be small for now, but the intimate vibe and great energy are what make shows special.
This is essential for growing and developing even more loyal fans who will go to her performances and interact more deeply with her music. Her live performances will boost her name and give her more marketing opportunities as she continues to gig, whether that’s through headline gigs in London, Manchester, and other UK locations or support gigs with similar artists.
Overall, the reason I selected Mulaa Joans is that she is a rare example of an emerging artist with both creative authenticity and a fresh soulful voice we haven’t heard in a while. Her rapid increase in Spotify listeners, cross-platform engagement, all point to long-term success. She has the perfect qualities which labels and A&R professionals look for in the modern music industry, such as artistic vision, originality, and adaptability.
Music examples:
From an A&R standpoint, what stands out about Muula is that her growth didn’t just happen overnight; she has been working on building up her following for years now and posting emotional covers consistently. This is why in the last month she has skyrocketed, and her work paid off. The fans who have been following her through her journey know how genuine she is. Every part of her sound, persona, and visual presence is showing us that she is on a path to be an artist who fits within what the 2025 market wants: emotional honesty, clean production, and strong identity. Her listeners from the start of October, rising from under 5,000 monthly listeners to 469.8k+ now in January, is evidence of real determination and perseverance driven by her passion, not just for fame. But beyond her already growing sucsesss, what makes her singable right now is the quality of the songs themselves, as well as the potential for her image to expand as she progresses.
“Members Only” by Mulaa Joans is the type of song that works well both emotionally and commercially. The official visualizer on YouTube, which has grown massively recently and has now gained over 400k views, clearly shows that the track is connecting with listeners, the comments section is all fans that are rooting for her, one saying, “she has a real shot at being a global artist. That voice cuts so emotively deep like a knife, felt every run, riff and lyric! This should be charting; the UK doesn’t sleep. A new superstar is born!” This level of natural support shows how well the song is connecting with listeners. It shows that Muula is creating a genuine following of listeners who truly care about her career rather than just increasing her stream count. This kind of engagement proves that “Members Only” is helping her become more well-known and establish herself as one of the most promising new voices in the industry as her exposure grows.
Musically, the song blends alt-pop and R&B in a very modern way, yet still quite personal. Muula’s vocal performance is emotional and controlled; this makes listeners really feel the song, not just listen. The lyrics are written with honesty and depth that people can relate to. The song explores the tension between ambition, luxury, and actual life. The song talks about the shiny but meaningless world of money and fame, with the emotional strain of trying to fit in. Muula describes people who use their family’s money or connections to gain wealth – basically “wearing daddy’s name” – and she recognises what a shallow life that looks like, even when it can be bright from the outside perspective. But she sees herself with dignity and high morality, as she says she used to “dream of smoke-filled rooms of whisky and cigars,” she is stating that she won’t push away her morals and her self-respect to fit this delusional world.
The production complements her voice without overpowering it, with a clean melody, and soft piano is the foundation of the whole song. This kind of basic but captivating production works well on streaming platforms and playlisting. Because of its pure emotion, catchy melody, and visual support from the official visualiser on YouTube.The colour scheme is warm and subtly neutral, creating an intimate, late-night feel that matches the song’s energy. Nothing is overly busy or excessive. The visuals stay the same throughout the whole video, allowing the audience to concentrate on the words and her voice. This simple but well-done effect makes the track feel more professional and helps the audience connect with Muula’s vibe and personality. “Members Only” has already performed well and has the potential to perform even better. It’s the type of music that not only remains popular but also helps develop a deeper connection with fans as she continues to grow her audience.
‘Still a little something there’ is a song about when a relationship has ended, but your feelings are still there. It’s that frustrating feeling when you hate the person, but you can’t help feeling emotionally attached to them. Many people experience this but rarely express it. Muula’s voice is smooth, controlled, and intimate, allowing listeners to easily relate to her story. The way in which she delivers each lyric gives the song a personal feel, as if she is speaking directly to the listener rather than performing for an audience.
The production is minimal but effective. This simplicity makes the single perfect for streaming playlists that focus on mood, emotion, which are exactly the types of places where her music can find a loyal audience.
The official visualiser is a series of clips from her daily life. It was aesthetically pleasing as it highlighted her personality and performance. The style is minimal yet stylish, portraying her as genuine and approachable while hinting at a deeper artistic identity. There is room to expand on this —for example, making distinct dress choices, or cinematic storytelling that supports the mood of her songs.
“18 Again” shows a lighter, more nostalgic side, in opposition to the deep intensity of “Members Only” and “Still a Little Something There.” Instead of grief, this song focuses on youth, reflection, and a desire to return to a simpler, more carefree version of yourself. This theme change expands her repertoire and shows her ability to write stories other than those centred on relationships.
Musically, the music mixes soft alt-pop with a slight R&B influence. A dreamy vibe of light keys, gentle percussion, and airy vocals. This genre-mixing style puts her with current market leaders such as Gracie Abrams, Olivia Dean, and PinkPantheress, whose nostalgic, mellow sound is popular on social media.
Visually, the “18 Again” video has a soft, warm, nostalgic feel that complements the song’s message. Mulaa is in a van with a low-lit, warm-toned bedroom setting, surrounded by fairy lights, soft shadows, and a somewhat blurry filter. This gives a “coming-of-age film” vibe, which is personal, dreamlike, and youthful. These images are incredibly on trend.
Development plan:
To further grow Muula Joans into a globally recognised artist, it is important to develop a well-organised and strategic plan that will further touch and shape her visual identity as well as live performance gigs. Mulaa has already built a great foundation for herself, her powerful voice, growing streams and a somewhat established fan base. She has what it takes to be the next big success. What could be done now for her to elevate into a stable artist is some more effort in elevating her target audience and engaging with more with other social media platforms, eg, YouTube and Instagram. She could also benefit from creating a catchy name for her fandom, as Beyoncé has done with the “Beyhive” and many other successful artists do.
One of the most effective ways for developing to expand their audience is through touring, specifically support tours, especially if you are opening for an artist whose fanbase works well with the same target demographic. musicians that only exist online through streaming services usually struggle to build a loyal fanbase. Live artists grow uniquely. The audiences connect more deeply, and they will want to purchase merchandise and stick with the journey over time. Muula has the type of voice that people naturally want to hear live. Her tone is controlled, rich, and passionate. the exact kind of thing that causes an audience to stop talking and pay attention.
Muula’s sound and aesthetic means she would fit in the same kind of vibe as Olivia Dean, Jorja Smith, Raye, as well as other emerging UK artists like Scienna Spiro and Skye Newman. Support tours offer exposure in a way that social media alone can’t do. It helps fans get to know the real you and connect with you on a deeper, more genuine way. It also helps introduce an artist to hundreds to thousands of loyal listeners who are already involved in the genre space of her music. It’s important as fans get the emotional experience in real time rather than on their phone.
A great example of the success of touring is Scienna Spiro, who went to do small headline tours in a few cities across the UK. With her gigs, she grew massively and rapidly, and her streams skyrocketed. Another thing that also massively helped was fans taking and posting videos of the concert online, and that gave her free promotional marketing. Mulaa is just like these artists with her emotional drive and her engagement, and these live shows will really further her career.
A realistic live development plan would include:
Supporting tours for semi-established artists, someone whose venues hold around 300–800 capacity, this would allow the audience to fully immerse themselves in her storytelling as well as her tone in an intimate setting. Someone like Skye Newman would be ideal, as she was also recently in the same position as Mulaa. They are very similar in many ways, so I can see how that would really help further her career.
Once her monthly listeners expand to around 700k to 1M, she will have enough demand to sell out headline shows. Some throughout the UK and possibly some popular cities in Europe, concerning her streams are high in those countries. By that point, she will have a clean and established fanbase, and her fans will know her more personally.
In addition to that, she would thrive in festivals. Her style would suit places like The Great Escape, All Points East or even smaller stages at Wireless, as they are known for hosting many upcoming R&B artists. Performing at these events would put her right in front of people who are actively looking for new voices like hers, improving her market appeal.
As for a social media campaign to help grow engagement, she is on the right track. Mulaa is very consistent with her social media presence, but not yet fully established; however, this is a strength. She is already doing very well with posing covers, studio clips and teasing new songs, and because of all of this, she is increasing her monthly listeners. Right now, she is on a solid foundation, and we can build it even more. To maximise growth, she needs to be posting clips on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts, whether that’s singing her own songs or covers, clips from behind the scenes ( studio or her writing process), talking videos/ day in the life. As of right now in 2025, personal storytelling is the strongest thing for TikTok engagement. Artists like Raye, during her rebrand she saw massive growth by simply posting honest, unpolished content that showed their real creative process. Muula is already doing this naturally; she just needs more structure. As I mentioned, her appeal is beyond just her voice; she has a very interesting, cool vibe, and if she lets fans in on he daily routines, beauty/fashion interests, creative struggles and more of her personality in general, she can build an emotional attachment with her viewers.
Right now, Mulaa’s visuals are good; however, her visual identity needs to be developed, not just focusing on style and accessories. Her appearance hints at who she is, but it doesn’t really establish her in a specific aesthetic that people can immediately recognise. She would benefit from creating a more in-depth artistic world for herself, one that represents her personality and her music. For example, we can use her style and aesthetic and build on it by certain camera styles, eg, digital cameras or retro/vintage film that can become recognisable parts of her brand. Working with someone who understands her vision would help her elevate her vibe into a resonated aesthetic just for her to use across music videos, performances, and overall social media content. By developing her visuals in authentic storytelling rather than surface-level style, she can create a stronger connection with her audience and stand out more clearly.
Areas for improvement:
Muula Joans has strong potential, but there are a few areas in her development plan that need tightening to help her grow faster. Her visuals are warm and cohesive, but they’re not distinctive enough yet to make her instantly recognisable. Strengthening her look with a clearer colour palette, consistent styling, and signature imagery would help build a stronger brand. Her social media also performs well but risks becoming repetitive, so she would benefit from mixing in more storytelling, personality-led posts, and short cinematic clips to keep engagement high. Her release rollouts could be more structured, too; regular teasers and planned build-ups would help boost streaming momentum. Live development is another key area: she has the vocals, but she needs more stage experience through support slots and smaller festival stages. She also hasn’t fully taken advantage of collaborations with other rising UK artists, which could significantly widen her audience. Overall, these weaknesses are all very fixable and, with the right A&R strategy, become opportunities to strengthen her identity and long-term career.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Muula Joans is a perfect emerging artist who fits well within he market appeal of today’s industry. Her blend of phenomenal talent, authenicity, emotional depth and creative visuals makes her stand out. She follows all the latest trends, and that will make her have the potential of being extremely successful. We are already even seeing the beginning of her success, and it will only grow. It’s clear that she has a growing fan base already, as well as much determination and work ethic, which will always help her no matter what. While of course there are things to develop, such as her visuals, focus on her exposting through touring and her social media, these are not weaknesses but opportunities that I’m sure she will take on with all she has. With the right strategic guidance, she is perfectly positioned to grow into a nationally and even globally recognised artist. Her rapid growth in monthly listeners and strong engagement, and relatable approach to storytelling all guarantee that she is connecting with her target audience in a meaningful way.
Overall, Muula is a clear example of an artist who shows the important qualities of an artist in today’s market, making her not just a relevant case study but also a truly appealing artist to invest in from an A&R standpoint (Beat 20225).
Reference list
Beat. (2025). What Do A&R Reps Look for in Artists? (From a Real Label Executive). [online] Available at: https://vocal.media/beat/what-do-a-and-r-reps-look-for-in-artists-from-a-real-label-executive [Accessed 8 Jan. 2026].
MusicWire (2025). Mulaa Joans unveils soulful new single ‘Members Only’. [online] MusicWire. Available at: https://musicwire.popfiltr.com/news/mulaa-joans-members-only [Accessed 8 Jan. 2026].
Teitz, A. (2025). Mulaa Joans – Members Only – FEMMUSIC Magazine. [online] FEMMUSIC Magazine. Available at: https://femmusic.com/2025/08/29/mulaa-joans-members-only/ [Accessed 8 Jan. 2026]
