María Isabel was once the patron saint of “sad girl R&B”—but after an overdue breakup, she found herself feeling happier than ever. “This breakup was maybe the first time, for me, that a relationship had ended and I didn't necessarily feel this world-shattering heartbreak,” she says.
The Dominican American singer-songwriter took her single-and-thriving mindset into the studio, where she got to work crafting her first EP in 5 years. The result? Eight-track record Miss Me Much?, which trades wallowing heartbreak ballads for uptempo reggaeton- and dembow-infused beats, all laced with quotable lyrics about moving on and leveling up. Besides being inspired by past relationships, it bears the musical imprint of the artists and genres the NYU grad was raised on during her childhood in Queens.
“This album, more than music I've made in the past, is pulling from so much of what I heard growing up,” she shares, citing the bachata and merengue her parents played around the house and the nostalgic mix of R&B, hip-hop, and reggaeton that soundtracked her neighborhood. It’s the latter genre that she brings into the 21st century on MMM?. “It's truly my version of it,” the artist explains. “I knew I wanted to use parts of that [genre] and I was inspired a lot by that, but I didn't want to just replicate the songs that I grew up with.”
Putting a twist on a classic is always the move. Like Isabel, the master blenders at Hennessy took the same preservation-meets-evolution approach when they created the Maison’s new line of ready-to-serve drinks: Hennessy Very Special Cocktails. A versatile trio of Henny-Rita, Henny Berry, and Henny Iced Tea make it even easier to turn a moment of community into one of celebration.
Community has been on Isabel’s mind lately. “The older I get, especially having spent more time away from New York, the more I value coming home and being able to spend time with my people,” Isabel tells Highsnobiety. “I just feel like that's what fills my cup more than anything.”
Her joy is tangible on the new record. Empowering verses are wrapped in sultry rhythms that seep right into your soul. Even the most cynical listener can’t resist being pulled into Isabel's sun-kissed worldview, made all the more visceral in her high-octane music videos. The one for “Suiza,” which was filmed in the Dominican Republic, sees the star dancing her way around the island while teasing her ex to “siente todo” (“feel it all”). She also name-drops Henny as she eyes the camera with the unbothered aura of a ‘90s supermodel, singing, ”Hennessy en los cubitos de hielo / Estábamo' en una y hoy llevándolo hasta el cielo” (“Hennessy on ice / We were in a vibe and today we’re taking it sky-high”).
On “La Baby Cambió,” she’s equally in her element, casually dissing a former flame who won’t move on. “Habla de mí a desconocido' / Le enseña foto', cuéntеnme de ella” (“He talks about me to strangers / Shows them photos—’Tell me about her’”) Isabel sings. In the music video, Isabel plays a pageant queen twirling through an NYC bodega, tiara and all; she blows the camera a kiss in the beverage aisle, mocking the trope of the hometown hotshot who’s let success go to her head.
“La Baby Cambió” is the track she’s most excited to play for a crowd one day, should a tour come to fruition. “I think it would probably be really fun to sing live, and just have that uptempo, fun energy in a room,” she says. Also guaranteed a place on the set list is “1-800,” the only English-language song on the EP. It features restrained drums, lush, ethereal production, and the project’s most vulnerable lyricism. As Isabel reminds her fans, even a ‘hot girl summer’ has its cold days—but the sun is never buried behind the clouds for too long. With the infectious optimism of tracks like “Bien Bien,” there’s always something (or someone) to raise a glass to.
As temperatures drop, Isabel will continue bringing the heat as she prepares the highly anticipated deluxe edition of MMM?. “That's definitely coming,” she promises. “And then I’ll start writing again after that.” She’s also eager to return to the stage and give these songs the live performances they deserve. “I love writing and making music in the studio, but I feel like nothing comes close to the feeling of playing for a crowd and actually seeing people respond to your music in real time. So I do want to do that really soon.”
