Courtesy of SW Entertainment
R&B prodigy Mary Ann Alexander is soaring towards international milestones. The Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter is the first Indian musician, along with 20 global artists, who was invited to join the second edition of Jameson Distilled Sounds 2025 in Ireland. The exclusive collective, curated by three-time Grammy-winning rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer Anderson .Paak, brought together 20 artists from around the world to record, write, and perform.
When we caught up over Zoom, Alexander’s fatigue instantly lifted as she recalled her Irish sojourn. “It was my first time visiting the country,” she said, describing days filled with mentorship sessions, the quiet of the Irish countryside, local band performances, and even a spontaneous Irish dance by her fellow participants. “We would all bond over really good dinners,” she recalled. “All that time passed just like that. It’s nice when it ends though, because it’s special now.”
Paak’s easygoing nature, she noted, contrasted with the tough creative challenges he set. “We were divided into randomized groups. He gave us the stems of his track ‘Come Home,’ asking us to flip it into a remix. At the last minute, he threw in different genres—rock, country, hip-hop, etc.—to take it up a notch.” Producing new tracks in under 40 minutes was no small feat, but Alexander thrived under the pressure.
Her group drew pop-punk and turned to Avril Lavigne for inspiration. “When I was singing in that style, it felt liberating and different, making me realize I missed listening and emulating varied things. I thought about diversifying and, more importantly, bringing in more fun. When I have fun is when I make the best things.”
Those reflections pushed her to consider how she might express deeper themes—like existentialism—through her own R&B lens. “Everything I learn is a prompt to myself to create.”
She also forged connections beyond music. “I remember having a conversation with fellow artists about what the rent is like in their home countries! It’s great to connect with creatives from diverse demographics and learn from their career trajectories and communication skills. We should have more of this back at home.”
Ireland wasn’t her only international stage. While in the U.K., Alexander became the first Indian female musician to feature on TikTok sensation DJ AG’s session series, joining a roster that has included Burna Boy, India’s Seedhe Maut, Ed Sheeran, and Rita Ora. Introduced through DJ Limelight—who bridges South Asian artists with the London scene—her performance drew warm reactions online. “There were Londoners too, apart from South Asians, singing my lyrics! I got to experience my music spreading physically. Seeing the audience reception, online and offline, aided me in understanding their perspective.”
Soon after, Alexander added another milestone: a feature alongside British R&B legend Craig David and Nigerian singer-producer Tiwa Savage on the track “Commitments Pt 4,” part of the remix album Commitment & Rain Vibes. David, who had been following her work on social media, invited her to collaborate while she was in London. “It is super surreal when a legend like him is in front of you. How can someone be so down-to-earth whilst being immensely talented? Being under his presence is a life lesson in itself.”
Pointing to the afrobeat-heavy track, Alexander noted, “Although I have previously experimented and listened to them, this would be the first project that would officially be out. I’m excited to bring my twist to the song and see how the audience reacts to it.”
From Savage in Nigeria to David in the UK to Alexander in Kerala, their voices meet on common R&B ground. And while her career is accelerating globally, she insists on not separating the international from the local. “I don’t think of them as two separate things,” she said. “It’s just me, making my music.”
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