Milan Ring - I'm Feeling Hopeful (2021)

Blazing with ambition, the 14-track debut album from Sydney singer, rapper, guitarist and producer Milan Ring is a self-assured showcase of modern R&B. She takes a prismatic look at relationships of all kinds, observing how we self-medicate with everything from substances to spirituality. Having already collaborated with SZA, The Avalanches and Sampa the Great, she employs a potent array of guests on I’m Feeling Hopeful: Malyangapa Barkindji rapper Barkaa lends battle-ready verses to “Let It Glide”, while Blessed sings with palpable romantic devotion on “Sydney Hue”, culminating in steamy simultaneous guitar playing from the two. Chicago rapper Jean Deaux helps document a heady night out on “Pick Me Up”, and London MC Che Lingo contributes a rallying presence on the Latin-tinged lament “Bs”. Nodding to her heritage by referencing Indian deity Saraswati on the album cover, Milan Ring opens herself up fully on this album, citing specific points in her past as she examines her inner and outer life from all angles.