Mae Muller - Sorry I'm Late

So, it turns out Mae Muller didn't just write a song for Eurovision; she wrote a whole bloomin' load of them. 17, in fact, for a great big debut album that highlights some of the spark and charisma that could earn her a place at pop's top table.

When you have 17 songs on your album, it's unlikely that everything is going to hit. Unless you're incredible. Mae isn't incredible. Not just yet, anyway. But she is sharp and funny and has a knack for a memorable hook. Where 'Sorry I'm Late' shines, though is when Mae offers a little bit of herself and lets us see another side. 'Somebody New' is funky and fresh but has a lovely sense of vulnerability, while 'Breath'’s easy-going charm is a blissful moment on an album that is largely full steam ahead.

It's an album that sounds very now, which is both a bit of a blessing and a curse. It ticks all the boxes for what energised and vital big pop sounds like in 2023 but perhaps lacks the instinctive dynamism to make it really stand out of the crowd and fly. That dynamism should come from Mae herself, who is a star, and this first offering is an enjoyable glimpse into the world of an artist who is yet to find her distinct sound.