New from Miné: “Crave” Explores Love, Desire, and Emotional Ties

There’s something quietly revolutionary about Miné.

The Nigerian-American singer-songwriter is not just dipping into genres—she’s deconstructing them, reassembling their pieces with the ease of someone who’s lived multiple lives. With roots that stretch from the lively streets of Lagos to the humid pulse of Miami by way of Baltimore, Miné’s latest single, “Crave.”, is a moment of honesty in a cultural climate that rewards the curated over the real.

Written when she was just 17, “Crave.” began as a diary entry dressed in melody. You can hear the ache in her voice—the awareness of being left out of experiences that seemed to come easily to others. But instead of wallowing, Miné transforms that longing into power. “I long to be longed for,” she says, with a sincerity that never slips into melodrama. That’s the magic of her songwriting: it’s personal without being precious.

What stands out immediately is Miné’s ability to make vulnerability feel cool without watering it down. Her voice is smooth but never slick, gliding over production that balances glossy synths with an undercurrent of rhythm that feels distinctly African. It’s the sound of two continents meeting in a bedroom at 2 a.m., trying to make sense of modern intimacy.

What makes Miné’s ascent even more compelling is how she’s orchestrated it. With a degree in Economics and Business Strategy from Cornell and time spent at Kaeio University, she’s not stumbling through the music industry—she’s studying it, dissecting it, and moving through it on her own terms. In fact, her academic rigor and disciplined approach to her art only deepen the impact of her music. She writes during the academic year, records during breaks, and views her music like a campaign—equal parts art and architecture.

But the stats only tell part of the story. What really sets Miné apart is her global consciousness. Fluent in Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, she brings a multilingual sensibility to her songwriting that’s rare in contemporary pop. When she sings in another language, she isn’t code-switching for trend’s sake—she’s unlocking a different part of herself, and inviting us to do the same.

With her sonic ambition, intellectual grounding, and fierce emotional clarity, Miné is carving out space that feels at once deeply personal and undeniably global. She’s not trying to fit into the industry’s mold. She’s burning it down, one beautifully crafted song at a time.