blockboydoo's "mollysantana (willubemine)" Is a Self-Made R&B Breakout

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New Orleans-area singer-songwriter and rapper Ra'Shon Harris, known as blockboydoo, is putting a fresh spotlight on "mollysantana (willubemine)," the self-written, self-produced R&B/pop single that quietly became his breakout. First released November 25, 2024, as the opening track on his project A Normal Day, the song borrows the name of a rising rap star as a creative device. It isn't about her. It's about someone much closer to home, a friend whose place in his life he couldn't quite put into words until he found the right muse to speak through. The result is a track that sits right where blockboydoo likes to live, between confidence and exposure, bravado and something softer underneath.

"I made this song around the time I was just starting. Molly Santana was blowing up, and I used her as a muse to talk about someone I know personally. She was the way in to explain how I really felt about this person," explained blockboydoo.

That tension between the swagger of the title and the tenderness of its subject is the heartbeat of blockboydoo's music. He has been writing songs since he was six and recording since he was 13, but it wasn't until late 2024 that he set aside his early insecurities about his sound and committed to music in earnest. His first official single arrived that Halloween, and "mollysantana (willubemine)" followed weeks later, a song that doesn't chase a genre so much as capture a mood: late-night, restless, and honest.

"A big thing in my music is duality. There's good and bad. I can have an ego one moment and be completely vulnerable the next. It's basically showing two sides of a coin," shared blockboydoo.

"mollysantana (willubemine)" is entirely his own work. blockboydoo wrote and produced the track himself, then carried that same independent approach into its visual. The music video, one of his first, was self-directed, shot by his friend bagboik, and edited by blockboydoo. It came together almost by accident, filmed on the fly after a separate shoot and released with no announcement or promotion. Without any push behind it, the video climbed from 1,000 to 5,000 views in a short time, and it now sits at more than 28,000 views and 1,100 likes—strong engagement for an underground release.

"I was actually hesitant to promote it at first because it didn't sound like what our local scene usually does. But the views jumped from 1k to 5k really fast, and the comments were saying the same thing I already believed about the track. It's become a fan favorite," said blockboydoo.

That organic response is what brought the song back into the conversation, and it arrives as blockboydoo is building toward something larger. Where A Normal Day introduced him, his upcoming project, Block Party, is designed to take the sound of home further than it has traveled before. His artist name reflects that same growth. He first recorded as ykdooske, and he describes blockboydoo as the same person in a stronger form, almost the way a hero steps into the suit.

"Block Party will be me bringing that New Orleans sound to a wider audience," shared blockboydoo.

Looking ahead, blockboydoo plans to treat his visuals less like standard music videos and more like short films, with the music woven into the story rather than sitting on top of it. He is also preparing to launch a clothing line, expanding a brand he sees as one continuous world where every song, garment, and visual marks another stage of who he is becoming.

"I don't want it to be a normal music video. I want to approach it more like a filmmaker, where it's more like a film and the music is part of it. I'm building a foundation around my brand," said blockboydoo.

"mollysantana (willubemine)" by blockboydoo is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, with the official music video on YouTube and promotional support from Starlight PR. Stay connected with blockboydoo on Instagram at @blockboydoo_ for updates on the upcoming project Block Party, new visuals, his clothing line, and more.

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Jade Talks New Music, Reading & Leeds Headline Ambitions and Glastonbury Plans

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Jade has spoken to NME about the latest developments on her “brave and bold” second album, her ambition to headline Reading & Leeds, and whether she could return to Glastonbury next year.

Returning to her home region of South Shields, the former Little Mix singer turned solo star caught up with NME on the red carpet at the Mercury Prize in Newcastle. Her debut album ‘That’s Showbiz Baby!’ had been shortlisted alongside releases from Suede, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives and Florence & The Machine, before ultimately losing out to Raye’s ‘This Music May Contain Hope’.

When asked what she believes makes an exceptional album, Jade replied: “Authenticity, being bold and ballsy, just doing what you want to do and not necessarily pandering to what you think the masses want to hear.”

Before taking to the stage for a major performance of ‘Angel Of My Dreams’, Jade also shared how excited she was to be nominated and perform at the ceremony. “I’m buzzing off me boobs, I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m a little overwhelmed to be honest, there’s a lot going on right now, but I’m very happy to be here.”

 

 

 

 

It has been a busy year for Jade, and our previous encounter with the singer was at Reading Festival, where she delivered a huge performance and attracted one of the weekend’s biggest crowds.

“It was amazing,” she recalled. “I’d never played Reading before, it was my first time and I think as a pop artist you’re always a little apprehensive of how the crowd is going to react – especially at Reading. But they were amazing, they were well up for it. It was one of my favourite festivals that I’ve done this year and one ticked off the bucketlist.”

Could she eventually join the likes of Charli XCX and Raye as one of the next generation of pop stars to headline Reading & Leeds?

“I mean I’d love to, I’d absolutely love to,” she replied. “That’s definitely a dream of mine to headline more festivals, and there are no better ones that Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury.”

When asked whether she might return to Worthy Farm in 2027, she said: “Fingers crossed, we’ll see. It was so special there last year, and it was probably one of the best shows of my life. It was so, so special. I’d love to re-live it and do it again.”

 

JADE performs at Glastonbury 2025, photo by Derek Bremner
JADE performs at Glastonbury 2025. Credit: Derek Bremner for NME

Fans could potentially have a new Jade album to look forward to by next summer, with the singer confirming that she has been “busy writing” alongside producer and collaborator Mike Sabbath.

“We’ve been doing a lot over the summer in between the little breaks and the festival run,” Jade told NME. “I’ve been getting in the studio with him, writing what we can, and I’m going to LA in a couple of weeks to start solidifying what this is going to sound like. It’s still kind of early stages, but I love writing process and it’s even better to do it with mates and people who you feel really comfortable with.”

So, what direction is her second album taking at this stage?

“I can’t say too much without giving it away,” she explained, “but it’s just very honest again about my experiences this year, whatever I’ve been going through and still brave, bold and a bit of a pop punch to the face.”

Jade performs at the 2026 Mercury Prize in Newcastle (Photo by JMEnternational/Getty Images) Jade performs at the 2026 Mercury Prize in Newcastle (Photo by JMEnternational/Getty Images)

Jade currently has several European dates scheduled for 2027. Visit here for tickets and further information.

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