Mycah’s Pick, Vol. 1: The Muse Is Listening
Because good music deserves good ears—and these got mine.
There’s difference between a good song and a song from an artist who just gets it. This is the kind of music that you discover on a whim, mid-scroll or random playlist placement. But when you need it, it’s there waiting to be discovered in the perfect moment.
As a singer, writer and full-time feeler, I take my rotation very seriously. My friends always tease about how many organized playlists I have in my catalogue, but really it’s just another extension of me. So I figured, why keep it to myself?
Welcome to Mycah’s Pick—my weekly five-song breakdown, curated straight from my heart and my headphones.
Each week, I’ll highlight:
💎 An underrated artist who deserves their flowers
✍🏾 One of my own songs (if I’m feeling bold)
🌟 A mainstream hit I genuinely love
💿 A throwback I probably had no business singing as a kid
🎲 And a wildcard that I couldn’t get out of my head
So, turn your speakahs up and get ready to add some instant hits to your playlist. (Plus, I wanna hear from you at the end. Let me know which one of these you’re vibin’ with!)
💎 Underrated Gem
I love when a song feels like something you already know—like it’s been sitting on your playlist for years, waiting to be heard. That’s exactly what happened when I heard “Forgiveness” by Gianna. I was mid-scroll, and the first line—“I think it’s time for me to forgive myself for the things I can’t help”—made me pause, blink and immediately go add the song. Like ooooouuuu… yes.
She’s got this gorgeous alto tone that we don’t hear enough in today’s R&B, especially when everyone seems to favor a soprano. But nah—her voice eats. This track is so pretty, and I mean that in the deepest way. I could honestly hear it sitting right next to an Aaliyah record.
It’s from her debut EP 2000s Heartbreak, and the whole rollout is giving. From the boom box and CDs on the cover to the TikToks that feel fun and nostalgic without trying too hard—Gianna gets it. She’s tapping into that era of R&B that I grew up loving and still resonate with way more than some of what’s trending now.
Real R&B is alive, and Gianna is proof.
✍🏾 My Song of the Week
“Diamond in the Rough” by Mycah
I wrote this in the car during my senior year of college, the day my dad told me all he wanted for his birthday was for me to shout him out in a song. So that’s what I did. I jotted it down in a rush between classes and responsibilities, not knowing it would become one of the most personal and powerful, records I’ve ever written.
“Diamond in the Rough” is about that in-between space: graduating college, stepping into adulthood, working a 9-to-5 while still chasing what you really want. It’s for the soft-yet-driven girls balancing bills, burnout and big dreams. It’s for the ones doing everything with intention, even if it’s still behind the scenes.
Some songs sound like affirmations. This one is one. I didn’t realize it then, but I was writing the life I’m living now: up at 4 AM, still grinding, still praying, still writing—whether it’s lyrics, Substack posts or scripts for my docuseries. Because when you know you have a gift, you have to nurture it.
And nothing hits like hearing yourself say:
“Princess when they ask bout how I’m cut, like a diamond in the rough.”
🌟 Mainstream Hit
“MUTT (Remix)” by Leon Thomas ft. Chris Brown
Let’s talk about vocal excellence, shall we? We always knew Leon could sing—the runs, baby. Eat ’em up, Andre! That’s where a lot of us first fell in love with his voice back in his Victorious days, but now? He’s in his R&B bag for real, and it’s beautiful to see him finally getting the recognition he’s always deserved.
The remix with Chris Brown just dropped earlier this week, and it’s giving everything it needed to give. Chris was a huge part of my early 2000s R&B era, and this brought that CB back, but grown. Not the teenage heartthrob, but a man who’s still got the range and the presence.
It’s rich, it’s layered, and it’s been on loop since I heard it. Leon is a reminder that real R&B still exists.
💿 Throwback Classic
The double meanings in early 2000s R&B? Underrated. “Ego” is one of those songs that hit differently as a kid versus now. Back then, it just felt like a catchy, confident anthem.
But now that I’m older? Yeah… I get it. Beyoncé was saying a lot without saying too much, and that’s what made music from that era so timeless. It was bold, but still palatable. Grown, but subtle enough that we could sing along at any age without fully clocking the message.
This week, “Ego” has been my go-to commute song to the office. I love singing along with Bey on this one, especially the runs at the end. It's just one of those tracks that reminds me how fun vocal performance can be when you’re not afraid to lean into your own confidence.
🎲 Wildcard
“Ran Out” by JT
This one dropped earlier this week and my best friend Kelley put me on immediately. She already knew it was my vibe. “Ran Out” is 100% a club banger, but JT always makes songs that feel like instant hits. It’s not just what she says, it’s how she says it. Her delivery is sharp, catchy and full of personality.
What I love about JT’s music is the balance: her choruses are made to stick, but her verses always come with bars. She’s witty, slick and never wastes a beat. This one gives Trina-adjacent energy—like the kind of track that would've gone off back in the day, right between a City Girl anthem and a classic Miami record.
It’s my wildcard pick this week—not because it’s unexpected from her, but because it’s the only rap track in an R&B-heavy rotation. And it still slid in perfectly.
And just like that, we’ve reached the end of the first Mycah’s Pick.
From buttery vocals to bars that bite, these are the five songs that stuck with me this week—and now I’m passing them on to you.
If one of them finds its way into your daily rotation, let me know. I’m always curious what hits for y’all the way it hit for me.
The full Mycah’s Pick playlist is updated on Apple Music and Spotify, so go ahead—tap in, turn your speakahs up and remember: good music deserves good ears… and these got mine.
Put me on. I’m building next week’s list—what underrated or slept-on R&B song should I hear? The Muse is always listening…