Album Review - “Scorpio” by Madison McFerrin

Scorpio by Madison McFerrin is a beautiful vocal display by the songstress that highlights the rollercoaster of the trials of love, from seeing the worst version of yourself to understanding how a former lover may have been an unstable anchor to your life, Madison manages to take these talking points to grace us with an anthem that captures every spectrum of the relationship emotion through the 30+ minute project. 

“And I wish you didn’t put me through hell, to realize that heaven’s in my heart”

This line is a near accurate summary of “Scorpio” an album measured by the depths of how far true or former romance can knock anyone from their deep end.

During the summer of 2023, I was able to see Madison perform during the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. While her set was incredible, one thing that stood out in particular was her announcement of a recent engagement. While time has since passed with obvious details missed, it would be a fair assessment to say that the former relationship plays a key factor in the album’s subject matter. From songs like “I Don’t,” where she begins with “We were supposed to get married today.” to “Run It Back,” Madison bleeds out her real-life struggles (or blessings) to an R&B masterpiece. 

While vocally, Madison has always been a great singer, Scorpio highlights an aspect of her vocal brilliance that often goes unnoticed: her layering, which frequently floats between the lines, ranging from texturally pleasing to downright angelic. This is highlighted in songs like “Over>Forever,” a dance-pop breakup anthem where Madison expresses the happiness of pure-breakup bliss, which also showcases her writing ability, something that’s perhaps underrated considering her wide range of artistic arsenal. 

Production-wise, it would be an understatement to say the instrumentation on this project boosts Scorpio to a potential album-of-the-year candidate. Seriously, every track is polished to its peak, every moment is meticulously crafted towards her style, and there is no moment-to-moment boredom, which so often plagues R&B singers, who can become a tad repetitive in their presentation at times. 

Songs like “Lesson” capture a somber tone under her falsetto singing, with orchestra-level strings matching Madison note-for-note with ambient soundscapes that allow her to highlight the gravity of her subject and, if nothing else, beautifully illustrate her mental screenshot in those moments. 

By the album’s conclusion with “REDACTED,” you will understand the full spectrum of Madison McFerrin’s scope of a former love turned sour. While song titles give an accurate assessment of how she feels about former lessons turned relationship blessings, the project in itself is a delightful soundscape hosted by the singer, who guides us with audio treats that can and should be mentioned among the top-tiers of albums this year.

For those interested, you can hear “Scorpio” here.