Cinnamon Mango is a multi-genre, cross-cultural band formed in Taiwan by  Suzy (Taiwan), Phil (USA), Sujong (Korea), Henry (Taiwan), and Amy (Taiwan). Fusing a host of genres and musical styles, the 5-member band now officially unveil their debut self-titled project. The 4-track body of work takes liberty with the concept of musical arrangement and throws away the stringent confines of genre specificity. From the moment you hit the play button, the band transports listeners into an uncharted world filled with immense possibilities where they tease the ears with tingling sonic sensations and layered siren-like vocal performances that stray from the expected.

The opening track, “Cinnamon Mango,” serves as an introduction of sorts for the listener. Built on rumbunctious drum grooves, layered synth arrangements and cinematic textures that create a mind-gripping ebb and flow as the song progresses. I must add, it’s hard to genre classify the track, but on the other hand, maybe it’s not required, as the song’s nonconventional style and forward-thinking aesthetic are the focus points. Suzy Lee’s lead vocals set the tone and draw listeners in with raw sultriness and warmth. This is followed by Fi-Né’s energetic rap performance, where they complement the melodies with a machine gun double time flow and vivid lyricism, breaking down the essence of what makes Cinnamon Mango tick. The icing on the cake is the way the rap and melodic parts play off each other, creating a counterbalance of musical styles while the immersive instrumentation helps marry everything together. The second track, “Run Out,” starts with a city pop/jazz chord riff before the drums come into play alongside Fi-Né’s introductory rap verse, which evokes raw bravado with lines like “But my rhymes consistently flow, and everyone knows/Constantly taking significant blows to the bank, but we all know that’s just how it goes.” This is followed by a musical breakdown comprising warm chord changes, and Suzy’s soothing vocals come into the foreground. Underneath it all is the superb instrumentation that fuses modern jazz, city pop, and funk with electronic music elements. There is quite a lot to unpack here as the track continues to build tensions with an appropriate musical resolution over the length of three minutes. The third track “每個人都有秘密” has a summery and reflective vibe. Comprising a prevalent bass line, soulful piano chords and a punchy drum break that can get the dancefloor jumping. Once again, we are treated to a tandem of energetic rapping and soul-stirring melodic runs laced over dynamic production. Fi-Né’s verse flows elegantly over the crunchy break beats while Suzy’s vocals temper the rush on the downtempo sections, creating a change of pace throughout the track.

The final track, “Zoology_Remix,” helps bring the project full circle with a chord refrain that sets the tone alongside a dance groove and a warm pulsating bassline. Suzy leads the charge and delivers another outstanding performance that showcases her range as a singer and performer. Her fluid but spirited style is undeniable and seamlessly blends with the rich soundscape provided by her bandmates. This remix is pure genius as the band goes to town and creates such a dynamic backdrop that bridges several genres from modern jazz, house, soul and hip-hop. The first half has a house bounce with retro jazz vibes, while the second half switches into an edgy funk-guitar driven beat with punchy grooves and future jazz vibes.

Overall, Cinnamon Mango is an interesting and unorthodox project that breaks the mould and pushes musical boundaries, not only for the sake of it but for the expansion of their musical roots. Kudos must be handed to all the musicians, writers and performers as they all brought their A-game and delivered nothing short of dopeness. The songs are well structured and quite experimental in terms of arrangement and performance. Fi-Né and Suzy Lee’s musical chemistry is undeniable, and they go in perfect tandem. The rest of the crew, from drummer Philip D’avilar, bassist Sujong Park and keyboardist Amy He, all came together to deliver this beautifully stunning body of work that we didn’t know we needed.