By Colin 
Mina My has stepped confidently into the spotlight with her debut EP The Mall Experiment. The Stavanger-based indie-rock and alt-pop songwriter has already made waves with singles like ‘I won’t say it (I love you)’ and ‘Washing Machine’, and now brings them together alongside new tracks to create a cohesive, heartfelt body of work. Recorded during her time at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, the EP is a striking first statement that reflects on identity, love, and the messy joy of young adulthood.
The title itself draws from the psychological “mall experiment”, a study into how false memories can be created. After writing ‘Mall Song’, a track drenched in melancholy and nostalgia, Mina decided to adopt the concept for the whole collection. The result is an EP that plays with memory and emotion, blurring the lines between what we recall, what we imagine, and how we process the experiences that shape us.
Musically, Mina walks a line between vulnerability and intensity. Acoustic guitars and intimate vocals sit alongside fuzzier textures, distorted riffs, and hook-filled choruses. It is a sound that places her firmly in the alt-pop landscape but carries an edge that keeps things unpredictable. Fans of Orla Gartland, Sløtface, and girl in red will find something familiar here, yet Mina stamps her own character all over the project.
A collection that feels lived in
The track list spans six songs: ‘I won’t say it (I love you)’, ‘Washing Machine’, ‘Her Power (EP Version)’, ‘Interlude’, ‘Play It Cool’, and ‘Mall Song’. Each track offers a different glimpse into her songwriting world, but they all tie together with themes of growth and connection. ‘I won’t say it (I love you)’ is playful yet bittersweet, capturing the hesitation of unspoken feelings. ‘Washing Machine’ spins listeners through a swirl of chaos and humour, while ‘Play It Cool’ leans into indie-rock swagger with sharp hooks.
‘Her Power’ deserves special mention. Presented here in an EP version, it highlights Mina’s ability to write anthems that blend raw honesty with empowerment. Closing track ‘Mall Song’ slows things down, steeped in wistfulness and memory. It is the emotional anchor of the EP, a reminder of how much meaning can sit in moments that are never quite clear.
The interlude is a smart choice too, giving space between the louder moments and allowing the project to breathe. Together, the songs create an arc that feels deliberate and carefully crafted. This is not just a collection of singles, but a story told in chapters.
Mina’s journey to this point has been as impressive as the record itself. After winning the Mablisstipendet earlier this year, she secured her first major festival slot at Mablis in her hometown. Sharing the stage with artists like Chloe Slater, Moyka, and Skaar, she showed that her songs belong in that company. Performances at Pride festivals and grassroots stages in both Norway and Liverpool have helped her hone her craft, and The Mall Experiment feels like the payoff of that experience.
Review
Listening to The Mall Experiment feels like stepping into Mina’s diary, but one that has been amplified with guitars and hooks. There is a confessional quality to the writing, but it never drifts into self-indulgence. Instead, she captures the universal moments of love, loss, and confusion that come with growing up, then wraps them in choruses that demand to be sung back.
The production deserves praise too. Working with Lucy McQuillan and Matthew Johnson, Mina has created an EP that balances polish with rawness. Nothing feels overproduced. The quiet tracks breathe, the big ones punch, and throughout her voice cuts through with clarity and character.
What makes this debut special is its mix of ambition and intimacy. Mina does not shy away from big feelings, but she handles them with a playful edge that keeps the record fresh. It is easy to imagine her songs lighting up festival stages, yet they also work in headphones late at night when nostalgia hits hardest. The Mall Experiment is not only a strong debut, it is a promise of what is still to come.
You can follow Mina My over on Instagram. The Mall Experiment is released on 12th September.