Manana is an Eswatini-born, South Africa-based singer, songwriter, and producer whose music lives at
the intersection of contemporary R&B, soul, and jazz. His work often explores the emotional spaces
between love and loss, vulnerability and self-preservation, disappointment and acceptance. On his latest
album, “It Really Isn’t What It Is,” Manana traces the complicated arc of a relationship, moving through
attraction, uncertainty, heartbreak, boundaries, memory, and ultimately, the courage to let go.
The album opens with “No,” where Manana confronts the aftermath of a relationship that once felt right.
With her family still reaching out, he recognises that he cannot continue carrying the responsibility of
saving someone he has already lost, choosing instead to draw a necessary boundary. “Talking Stages”
captures the exhaustion of an undefined relationship, as he grows tired of conversations and uncertainty
without real progress. On “Calendar,” he takes a more hopeful approach, asking her to make space for
him and allow their connection to become part of her everyday life.
As the album unfolds, the romance gives way to harder truths. “Sun Sets on Beautiful Days” reflects on
the pain of losing someone who has taken pieces of him along with them, while “Don’t Say the Words”
asks for love honesty, cautioning against saying “I love you” when those words are not backed by
genuine feeling. “What a Woman” offers a softer counterpoint, celebrating the kind of woman whose
presence can completely occupy the mind and heart.
On “No More,” Manana draws a firmer line, confronting a relationship marked by hurt, violence, and
dishonesty and recognising that there are moments when leaving is the only way to protect one's peace.
The album's final stretch introduces a measure of acceptance. “Alright” holds onto the possibility that,
despite the struggles and disappointments, things can eventually find their way back to a better place.
Closing with “Remember Me,” Manana leaves listeners with a quieter question: after everything that
happened, will he still exist somewhere in her memory?
Across “It Really Isn’t What It Is,” Manana resists the temptation to reduce love to either romance or
heartbreak. Instead, he captures the messy middle, the conversations that never become relationships, the
relationships that outlive their purpose, the memories that linger after people leave, and the boundaries we
learn to set when love begins to cost too much.
Ultimately, the album is a portrait of emotional growth: loving deeply, losing honestly, recognising when
something is no longer working, and finding the strength to choose yourself.
"It really isn’t what it is" is now available on all streaming platforms via ONErpm.
