Originally Published on July 31st, 2026
In July of 2024, I published my first 4 articles of Fifteen Minutes of Fame. Then, I made an open call on social media to write my first reviews. The first submission that stuck out to me was from Menna, a Nashville-based alt pop musician who had just released a new single. What caught my attention was that it wasn’t Menna herself that submitted her song for review. It was her husband.
When I listened to Didn’t Peak in High School, I got nervous because this song was a much higher quality production than I had anticipated. Looking at her social media profiles didn’t help. Thousands upon thousands of followers, subscribers, and listeners. Millions of streams, listens, and clicks.
For a moment, I thought about writing back and explaining this was a mistake. I thought, “he doesn’t realize that I am brand new and unqualified.” I was afraid I was going to be in way over my head. With all of the nerves fighting me and every possible doubt swirling, I listened to the song and I started writing.
Two years later, I am still writing, I am still listening, and I can proudly say I am one of Menna’s biggest fans.
Originally from Austin, Texas, Menna has cemented herself in Nashville to pursue her career as a recording artist. Raised in a family of musicians, Menna has been performing since she could hold a microphone. Influenced by jazz, rock, and older genres like Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical music, she has cultivated a diverse sound capable of just about anything one can think of musically.
Menna debuted in 2018 with her first single, Ride. Spanning from then to 2024, she has released dozens of singles with several earning millions of streams, including Sex in Public, which has nearly earned 8 million streams on Spotify.
Her talents as a recording artist are just the tip of the iceberg. I can personally attest to how incredible of a performer she is in a live setting, having been at her album release show two nights ago. Earlier this month, I spoke with Menna on an episode of Fifteen Minutes in the Necco Chamber, where she mentioned that she encounters at least one audience member who is moved to tears from her performance every show – and I believe it.
It is because of Menna’s diversity of influence that she is so capable of reaching a diverse audience. She has edge like Halsey, Pink, and Avril Lavigne. She is a vocal powerhouse like Ariana Grande and Olivia Rodrigo. She is just as creatively ambitious as Lady Gaga and Chappell Roan. At times, she can be as provocative as Tove Lo and then be as intimate as Billie Eilish. My goal here isn’t to name every single pop artist in an effort to hype somebody up to the point it sounds disingenuous. I am simply equating the dynamics that exist within this artist.
She May Be Independent, but She’s got a Village
As any independent artist can attest, it’s damn near impossible to do it alone. We often find we need the help of a community. I’m not talking about a record label, a P&R firm, a booking agent, or something else of the sort is needed. I’m talking about a community of like-minded people, friends, and family. Menna has that. A producer who she’s worked with for years. Friends who help with set design, staging, and photography. A husband who helps with marketing, promotion, and who is willing to film an entire album release show while singing along to every single word of every single song. An impressively large group of friends who are there at every show. Songwriters, guitar players, bassists, singers, and more musicians.
As much of a contributing factor as her community is, Menna’s work ethic rises above even still. She is testament to the concept that success is more than talent. It takes work. Menna has made music her full time job and she is constantly putting in overtime. She writes the songs, records the demos, and she is involved in the entire production process. After the fun of making the music is over, she doesn’t stop there. She puts as much (if not more) effort into marketing and promoting the music. She has funded, directed, and starred in music videos. She often designs the costumes by thrifting the materials and transforming them into extravagant costumes and stage props. She even designed a 16-page booklet to go along with the physical release of this album. For the album release show, she arranged accompanying tracks to play behind the band for all 20 songs. She designs her merch. She thinks of everything.
An Album Release Show for the Ages
Wednesday night, Menna debuted The Minstrel to a packed house at The Basement, a historic venue in Nashville. She fully committed to giving her fans the absolute best experience. The merch table had t-shirts, stickers, the new pressing of her debut album, and it had some really cool and unconventional things, like pillow cases, as well.
Menna and her band performed the entire track list for The Minstrel, which was 20 songs that ran at around an hour long. Her voice never faltered once. The stamina it took to pull that off is beyond anything I could even imagine doing. Her band was extraordinary. I was particularly impressed with the bassist who NAILED Ballad of the Gigolo, Shapeshifter, and more, as well as the guitar player, that amplified a rock element to each performance.
The highlight of the entire show was Electric Guitar. When I first heard that single, I thought it was a cool concept. When I met with Menna in the latest episode of Fifteen Minutes in the Necco Chamber, we discussed the origination of the song, how the idea came to fruition, and some of the meaning behind the song (aside from the literal execution of performing guitar solos with her voice).
I believe we coyly even joked to say “Wouldn’t it be rad to be rad? Or wouldn’t it be great to be fucking awesome?”
All jokes aside, Electric Guitar was a show stopper in a setlist full of bangers. She also opened the show in performative fashion, playing a narration encompassing variations of lyrics thematically over a score composed to transition directly into the opening track, The Minstrel. She poured her heart into the track Okay, which is a captivating recount of the one and only “one night stand” she ever had in her life. To close, she took the audience’s breath away with the song, Legacy, which played as a gentle but glorious finale to both the album and the performance.
The Minstrel
The Minstrel is the debut album of Nashville-based indie artist, Menna. It releases today, July 30th. It consists of 20 songs that run at just shy of 54 minutes. All songs are written and performed by Menna, along with several other incredible songwriters. It was produced by her long-time producer, Mark, along with Menna herself. It is available to stream across all platforms, as well as for physical purchase on CD. Prior to its release, there were 9 singles released preceding the album. The Minstrel is an independent release by Menna.
Listeners got their first taste of The Minstrel in September of 2025, with the release of Wicked Love on the 2nd, then Daredevil on the 21st of October. Right away, there were glimpses of the thematic setting of the album. The round performed in Wicked Love. The visualizer in Daredevil of Menna walking with a broadsword.
Watch the official music video for Wicked Love here
In February, Menna released 75 Jag, a groovy R&B influenced song that diversified the sound of the releases at that time.
Ballad Of The Gigolo released on April 12th of 2026 and, along with it, the biggest exhibit of the vision for the album. The music video that came with the song was in complete costume set in Menna’s interpretation of Gothic, Romantic periods.
In May, Menna released her 5th single, Good Girl, on the 5th, then her 6th single Want To Want To on the 26th. With the latter, the dynamics of all of the different influences were prominent, as there was a powerful rock element that provided the climax of the song.
In June, Menna released the single Shapeshifter. Looking back, I realize that there was a sort of progression to the single releases. Starting with Wicked Love, then Ballad Of The Gigolo, now Shapeshifter, there was an energy that was building anticipation. It was as if Menna had been quietly building the suspense for 9 months. At the time of its release, Shapeshifter was my favorite single on the song. The beat drop in the chorus building from the synth pulse in the pre-chorus. The perfect way she articulates the lyrics in perfect rhythm throughout. Hiding gothic chanting, hitting listeners with these Spanish guitar licks. It is a brilliant song.
Incidentally, the resolve of this theorized build would come earlier this month, when she would introduce her listeners to her start of The Minstrel. Dethroning Shapeshifter, Electric Guitar would become my favorite single. It also featured the previously unreleased B-Side single, Stars. Electric Guitar is just a cool concept. It also showcases Menna’s voice in a way that she’s never shown before. I’ve been listening to her music for two years so consistently that I am one of her top listeners on Spotify. I know she can sing. I didn’t know she had it like that.
This is the journey that brings us to today, release day. Today, Menna fills the holes to the biggest story she has ever told in her entire career. We hear the beginning, the title track, as she narrates the story that will unfold for the next 54 minutes. We hear the vulnerability of Nothing Better than a Sad Girl and how it settles into Stand Up, which represents phenomenal production.
Menna invites us into her more intimate side with Okay, and with Coming Back to You, then merges her vulnerability and intimacy in Love and Danger and By Myself.
As The Minstrel concludes, Menna takes us down a final existential path with some breathtaking moments. The pop and funk infused jam Make Me Cry serves as the anthemic climax just before Menna’s denouement, Legacy.
Final Thoughts
This album is a full circle on so many planes. The story arc within the album itself is fluid from start to finish, then it builds right back into the start again.
It is full circle for Menna, who has established herself over nearly a decade as a recording artist, and a lifetime of performing. The Minstrel is the largest body of work she has produced. She can look at this moment in her career as one of her pinnacle moments where there are references to a variety of different future timelines: timelines where she takes off, timelines where she sustains a respectable career as an independent artist, or timelines where her pursuit of a career in music trails off, though I don’t see that being a factor at all. Regardless of tomorrow, today is a big moment. It is a tremendous accomplishment.
It is a wonderful album.
The entire moment has me reflecting on Fifteen Minutes of Fame, as well. Menna, the first artist I reviewed. I’ve been along on this incredible journey, following her socials to see announcements about how she was working on an album, updates to the progress, listing to clips of work tapes, all progressing to single releases, an album release show, and now release day. My heart is full. It feels different, like I don’t simply enjoy this music. I feel proud of this artist. I feel proud of what Menna has done, of what she accomplished.
It puts me at ease.
Go stream The Minstrel today.!
If you want to own a physical copy of this album, go to her website and check out the store!
Go press play.
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