“Just do you and kill it / The right energy will feel it, innit / My gyal just fly / Do more than just survive,” OneDa urges on ‘Set It Off’. One of the first singles from the Manchester rapper and poet’s debut album Formula OneDa, it also doubles as the record’s finale, acting as both introduction to and recapitulation of a core ethos of self-love and empowerment. This is, in itself, a central tenet of OneDa’s practice as an MC, producer and community leader and one that has singled her out as a truly positive force in British rap.
“We got power, yeah we in control / Go and let off, go and let them know,” she raps under a thundering drum and bass line on ‘Set It Off’, produced in collaboration with Fat Budha. A clarion call to women everywhere, the message of the track to believe in your own power is one that OneDa emphasises throughout Formula OneDa. On ‘Superwoman’, the repeated refrain of “Now I’m powered up” is set against a bouncing breakbeat rhythm, which has the effect of bringing OneDa’s messaging to the fore. Elsewhere, the more mellow afro-infused ‘Over My Dead Body’ is an anthem of empowerment. It represents a refusal to bow down and ask for permission, as OneDa chants “over my dead body” at the close of the song’s chorus, carefully accentuating each syllable.
Sonically, Formula OneDa is an interesting record from the get go. It opens with the harmonic gospel-like humming of ‘Let Me In’, which builds to a hypnotic, otherworldly ambience that paints a very unique aural landscape. Meanwhile, collaborations with the likes of Prince the Kid, who provides guest vocals on ‘Pull Up’, and Ace Clrk, who appears on ‘Sometimes’, add a soulfulness that contrasts with up tempo, straight up bangers like ‘Leader’.
The title of the album is a reference to F1 Academy, the platform Formula 1 has created to inspire and support young girls and women, which OneDa believes aligns with her own journey. She describes the F1 Academy metaphor as matching her development “from a backmarker to a leader,” adding that she “plan[s] to support these inspiring women as they drive with Pussy Power to take pole position in motorsports.” As in music more broadly, it’s a nod to celebrating the way women are making progress in an otherwise male-dominated arena.
As listeners, we were first introduced to OneDa’s concept of ‘Pussy Power’ in the 2023 EP of the same name, in which she described this power as a grand feminine energy, drawn from the love and acceptance of your imperfections, as well as your inner strength. The spirit of ‘Pussy Power’ percolates in OneDa’s searing lyricism and rapid-fire flow all the way through Formula OneDa, underlining exactly why she represents an exciting and inspired future for the Mancunian hip-hop scene and beyond.
