Rhode Island-born, Stockholm-based singer Mapei’s music is the byproduct of cosmopolitan influence: Raised on Michael Jackson, Liberian music, and rap, she makes soul pop with echoes of Swedish club sensibility. Her latest single "Don’t Wait" pairs sparse percussion with touches of acoustic guitar for a sound that the artist describes as "21st-century gospel doo-wop." The mix here is unbound and loose, but Mapei’s vocals soar confidently above it until a breakdown towards the end, when she sing-speaks through an echoey digital treatment that's equal parts Daft Punk and Kelis.

Kingdom's remix of "Don’t Wait" further shows off Mapei's range: It smooths the song’s omnivorous sampling into a larger, arching melody. When released from the original's structural confines, Mapei's voice takes on an even more vital role. "Don’t wait ‘til I/ Do wrong," she croons over a percussive stomp, "Don’t wait ‘til I/ Put up a fight". It’s an even fresher take on a song that was modern-sounding to begin with, a snap-trellised remix with free-floating rhythm that’s catchy enough to grasp.

Mapei: "Don't Wait" (via SoundCloud)

Mapei: "Don't Wait" [Kingdom remix] (via SoundCloud)