The single comes in advance of Hibberd’s second album ‘Girlfriend Material’ which is due to release in March 2024. One hopes it is an excellent taster of what to expect in the album by the Isle of Wight-born artist.

‘mary’ combines a sound similar to Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Sour’ with early-noughties rock plus a Hibberd twist to create a fresh yet familiar anthem. The song would not be out of place as a TikTok trending sound nor as a scene opener in the likes of ‘Mean Girls’.

The single tells a tale of the protagonist falling for the eponymous Mary during a double date with her boyfriend and the aftermath of the two women beginning a relationship. It oozes the excitement and anticipation that comes with a budding new romance.

Its chorus hits you all at once, featuring powerful drums and Hibberd’s impassioned lyrics which will be stuck in your head hours after playing: “This has never happened to me before, where I ditch the guy for the girl next door.”

Parallels between the verses are to be noted too and spotlight Hibberd’s songwriting skills. Witty comparisons between her (ex)boyfriend and Mary allow a glimpse into the singer’s humorous personality.

Hibberd’s hook brings the song to its crescendo, with catchy lyrics and toe-tapping beat. Throughout the single, instruments used are as compelling as Hibberd’s vocals and this is most evident in the final moments. The song finishes with the most commanding line used throughout: “Everybody wants a Mary.”

This song cannot be reviewed without mentioning its themes of LGBTQ+ relationships. Katy Perry’s 2008 ‘I Kissed a Girl’ was praised for its representation of the LGBTQ+ community, and Hibberd’s ‘mary’ is a strong reminder of the progress made in the past 15 years. The experience of a same-sex relationship is normalised and sung about just as heteronormative relationships have been for the past centuries. This single tells so much more than a story of two women in the early stages of their relationship, it tells of the development our society has made in accepting LGBTQ+ love for what it is – love.