Rising Singer-Songwriter mxmtoon on Her Songwriting Process and Being a Voice for Others
Hermione’s line, “We could have been killed, or worse, expelled,” and Ron’s response, “She really needs to sort out her priorities,” are the movie lines that describe the life of the 19-year-old viral singer mxmtoon. The singer burst onto the pop scene with her authentic lyrics and stripped back musical arrangements, which served as a form of escapism from her everyday life. As an artist, she has reached over 100 million streams on Spotify, and she started this by writing music in the safety of her bedroom. Her secret? Staying true to herself. In a world that bombards young listeners with pictures of lives they’ll never live, Maia, the artist behind mxmtoon, creates a painting of her own life, which is both relatable and authentic to the experiences of adolescents all around the world.
While she has been singing for over a decade, the singer’s professional career began when she started posting videos online of her original songs. Her parents, who were reluctant but soon accepting of her unconventional claim to fame, are both first-generation Americans, and her grandparents immigrated to America looking for a better life. This part of her story is something she holds close to her heart and believes to be crucial to her identity. “I’ll never know the hardships my grandparents had to face, or understand the experience of what it was like growing up for my mom [as the daughter of Chinese immigrants], but those stories still define my being and who I’ve become over time. I think trying to understand their lives has helped me appreciate what I’ve been privileged enough to have, and also pushes me to work harder so that I can show the same support my family has shown me to future generations.”’
This very specific cultural identity gives her a different perspective on her privilege, yet it has also alienated her from the world of pop culture. She cites the only figure in the media she saw that even remotely resembled her as a mixed race Asian American as Keanu Reeves, and even then the figure of an action hero was very far off from her own truth. She is extremely excited that as the times are changing to be even more diverse and accepting, she is granted the opportunity to be the person that mixed race Asian Americans can look up to. Maia continues, “Hopefully, when they see me, they can see themselves, too.”
With over a million following her on social media, Maia recognizes that she has a platform through which she can advocate for important causes, and while it can be overwhelming, she knows that it’s part of the job. She begins, “I think having a platform to talk about issues is an incredibly huge privilege that I’ve been afforded, and while it’s a lot of pressure to be someone that people look to to speak on world issues, I also know that’s something I signed onto when I decided to pursue music. As a bisexual mixed race woman of color, a lot of world issues impact my identity.” Some issues that she looks to speak on are on issues of sexuality, race, gender, and other topics like climate change and the safety of youth in America.
That’s not to say that being the figure of change doesn’t come with its own set of complications. As a young person in the spotlight, there are often echoes of past child stars that serve as the standard of comparison to watchful eyes; there’s a constant pressure for her to not “mess it up,” as well as the common misconception that she is simply an “influencer.” On being referred to as an “influencer,” she says, “I think people in the game of defining the professions of others would probably see me as an influencer, but the reality is that I’m a musician who uses social media like any other teenager in the world.”
While she is young, and age is sometimes seen as a defining factor of one’s ability, she has never let a number limit her. “I know I’m young, but I also know what I’m doing,” Maia says. “I think media outlets tend to romanticize the fact that I’m newer to the music industry and paint the rose-colored image of me writing music in my bedroom. While that’s not inaccurate, it’s also changed. I’m living on my own now in New York. I’ve had to learn to navigate a new field along the way.”
All of mxmtoon’s songs are notably personal. Each piece is crafted in an authentic way that invokes the feelings of the masses whilst simultaneously sounding intimate and raw. For her, simplicity is key; natural vocals and simple instrumentals fill her music. She begins with a chord progression that she enjoys. From there, her mind forms a melody, and she begins to fill the tune with words she is feeling at the moment (her most favorite mood to write in is a headspace of being “profoundly sad”). Her narrative structure is putting the details in the verses, the overarching theme and emotions in the chorus, and the resolution in the bridge. Some song take months, others take minutes, but at the heart of it all is mxmtoon’s trademark emotional vulnerability. In a world filled with apathy, she encourages others to express in any way possible, citing it as “the bravest things a person can show” and applauding anyone “who isn’t afraid to express themselves.”
This is the anatomy for songs like her viral hit “prom dress,” a song that started forming in her mind after the singer couldn’t fit into her dress. The track and more gems of reality are featured on her debut album the masquerade. The concept behind it is when you distance yourself from your emotions and the outside world, hiding within yourself while thousands of other people do the same thing. “Often times in my life, I’ve felt like I’ve worn a mask to shield myself from outside criticism or even shelter myself from my own emotions,” Maia says. “I think a lot of people do this all the time, and so the concept of a masquerade where we’re all just people going out into the world every day with walls around our hearts and masks upon our faces was really intriguing to me.”
In creating this album, the artist was able to explore the ins and outs of the music industry. One of the common misconceptions about the music industry is the negativity and competition that dominates the space. “For every bad individual, there is a diamond amongst them,” Maia says. One of those diamonds is 21-year-old producer Robin Skinner, who was entrusted to co-create mxmtoon’s signature sound on the masquerade.
“[I hope to be remembered] as someone who was able to speak about experiences and sing the stories of the people who couldn’t.”
In terms of the future, mxmtoon’s immediate schedule is packed. After a flurry of recording sessions, the artist will serve as an opening act for Lauv on a portion of his highly-anticipated tour. After being a fan of him for quite a bit (her favorite song of his is “Drugs & The Internet”), she’s “still wrapping her head around the fact that it’s happening,” and is so excited to watch him perform every night. When asked about the not-so-fun side of touring, she explains that her somewhat introverted nature conflicts with the constant hustle-and-bustle of touring. The pull of the stage is too strong, however, as she says that the most exciting part is getting to play the show every night. “Every time I play a live show, it feels like a homecoming. They’re all so sweet, and to know that they resonate with my songs means that we all share the same experience.”
As for the person behind the mask, Maia likes to keep her personal life separate from the public sphere but wants her fans to know that even she doesn’t have it all figured out. With all the craziness of fame, the self-care that she enjoys is watching an episode of TV and making a cup of tea, which helps her stay sane. An artist she is obsessed with right now is Rex Orange County, (“I think Pony is the first album I have fully downloaded on my phone!”) for the way he takes sad themes and “turns them into huge and bright sounds.” Her ideal collab would be with Lizzo, even if just for a sentence. Most of all, mxmtoon wants her fans to know that she truly does love them: “I wish they knew how much I appreciate them! It sounds silly but I don’t think I can ever fully express my gratitude to them, and often I wish I could just hug each and every one of them.”
If she could speak to her younger self—that girl just finding her voice a decade ago— she’d tell her to enjoy the moment more. “So much of my time was spent worrying about what would happen in the future, and while I still do that, I was constantly dwelling on the ‘what-ifs’ rather than enjoying the present.” If she could be remembered by anything, she would like to be remembered as a martyr, singing the stories of those who couldn’t sing themselves. “Think of me as the Lorax, but instead of trees I speak for the angsty teens of the world.”
STORY ISABELLA VEGA
PHOTOS JERRY MAESTAS