mxmtoon goes bedroom pop to indie
Released on May 20th, 2022, mxmtoon tackles current social issues in her new album, rising. mxmtoon (otherwise known as Maia) has been in the limelight of the indie-pop spotlight for half a decade with hits such as “Falling for U” and “prom dress.” Now, she has evolved from her simple bedroom pop style of ukulele chords to more pop-oriented and electronica-inspired tones in this new release. Each of the twelve tracks on the album, along with the album title itself, feature exclusively lower-case writing. This is not a new trend and has been seen many times before in recent years with a variety of artists, communicating to album viewers a more intimate feel prominent in mxmtoon’s new release.
Four of the twelve songs were released prior as singles. These songs come together to tell a mini-story of insecurity and youth that would be developed further in the full album release a few weeks later. Of the four pre-released singles, the first “mona lisa” has already been listened to more than six million times on Spotify alone. Because of the catchy and easy to listen to chorus and relatable lyrics—particularly targeted at Gen Z youth, mxmtoon’s new release definitely panders to the new problems that young people are facing.
For example, in another one of her singles “victim of nostalgia” mxmtoon discusses the fears of romanticizing the past, resulting in the future not living up to past experiences. In the second chorus of the song, the lyrics echo these insecurities: “It’s the panic of growing up (I don’t wanna) / It’s the fear of missing out (Feel so bored of) / Will it ever be enough (What I have right now) / If I’m a victim of nostalgia?” These sorts of insecurities are very prevalent among young people all over the world, especially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With mxmtoon only being 21, she is able to take her own struggles and have a conversation with her audience about the common issues young people are facing. Since her humble start of releasing music in the 2010s, mxmtoon has always been in tune with intimacy; tackling darker subjects and effectively turning them into music.
Yet, not all of the songs on rising are necessarily melancholic in lyricism or slow in tempo. In fact, just the opposite seems to be the case with tracks such as “sad disco” that are able to balance a fun scenario—being alone in one’s house and having a dance party—with a fun and catchy melody to counter the more sardonic lyrics at play. Other examples are the last two tracks in the album, “dance (end of the world)” as well as “coming of age.” Both of these tracks still feature mxmtoon’s signature lyricism, but are optimistic in delivery. The more rhythmic songs such as “dance (end of the world)” and “sad disco” show how mxmtoon is able to successfully branch out from her intimate ukulele days to feature more percussion with relative success.
Overall, mxmtoon has shown great growth with her composition and release of her new album rising. By effectively honing in on youthful themes such as insecurities of growing up, as well as breaking out with more instrumentals, it is clear that mxmtoon continues to be a heavy-hitter in the indie-pop genre. With her young age and knowledge of the world around her, it’s clear that rising is only the beginning of a successful and passionate career for the young artist.
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