At the age of 16 mxmtoon started uploading her music to the internet, these songs struck a chord with fans around the world and her journey as an artist began. Over the last 3years, through a mixture of authenticity and intuition with technology mxmtoon has written a new rule book in how musicians connect with their fans. Today her debut album the masquerade is here.
Maia says, “my album, the masquerade, is about my journey of growing up! about learning who i am, who i want to be, and the challengers along the way. but it’s not just for me, its also for you. the stories told are universal experiences, so listen along and find yourself within the lyrics.”
The album from the 19-year-old singer/songwriter delivers what she calls “rhyming diary entries”: an off-the-cuff account of her most private thoughts and feelings, usually dashed off very late at night, straight from her brightly lit brain. In her deliberate refusal to hide behind metaphor, the Oakland-based artist otherwise known as Maia achieves a quiet bravery, an unrestrained honesty that gives voice to those who often go unheard.
Maia has built a remarkable bond with her audience entirely on the strength of her resonant songwriting and unaffected presence. Her debut EP plum blossom which was released in 2018 clocked more than 100 million Spotify streams alone, not bad for songs recorded alone in her parents’ guest room. In less than a year she is now massing millions of followers and subscribers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram and Maia has made a point of using her ever-growing platform to speak out on issues close to her heart.
“As a young bisexual woman of color from a family of immigrants, a lot of current events directly affect who I am,” says Maia, who’s mixed Chinese-American. “I firmly believe it’s my obligation and opportunity to speak on issues that affect us all.”
