New York, NY (Top40 Charts) No matter what happens in this world, the sun will always rise and set-a comforting and reassuring fact that mxmtoon's new EP dawn embraces with astounding clarity.
With dawn serving as a first installment in a two-part EP project, fans can expect its sister release dusk to be released later in 2020. It's the first new music since her critically acclaimed debut album the masquerade. dawn will be released on April 22nd and finds the 19-year-old singer/songwriter pushing her sound further than ever before, embracing lush soundscapes and pulsing beats. It's body-moving music for the heart and soul, a soothing and intimate collection of songs inviting us further into mxmtoon's fascinating, quixotic sonic world.
Today mxmtoon, an artist who has already earned over 450 million streams worldwide, has also released a new song "lessons." The self-professed "over thinker" Maia tells us "My mind constantly runs rampant with questions about myself, my relationships, and my place in the world. One thing I've tried to be better at as the years have gone by though, is letting go. The ability to let yourself live in the moment rather than worrying all the time can be difficult, but to remember that each day is simply an opportunity to grow and learn is a lesson we all have to face. Life is full of teachable moments, and allowing yourself the space to make mistakes and to become better from those is vital. "lessons" serves as a reminder to be kind to yourself, to trust your instincts, and live life with purpose. it's not easy to remember this at all points in life, but my hope is that this song can leave this sentiment echoing in your brain, at least for a little while."
The hypnotic spin of the first single "fever dream" zeroes in on the beauty of living in the moment and taking chances regardless of what lies ahead. "It's a song about taking a leap of faith into an unknown world, which is what I did when I started making music," she explains. "It's terrifying to put yourself out there and be vulnerable with people. I wanted to give myself a pat on the back and honor the past-to accept the tough parts of where you come from while also seeing the beauty of the future and not knowing what will happen."
The propulsive shuffle of "quiet motions" addresses finding peace in solitude, while dawn's latest single "lessons" embraces a bold, bright melody while waxing on the dangers of overthinking things. "I think about things really intensely until they don't make sense," Maia explains while discussing the song. "I've learned a lesson to let go and be okay with not knowing the answers. This is a song about doing things with mindfulness while also knowing that you might not always be 100% certain. If you put effort into things, they take on meaning because of that effort."
dawn is the latest exciting chapter for the California-raised and Brooklyn-based musician known as Maia, who started playing music at six years old and was trained classically on violin and cello. As her musical studies continued, Maia eventually gravitated towards the guitar and ukulele-the latter instrument shaping the very foundation of her musical career. "That's how I started doing covers of songs," she remembers. "I'd take home the ukulele from music class and try to learn how to play the songs that I loved."
Maia's transformation into mxmtoon further developed when she was being bitten by the songwriting bug after receiving a school assignment to write a song: "I wrote a song about not knowing what to write a song about," she laughs. Eventually, private toiling turned public as she began posting her music online as mxmtoon in 2017 with the hushed, loose-sounding "1-800-DATEME."
"At that point, I already used social media to express myself," she explains, "and making songs was something that felt like another aspect of expressing who I was." Although Maia cites kindred musical spirit Rex
Orange County an influence, she stresses the personalness of her music above all else: "Writing music feels like a diary entry to me-a way to keep track of my thoughts. I'm too concerned with sounds or styles, just writing what makes sense to me."
