Growing up in the suburbs of Oklahoma McKenzie was a part of a classical guitar ensemble at an arts-focused public high school. At home, she would write original songs over arpeggios she learned in guitar class and uploaded her original songs and covers on YouTube. She was determined to trade the great plains for a more populated skyline. After receiving a scholarship to Pratt Institute for visual web programming, McKenzie moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2013.
Between classes, McKenzie wrote music as a form of catharsis from rigid school assignments. During the second semester, she showed a classmate some of the songs she had been making and her classmate introduced her to several electronic music producers on Soundcloud, lent her a midi keyboard, and encouraged her to buy a real microphone. Her first released on Soundcloud, ‘Starchild’ (prod. by melodrama) received 100,000 plays in 24 hours.
Mothica is an alter ego that isn’t afraid of honesty even if it means showing weakness. Her distinct raspy yet honey-soaked voice is not one of vocal training, but of heartfelt emotion. Her storytelling writing style and unexpected melodies have set her apart in an music scene that is overrun with sameness. She lends her voice to many genres via collaborations, bringing electronic elements to life with the emotions she shares.
McKenzie desired the skill to produce her own instrumentals, so she learned Ableton and released an entirely self-produced EP called Mythic in 2013. Her somber song about self-empowerment, “No One” reached No. 6 on the US Viral Spotify Charts. The collaboration and record label requests came pouring in but she carefully hand selected her music partners and released the smash "Clear" with Canadian producer Pusher. The song currently sits at 12 million plays on Spotify put her on the radar for everyone from Spotify execs to VSCO to Teen Vogue.
Turning down every record label offer, Mothica remained independent and began performing around New York. She performed her first show solo, and it was completely sold out. She finished up a second solo EP called Heavy Heart about her experience with depression. She continues to grow into her writing style while collaborating with the likes of Tennyson, Crywolf, Said The Sky, and Electric Mantis.
Like her music, Mothica's live show continues to evolve. Playing from coast to coast with several headlining shows, 2017 saw the first iteration of a live music experience for Mothica with three additional band members interpreting lively versions of the songs her fans know best.
She started out 2018 with one million monthly Spotify listeners anticipating the upcoming release of two EP's throughout the calendar year. On Valentine’s Day, she will release her next single, Lovetalk, accompanied by a music video and is planning a late April US tour.
No One
mothica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I take a drink, I hate it
I tell you what you want to hear, so I
Can catch my breath and step away
Think about what to say to you
While you come unglued
I don't know how to make it clear
I've tried it out all these years
Til now
Here I go, hear what I'm saying
What I want to say, what I want to say
All this time, you thought I would be your girl
I'm sorry, I belong to no one, no one
I belong to no one, no one
I'm not known to hold on, hold on too long
There you go, take it back
You didn't mean this and you didn't mean that
What were you thinking when you thought you could touch me last night?
I know you don't think it's wrong if you don't break the skin
But if I want to touch, I'll ask for it, oh oh oh, until I
Can catch my breath and step away
Think about what to say to you
While you come unglued
I don't know how to make it clear
I've tried it out all these years
But it doesn't seem to go through
Til now
Here I go, hear what I'm saying
What I want to say, what I want to say
All this time, you thought I would be your girl
I'm sorry, I belong to no one, no one
I belong to no one, no one
I'm not known to hold on, hold on too long
There you go, take it back
You didn't mean this and you didn't mean that
What were you thinking when you thought you could touch me
I know you don't think it's wrong if you don't break the skin
But if I want to touch, I'll ask for it, oh oh oh
Here I go, hear what I'm saying
What I want to say, what I want to say
All this time, you thought I would be your girl
I'm sorry, I belong to no one, no one
I belong to no one, no one
I'm not known to hold on, hold on
In "No One," Mothica confronts issues of boundaries and agency in her relationships. She describes a situation where her partner does not respect her personal space or decisions, and she struggles to communicate her feelings effectively. Mothica admits to telling her partner what they want to hear in order to gain distance and figure out how to address the situation without causing conflict. However, she ultimately finds the strength to speak up and assert her independence, proclaiming that she belongs to no one and is not known to hold on for too long.
The lyrics are a powerful statement about the importance of respecting boundaries and consent in relationships. Mothica's experience is not uncommon, and her frank discussion of dealing with an overbearing partner is relatable to many listeners. The song encourages people to prioritize their own needs and communicate them clearly to others, rather than letting themselves be pushed around or taken advantage of.
Line by Line Meaning
You curl my name with your lip
You say my name in a suggestive way that I dislike
I take a drink, I hate it
I'm uncomfortable with your behavior and try to find an escape in alcohol
I tell you what you want to hear, so I
I try to placate you to avoid any conflict
Can catch my breath and step away
I need some space to think and make sense of this situation
Think about what to say to you
I need to carefully choose my words before addressing you
While you come unglued
Your behavior is erratic and unpredictable, making it difficult for me to communicate with you
I don't know how to make it clear
I'm struggling to get through to you and make you understand my feelings
I've tried it out all these years
I've attempted to communicate my boundaries to you in the past, but it hasn't worked
But it doesn't seem to go through
You're not comprehending the seriousness of this issue
Here I go, hear what I'm saying
I'm going to try to communicate my feelings to you once more
What I want to say, what I want to say
I'm going to be honest about my feelings and communicate what I truly want to say
All this time, you thought I would be your girl
You assumed I belonged to you and would do whatever you wanted
I'm sorry, I belong to no one, no one
I'm my own person and not accountable to anyone else
I'm not known to hold on, hold on too long
I'm not one to tolerate disrespect or unhealthy behavior for extended periods
There you go, take it back
You need to retract what you said or did
You didn't mean this and you didn't mean that
Your actions were thoughtless and uncalled for
What were you thinking when you thought you could touch me last night?
Your behavior was inappropriate and unwarranted
I know you don't think it's wrong if you don't break the skin
You believe touching me is acceptable if it doesn't cause physical harm
But if I want to touch, I'll ask for it, oh oh oh, until I
Can catch my breath and step away
Think about what to say to you
While you come unglued
I don't know how to make it clear
I've tried it out all these years
But it doesn't seem to go through
Til now
I have the right to give or deny consent for any physical contact, and you need to respect that. I'm struggling to make you understand this, but I won't back down until you do
Contributed by Reagan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@majesticcasual
LYRICS:
You curl my name with your lip
I take a drink, I hate it
I tell you what you want to hear, so I
Can catch my breath, and step away
Think about what to say, to you
While you come unglued
I don't know how to make it clear
I've tried it out all these years
But it doesn't seem to go through
’til now
Here I go, hear what I’m saying
What I want to say, what I want to say
All this time, you thought I would be your girl
I'm sorry, I belong to no one
No one, I belong to no one
I'm not known to hold on
Hold on, too long
There you go. Take it back.
You didn't mean this and you didn't mean that.
What were you thinking when you
Thought you could touch me last night?
I know you don't think it's wrong
If you don't break the skin
But if I want to touch, I’ll ask for it
@amararose5928
~Lyrics~:
You curl my name with your lips
I take a drink, I hate it
I tell you what you want to hear, so I
Can catch my breathe, and step away
Think about what to say, to you
While you come unglued
I don't how to make it clear
I've tried it out all these years
It doesn't seem to go through
Til' now
I belong to no one (no one)
I belong to no one (no one)
I'm not known to hold on (hold on)
Hold on, too long
I belong to no one
There you go. Take it back.
You didn't mean this and you didn't mean that.
What were you thinking when you
Thought you could touch me last night?
I know you don't think it's wrong
If you don't break the skin
But if I want to touch, I’ll ask for it
Until I can catch my breathe, and step away
Think about what to say, to you
While you come unglued
I belong to no one (no one)
I belong to no one (no one)
I'm not known to hold on (hold on)
Hold on, too long
I belong to no one.
@meesvandervelden4261
first seconds into the song and you already know this is gonna be good
@rosadelapenaedgar5070
+Malle makker yess!!
@honeymoon7174
yesss
@anfitriaosites
Yes! A beautiful song
@kevenmonteiro8511
+Malle makker exactly!
@crisaech2814
DUDE I KNOW I LIKED IT AT THE FIRST 2 SECONDS
@InvertOG
this is the chilliest song I've heard in a while
@aaronviss
Grab a blanket
@garry753
Totally agree
@mohamedlatrach665
Alef sol