Recording with GarageBand in her parents' guest bedroom, creating percussion tracks with hair straighteners, Maia began self-releasing songs on YouTube as "mxmtoon" in 2017. After initially attempting to write comedy songs, she began writing songs that embodied her emotions such as "feelings are fatal", which only required a USB microphone and GarageBand. The song currently has over 23 million streams on Spotify. Her 2017 collaboration with Japanese lo-fi producer peachy!, "Falling for U", reached nearly 40 million streams on Spotify by June 2019. Maia began secretly releasing music to the public, but was later compelled to tell her friends and family after experiencing viral success online. In 2018, Maia released her debut EP, plum blossom, which was reviewed by Earmilk, i-D and Hypebeast, and gained more than 100 million streams on Spotify by August 2019. The EP's single "i feel like chet" is a tribute to one of her favorite jazz musicians, Chet Baker.
After high school, Maia took a "gap year" by postponing college to focus on her music. She was planning to study architecture after graduating high school, until her music went viral in April 2018. In November 2018, she announced her "plum blossom tour". Her first tour, initially scheduled for five US shows with fellow Californian singer-songwriter khai dreams in March 2019, sold out, and was extended to include additional concerts in North America and Europe, including opening appearances for bedroom pop YouTuber Cavetown in the United Kingdom. Maia made her first appearance on a billboard in Times Square when Spotify advertised her single "dream of you" for their New Music Friday playlist.
Prior to the release of the masquerade, Spotify announced the release of 21 Days, a music podcast that follows Maia while she works on the album in New York City. Liz Gateley of Spotify praised Maia's online following as well as her social presence, stating that "She obviously has lots of followers already, but that's not enough. The person had to be the right human too, and we felt she had both." The podcast is an eight-episode audio diary that includes interviews with family, friends and collaborators, including the album's producer Cavetown.
Maia's debut studio album the masquerade was released on September 17, 2019. The album peaked at 17 on the US Heatseekers Chart and at 45 on the US Indie Albums Chart. It features "prom dress", a "light and peachy tune" described as "relatable, infectious hook-led pop that speaks to millennials". The single is inspired by experiences from her own big night and deals with social anxiety and the problems that come with being a teen in modern society. The song has been streamed over 30 million times on Spotify, and has been used in 100,000 videos on TikTok. Maia's back catalogue of songs have also received tens of millions of online streams.
Joshua Bote of Paste described the ten-track album as "comforting twee-pop that wrings out genuine pathos from mxmtoon’s internet celebrity". Matt Yuyitung of Exclaim! wrote "[Maia] brings her wry sense of humour and diary-entry lyricism to her debut record, recalling the lo-fi relatability of Frankie Cosmos."
Maia embarked on her sold out "the masquerade Tour" of North America and United Kingdom in September 2019. She released her first graphic novel "The Adventures Of Mxmtoon: The Masquerade" in October 2019. Kirsten Spruch from Billboard wrote, "The novel seamlessly pairs with the album, encapsulating her introverted, teenage tendencies and free-flowing creativity." Gabe Bergado from Teen Vogue described the book "a captivating, charming visual journey that complements the dreamy album." She released an accompanying animated short film for the graphic novel in November 2019.
In November 2019, Maia announced via Twitter that she would be joining American singer-songwriter Lauv for his 2020 summer tour of Asia supporting his album how i'm feeling.
On November 19, 2019, Kobalt Music Group announced that they would be signing mxmtoon to their label under a global publishing deal. This deal will include administration and creative support for current music catalogue and future works. Creative Vice-President at Kobalt, Melissa Emert-Hutner, stated "Maia is truly the voice of her generation; by sharing her beautiful, heartfelt music with the world and growing her brand organically, she exemplifies the DIY spirit and aesthetic that Kobalt embraces." Emily Bines, a senior creative director at Kobalt added "Mxmtoon is exactly the type of forward-thinking creative that we dream about working with at Kobalt. Her vision, matched with her team’s passion to bring it to fruition is unwavering. We will be hearing from Maia for a long time to come."
Maia released the masquerade (the edits) on November 22, 2019. The EP features remixes from songs on the masquerade from names like Chloe Lilac, Alexander 23 and Chloe Moriondo. In November 2019, Dork put Maia on their Hype List of 2020, alongside names like girl in red, Beabadoobee and Maisie Peters.
In December 2019, Maia re-recorded the song "prom dress" in Simlish, the fictional language used in The Sims games, to help promotion. The Simlish version was added to The Sims 4 on December 12, 2019. Maia reacted on Twitter with "countless hours of playing the sims has helped me become fluent in simlish... and guess what?? prom dress was just added to #thesims4 today!" A week later Maia released the music video for "unspoken words", which revolves around her Chinese-American upbringing as well as her relationship with her Chinese grandmother.
Maia released her first single of 2020, "Fever Dream" in January 2020.
1 2
mxmtoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything I don't say is everything that I regret
Why's growing older filled with all these growing pains
Now do this, don't do that
Take a step from the past
You
It all makes sense when I'm with you
You lift me up to see the view
(The view, the view, the view)
Woohoo, woohoo
I only wanna be with you woohoo
It doesn't matter what you say or what you do
My number one, I'll be yours too
Like, woohoo, woohoo
I only wanna be with you
My greatest fear was ending up all by myself
But I would rather be alone than be with someone else
You take the darkest days and fill them up with light
Turn the grays into blues
Into little diamonds in the sky
Woohoo, woohoo
I only wanna be with you woohoo
It doesn't matter what you say or what you do
My number one, I'll be yours too
Like, woohoo, woohoo
I only wanna be with you
In mxmtoon's song "1 2", the singer seems to be struggling with growing up and the changes that come with it. They feel overwhelmed and unsure of themselves, regretting things left unsaid and wishing they could go back in time to change things. However, the singer finds solace and clarity when they are with someone they care about, someone who lifts them up and helps them see the world in a more positive light. This person is their number one, and they don't need anyone else as long as they have them.
The song speaks to the universal experience of growing up and feeling lost and uncertain at times. The lyrics capture the struggle of navigating new responsibilities and expectations while also dealing with personal fears and doubts. The chorus expresses a clear message of love and devotion, with the repeated "woohoo" creating a feeling of playful joy that contrasts with the more introspective verses.
One interesting fact about "1 2" is that it was written by mxmtoon when she was just 18 years old. Despite her young age, mxmtoon has already gained a significant following and has been praised for her honesty and vulnerability as a songwriter. Another fact is that the song's title ("1 2") refers to the countdown before a race, indicating that the singer is dealing with feelings of pressure and anticipation. Additionally, the song was produced by Robin Skinner, who goes by the stage name "Cavetown". Skinner and mxmtoon have collaborated on several songs together, and their musical styles complement each other well.
Another interesting aspect of "1 2" is the use of vocals and production effects to create a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere. The synths and drums are minimalistic but effective in building the song's atmosphere, and mxmtoon's vocals are layered and processed to create a sense of depth and richness. Additionally, the song has been featured in several popular TV shows, including "Love, Victor" and "Workin' Moms".
Line by Line Meaning
I'm getting tired always going to my head
I'm exhausted from constantly overthinking.
Everything I don't say is everything that I regret
I regret not speaking my mind and keeping my feelings bottled up.
Why's growing older filled with all these growing pains
Why does growing up come with so many difficulties and struggles?
Now do this, don't do that
I feel like I'm being told what to do and being restricted.
Take a step from the past
I need to move forward and leave the past behind.
You
You are the one who makes everything better.
It all makes sense when I'm with you
Everything falls into place when I'm with you.
You're in my headphones in my room
I listen to your music when I'm alone in my room.
You lift me up to see the view
You inspire me to see things in a positive light.
Woohoo, woohoo
Expressing happiness and excitement.
I only wanna be with you woohoo
I only want to be with you no matter what.
It doesn't matter what you say or what you do
Your actions and words don't change my love for you.
My number one, I'll be yours too
You are my top priority and I want to be yours too.
My greatest fear was ending up all by myself
I used to be afraid of being alone.
But I would rather be alone than be with someone else
I would rather be alone than be in a relationship that's not genuine.
You take the darkest days and fill them up with light
You make the worst days bearable by bringing positivity.
Turn the grays into blues
You turn my sadness into happiness.
Into little diamonds in the sky
You make everything beautiful and magical.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Luke A. C. Niccoli, Maia, Micah Rayan Premnath
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joanne-yf7vy
when maia said “woohoo woohoo” i felt that
@nodianasgard2692
i see cavetown i like
@KawaiiCornz
omg it’s u hi
haha i recognize the username n pfp
@sofauwu2443
Howdy, I've seen you before
@sofauwu2443
@@nodianasgard2692 me too dude
@leah_._.
Omg a person who stans cavetown and mxmtoon! Lets be friends!
@juliosegura90
This makes quarantine 100x better-
@czeanmikhaela
Zeta ikrr 🥺
@awesomealiza4351
Zeta YESSS
@miiilkytea.
I agree