I last spoke to Mae in February of this year, just before she played her headline show at Manchester’s, now temporarily closed, Deaf Institute. Since then she tells me she’s been adapting and “working hard on her songwriting.”
Neither of us could even have imagined how different the world would be six months on. Yet through all the changes and struggles, this London based RnB star has managed to release a new massively enjoyable EP – No one else, not even you. Featuring Mae’s classic style, some “pop bangers” and even works by popular producer Kenny Beats.
The EP was proceeded by two singles ‘so annoying’ and ‘HFBD’, an admittedly embellished yet true story of breaking up with a cheating boyfriend on his 18th birthday. A powerful tune that matches its subject matter – the kind of tea we actually need in amongst all the stress of this year.
There is also an acoustic version released of ‘so annoying’ which develops Mae’s discography even further, perfect for a more relaxed playlist.
On the new project’s differences from Chapter 1, her last work, Mae commented that No one else, not even you was produced in LA and thus had a “glossiness” to it not found elsewhere. Although there isn’t a clear shift to pop across the whole EP Mae did say she was enjoying exploring the new genre as it allowed her to “be more honest”.
When I asked her about the biggest way her life had changed since February, Mae was very happy to tell me about trending on twitter for the first time whilst supporting Liam Payne (of One Direction).
She said supporting for his birthday live stream was very much a “full circle moment” for her and was an amazing experience, gaining her a great number of fans amongst the One direction crowd. Mae emphasized just how lovely Liam was, even offering mentorship with the “craziness” of the industry.
This year hasn’t been all easy sailing for Mae Muller though, pandemic aside, as we discussed her coming out of a relationship, new independence, and being in a different part of her life. Something she feels is carrying through in her music, as she is still all about celebrating herself just as she was in February.
Mae has also spread out into other forms of media, releasing a ‘Maezine’ celebrating and pushing artists and powerful women that she loves. Allowing her to discuss things she “usually wouldn’t in interviews” and continue to be creative.
The EP is seven tracks, working from opener ‘dependent’ an upbeat song all about falling in love and not wanting to, all the way to closing track ‘work like that’. One of the “pop bangers” Mae mentioned to me earlier, a track that wouldn’t be amiss on either the club scene or the top forty honestly. Also, Mae’s personal favourite.
Kenny Beats has a joint accreditation on ‘plot twist’, a shiny guitar forward beat which celebrates the very best of Mae’s voice and lyrical ability. Showing not just her ability but also Kenny Beats versatility as a producer. There isn’t a particularly weak track on this project.
‘Wish you well’ feels almost Lo-fi in its production, softer than some of her more forward tracks, yet elevated by her vocals into something more. Mae’s ability to include tracks like ‘wish you well’ elevate the project and are just as much evidence of her development as her delve into the genre of pop.
With the new EP, Mae has made a powerful statement and seems well on her way to joining the likes of Adele and Lily Allen in the quality of great British artists that she’s following. Well worth a listen during lockdown 2, this EP is perfect for bad b*tches and apparently me too.
