★★★★★

Nineteen-year-old Chinese American songwriter, Mxmtoon, also known as Maia released her second album The Masquerade Sept. 17. The album consists of 10 tracks on disc one and acoustic versions of the tracks on disc two. “The Masquerade” was produced by a collaboration of Mxmtoon and Cavetown.

The tracks are relatable songs that talk about the ups and downs of a young adult. The music makes the audience want to smile and cry with her as she explains her struggles. Her simplistic beats and instrumentals help her keep the focus on her lyrics and the message she wants to convey that she calls “rhyming diary entries.”

“Seasonal Depression” is one of the most popular songs on the album, pre-release. The track was produced by Mxmtoon and Jade Risser and consist of guitar and drum sound that highlight the artist’s voice. Mxmtoon’s lyrics express her depression and how it affects her daily life. She sings about “sleeping off the days” and how much of a waste it is that she’s missing out by “feeling grey.” I can relate to feeling so bad that I don’t want to get up and feeling restless when I do.

 “High & Dry” tells a story different from “seasonal depression.” The track was produced by Mxmtoon and features the strumming of her Ukulele and drums in the chorus. She seems to be addressing an old friend with the line “called me a friend.” However, she does not think of this person warmly and neither does the old friend. The ex-friend is harassing and bullying her and she uses the lines like “I’ve seen your glare your nasty looks plotting scare after scare” and “throwing empty threats” to convey this. She explains karma will come back and teach her a lesson leaving said ex-friend “High & Dry.” The lyrics connect with me and memories of old-friends, bullies, and gives me confidence with lyrics “Don’t come for me I’ll fight right back,” and “Karma’s got you high and dry.” 

The Masquerade album has many more must listen to songs such as “Prom Dress” and “My Ted Talk.” Her simplistic but meaningful style is sure to skyrocket her into stardom.

Kristian Jones

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