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- June 8, 2022
mxmtoon releases new dream-pop LP, “rising”
The wait is finally over! The newest LP release, rising by mxmtoon is a funky, and at times, dream-like musical representation of what can only be described as the perfect balance of sunshine and sadness.
Rising opens up with the fan-favorite, “mona lisa.” “Mona lisa” is a standard pop song with a non-standard premise. With this song, mxmtoon encourages listeners to stop living in the shadows and fully embrace living out their main character moment.
“I’m so tired of being a book on the shelf
Tired of stories for somebody else
Think that i’m ready to start a new chapter”
“mona lisa” by mxmtoon
“Once in a while
It feels like there’s too much to prove
And that’s why
You gotta learn to love you”
“learn to love you” by mxmtoon
Maia aka mxmtoon, has been extremely vocal about the fact that mxmtoon music is the bits of advice and life lessons that she wished she’d had as a teenager. This message shines through in “learn to love you” as mxmtoon explains that no matter where life takes you, at the end of the day, you have to learn to love yourself.
“Victim of nostalgia” sees mxmtoon lamenting the simplicity of years past. As we age we become more and more aware of our own mortality. On the surface, “victim of nostalgia” sounds like the perfect coastal highway driving song (which it totally is), but if you listen to the lyrics, you’re greeted with an existential crisis and “the panic of growing up.”
“Cause getting older’s getting old
And I wish someone would’ve told me”
“victim of nostalgia” by mxmtoon
Speaking of existential crisis, the LP’s next song, “sad disco” is the perfect track to play at your next party of one. “Sad disco” reminds us that having no friends and being all alone on a Friday night is lonely and depressing, but we can always create a positive spin on any situation…it just may require a disco ball and ABBA music.
The music video for “frown” features creative direction by antlerella who is the artist behind the WEBTOON series Brass & Sass. The video features fan-favorite characters Camilla, Victor, Bethany, and Rowan as they journey through their complicated love dynamics. “Frown,” which features a heavy trumpet presence fits in perfectly with the band-themed WEBTOON series.
Whether or not you’re a fan of Brass & Sass, mxmtoon and “frown” will remind you that “It’s okay to frown, smile upside down” and every day is “another perfect day to not feel that perfect.” It may sound like a bummer of a message, but as the theme of the LP reminds us, temporary setbacks are just that, temporary. We can use these inconveniences as lessons to help guide and better ourselves.
The next track shifts its focus away from ear-catching production and instead centers itself around the story of mxmtoon’s final visits with her grandparents. “Florida” explores the loss of a cherished grandfather to leukemia, and the expansive hole created with the passing of her beloved grandmother soon after.“Florida” sees mxmtoon come to terms with the fact that these significant figures are no longer a part of her life as she sings, “morning memories with you, there is nothing left to do.”In a song filled with harrowing and gutting lyrics, none hit harder than the chorus: “Fate is written on the page. We can never outrun age. Blow out the candles on your birthday cake.”
The next song, “scales,” describes the universal struggle of feeling like you’re trying to desperately find and create balance, but instead you get caught up in a neverending loop that feels like you’re “falling forever.” “Scales” is an infectious, electrofunk anthem that you’ll be singing along to in no time!
“Growing pains” opens up with an introspective question: Would the younger me like the person I’ve become?
While no one can really answer that question for you, “growing pains” reminds us that “when it gets hard, [to] remember [that] that’s the way it always works.” Even though it’s never fun to go through painful situations, it’s important to remember that it is always darkest before dawn.
Through hard work and determination, we will always be able to dig our way back out; sometimes it just takes longer than others.
It is commonly excepted that change is the number one cause of stress. “Dizzy” shows mxmtoon dealing with the stress of growing up. When we’re younger, we think that we’ll have everything figured out by 18, but life hardly ever works that way.
“Spinnin’ around some 21 times got me dizzy.”
“dizzy” by mxmtoon
Mxmtoon begs, “I would give anything to feel my age.” With life constantly shifting direction and nothing ever being certain or guaranteed, it’s normal that we start to get dizzy from all of the changes constantly presented to us. Featuring instrumentation that continuously builds throughout the song, “dizzy” will leave you lightheaded and in a haze.
The next song off the LP is “haze.” Having such a limited amount of time on earth and an even more limited amount of time being young, “haze” puts into perspective just how important it is to go out and get the things that make us happy. The lyrics say, “I’m lookin’ for a feelin’ and I’ll look until I feel it.”
As mxmtoon reiterates time and time again in rising, time isn’t slowing down and neither should you.
“Dance (end of the world),” the next song on the LP begins with the opening line, “If you’re lonely and you know it, then clap your hands and show it.” Its disco-pop feel and clever lyrics make it an inescapable and unforgettable addition to the LP that you won’t be able to turn off. “Dance (end of the world)” has all the makings for the song of the summer!
Rising, filled with life lessons of self-love and perseverance, comes together in its final track, “coming of age.”
“The old me was okay
But I think it’s time for something new.”
“coming of age” by mxmtoon
As mentioned previously, change is the most common factor of stress, but “coming of age” asks the question: is that always a bad thing? Although it may initially cause stress and discomfort, growing up and growing into ourselves can be a liberating feeling.
Mxmtoon sings, “so let the credits roll. This ain’t a coming of age anymore.” Get out there and live life for yourself!
To experience mxmtoon’s music live and in-person be sure to grab yourself tickets to see her on her ongoing North American tour! For more information about mxmtoon you can follow her on Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Twitch. And finally, to stay up to date on all your favorite artists, make sure you stay tuned with Glasse Factory!
