Maia from mxmtoon released her first EP in 2018. She was 18 and recorded it in her bedroom, and self-released it. It went on to be streamed over 100 million times. This year, she put out her second album, Rising. And in this episode, she breaks down her song “Mona Lisa.” She told me about how different it is from the songs she used to write when she was teenager. And how she found something authentic and honest by connecting with a part of herself from even earlier in her life.

You can buy or stream “Mona Lisa” here.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes
Rosie, co-writer
Pom Pom, producer and co-writer
Luke Niccoli, executive producer (and guitars)
“Disney Princess bird vibes”