‘How Much Sadness Can You Swallow?’ is the question Maya Yenn rampantly poses in her latest single.
Maya Yenn, the independent UK-based producer, singer, and songwriter is back. After the success of her demo in the social platform Tiktok, Maya made the decision of releasing the full version of the adored song, marking the beginning of her professional career as an artist. Tiptoe, released in the first half of April 2021, is now being followed by an equally dark single, with Maya showing her preferences and what she truly excels at in both the songwriting and production aspects.
Written by Maya herself and produced with the help of Michelangelo Dousis, How Much Sadness Can You Swallow? welcomes you into an alternate dimension, which unbeknownst to the naive, is the opposite of a peaceful paradise.
The track has been hidden in the shadows for eight years, but now that Maya Yenn has begun to release entire songs, one of her darkest nightmares has finally come out to haunt and mystify listeners with its addictive suspense.
As the line “how much sadness can you swallow before you get a stomach ache?” suggests, Maya discusses guilt, pain, and loss, among others, in her second release.
A theatrical performance inspired by a nightmare she had when she was younger, this lush horror and science fiction influenced allegory encapsulates Maya’s inclination to dark, visceral tales of fear and creating unforgettable tracks. Laced with anxiety, the song discusses one’s capability to withstand suffering and anguish in order to keep going.
“I’m not a religious person but the concept of hell has always fascinated me,” Maya says before going into more detail. “In the dream, I woke up in this old house and couldn’t remember who I was or why I was there. I was banging on doors and windows to try and escape but nobody could hear me and I realized I was in hell living the same day over and over again, my memories wiped overnight. (…) I had to write about it to get it out of my system.”
As it is inspired by a dark dream, and follows a horror theme, the song is structured to resemble nursery rhymes in order to bring forth that haunting feeling Maya felt on the night she envisioned herself in hell. Adding a glitchy and shuddering bass that brings a delightful suspense-inducing inconsistency, on top of the woozy synths and the singer’s alluring vocals, the song feels like a modern version of a mythical cautionary tale.
Over the passage of time, the meaning and significance Maya’s music holds in her heart and mind has changed just as she has. Originally a song simply based on a (made up) reality where escape is impossible, How Much Sadness Can You Swallow? has now adapted more of a melancholic feeling for the artist, reminding her of loss, grief, and self-blame. Yet at the same time, her current perspective on life allows Maya to also see power, as well as self-love and the possibilities of new beginnings hidden in that electro-pop beat and soul-stirring lyrics.
In the end, How Much Sadness Can You Swallow? developed from fear into strength, making itself a flawless representation of how as one grows, we are able to overcome our irrational fears. Perhaps the scare-inducing factors are still there, and they may even gain an added complexity from experience we’ve obtained over time, but they will stay as past nightmares. They may even become the source of inspiration for a project or a piece of art, allowing for the merging of our past and present selves.
Maya Yenn’s interpretation of hell is now forever palpable in her sophomore single, and her imagination from almost a decade ago has only grown more fascinating, leaving listeners on the edge of their seat as they await whatever masterpiece she’ll present next.
If you enjoyed May Yenn’s music and would like to stay updated, be sure to check out her official website. For social media you can follow her Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok accounts. To listen to her music, you can head over to her Spotify profile, Soundcloud, and Youtube channel.
You can also support the artist by streaming and sharing her music, which can be found in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, 12 New Songs This Week, and Female Rising Stars.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you should subscribe to Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists we’ve talked about!
This coverage was created via Musosoup #Sustainablecurator https://www.musosoup.com/sustainable-curator
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