"I had the most free childhood ever", Maeta says to me as we sit down for this conversation. We are upstairs in one of the studios at Shoreditch Studios, having just completed her photoshoot. Maeta is in London, where she just played a sold-out show at the Lower Third. "It was free, vocal forward, I was singing my ass off. And just having fun." This doesn't surprise me in the slightest bit because when I first heard ‘When I Hear Your Name’, the EP she dropped earlier this year, I knew that a live show from this would be a beautiful experience. Hearing from those around us who were at the show, it sounds like she managed to achieve this. "I just want people who come to my show to feel good. You know, when you hear a good song, you feel warm, you want to cry; I want them to feel like that. I want them to see me have fun, smile on stage, and feel carefree energy and leave with a warm feeling of “I love life”.
Maeta is a name that has been in the R&B scene for a while now. The 23-year-old from Indianapolis grew up in a house with two creative parents, her mother being a visual artist and her father being a drummer. That allowed her to express herself freely and dream about anything she wanted to. "My parents just let me dream; they were open to whatever, and we were free."
Music was always in her mind from as young as five years. Also, she knew she wanted to be a singer. Growing up watching Disney Channel shows and movies like Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and The Cheetah Girls 2, to name a few, were something she saw and said, "I want to do that; I want to be a star". We both agree that Hannah Montana had some hits on that show and that the Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack to this day still goes off better than some people's albums. Beyond a world of fictional Disney Channel characters, as she grew older, she recognized that she loved to sing and could do it as a career where she could travel the world; singing for people drew her towards it.
SoundCloud, the musical platform that has birthed so many great artists, was the first space where Maeta could share her music. Unsurprisingly, her style of music was taken up by the underground and oh-so-cool music fans who see Soundcloud as a place to find some of the best underground unique musical talents that people may otherwise not be aware of. The likes of SZA, Bryson Tiller, Jhene Aiko, Khelani, Doja Cat, Lil Pump, and Post Malone are just a few artists who are notably known for finding success on the music platform before reaching the levels they have in their careers. For Maeta, it was her first experience sharing her music; her earliest entries on the site date back to four years ago and consist of covers like Take Care, Toxic, John Redcorn and more. The sound is a younger Maeta who had nothing to lose and was playing about. There was no pressure, and people who were into the music were just into the music. "SoundCloud was an easy way to put music out. There's no pressure; I put out whatever I want. So, it was an easy way to experiment and gain my core fans. I found some fans through that and the kind of music I like to do, and it was a nice place to test the waters."
Since being in LA and in the scene of making music, Maeta has steadily grown her career and fan base through the release of 3 EPs. 2019's ‘Do Not Disturb’, 2021's ‘Habits’, and of course, this year's ‘When I Hear You’. Across those three projects, you'll notice how Maeta channels the environment she was surrounded by in her childhood regarding her freeness and openness in her music. Whilst most of her music is rooted in themes of love, as that is her speciality, she is not shy to go deep and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly. "I love to sing about my love life; everything comes back to love. I've sometimes wished it didn't, but I am driven by love. Honestly, I think about love all day long. I love, love the feeling of love."
It's no surprise that being in LA and rising in that R&B scene, Maeta has become a name that people have become familiar with. That culture has been seen since she arrived from Indianapolis and has been a big part of her creative process. From the people she has met and collaborated with, to the music she has made, no doubt being in LA has affected her. "One cool thing about LA is that so many people are there from other places. I've met so many new friends from different nationalities and places worldwide. So I think you're exposed to many different cultures, and that's something that I have absorbed into my music." And yes, there still seems to be this element of Indianapolis she has been able to maintain about herself as she's seemingly in the LA space of R&B, as displayed by some of her collaborators on the EP. Still, she has also been able to keep to her way of things.
As one can probably hear the difference between ‘Do Not Disturb’ Maeta to ‘When I Hear Your Name’ Maeta, I wonder what that project means for her now in retrospect. Even though technically it's only been four years since its release, I'm intrigued about the woman she was in that period versus the one I see before me. Walking on set whilst she was mid-photoshoot, I saw a very confident woman who was in control of who she was and the type of woman she was. Not to mention her owning her femininity. As I ask the question, Maeta takes a second to think about it. "I get emotional thinking about her, she was just going through so much shit, and she didn't know. But I was always trying my best, and I still am. I just think about things I was going through, and I'm like, damn, I just want to cry for that version of myself." As this leads to introspection, the realities have happened for many people trying to chase a dream. Moving away from home and going somewhere, where you don't know anybody and trying to make a dream happen. Even though it doesn't seem like it's been that long, a lot has happened and has changed in that time, and even where she has arrived, she is still on that journey of trying to follow those dreams she had as a young child.
Still going through the same relationship she has been in over her last two projects. ‘When I Hear Your Name’ continues the stories that have been told, with her speaking on the relationship that has held the subject. If the story in ‘Habits’ left off with the sense that she was letting him go, clearly, such is not the case. "This project was about a relationship that I have with this person, and it's just very complicated. We've been going back and forth for years, but I love them to death and always will. But sometimes things get complicated." And whilst it has been an ongoing situation for her, The lyrical journey you go on throughout the project lets you into the complexities of the relationship and how she has navigated that emotionally. Shifting between moments like ‘Sexual Love’ to those of ‘Control Freak’ she asks the question, “Do you know who you love? Is it me or do you just love control?". From the emotions of ‘Fuck Your Friend’ to the confusion and uncertainty of ‘Clarity’. There is a lot to this relationship, and it is one that I'm sure people can relate to, especially as a young twenty-something navigating her experience of love. And that stays true to the overall message of the album which is, love is complicated and is not black and white. "I'm lost in love, but that's something that I'm embracing, and I would want people that have had that experience to hopefully relate to something on the album which can give them some comfort."
As we have dissected the lyrical content and themes across the album. It is wild to think that the person sitting in front of me is the same person who sang about the experiences on the project. It's crazy how music can give such a personal insight into somebody, but when you see that person face to face, you would never expect that to be true. However, I do see someone who is carefree and has learned a lot from the process of making the album and everything that was for her. "That project was me going through this relationship, heartbreak, and the craziness of love." And there is no doubt that she has taken a lot from this experience.
Having taken a trip down memory lane and reflected on everything that has brought Maeta to her current position in her career. It's been quite a journey so far; however, nonetheless, it is one that she has taken a lot. At 23, it's wild to think this is still the beginning of her career and that she has a long road ahead. Maeta has taken a moment to think about where she is on her journey. "I've just kind of accepted things, I feel like, and I'm still crazy, I'm always going to be crazy, And I'm still trying to work on this. But I'm not trying to control things. It's like people are going to do what they want to do. I'm trying to learn how to just go with the damn flow and just see what happens, and it's fun."
That last sentiment is one she is holding true. She is not letting anything or anyone hold her back, personally or professionally. She aims to tap more into the pop music space; fans should not worry as she will always have her soulful edge to her. As well, more shows to come. ‘Rock in Rio’ is on the list of festivals that she would love to do. Word to Cady Heron from Mean Girls, “the limit does not exist” for Maeta, and she's making sure everybody knows that "I don't want to limit my success at all; the more successful, the better in my opinion. I'm not a planner; I have a few goals where I see myself, but everything I do is usually last minute. So, wherever God wants me to go, I'm going to go."
CREDITS
Creative Director/Producer: Zekaria Al-Bostani (@zek.snaps).
Photographer: Eazy Visuals (@eazyvisuals)
Lighting: Karla Hunter (@karla.lizethephoto)
Stylist: Kiera Liberati (@kieraliberati)
MUA: Hawa Abdallah (@facesbyhawa)
Hair Stylist: Whitney Mola (@ponytailclinic)
Writer: Seneo Mwamba (@seneomwamba)
