NEWSMaia Zakay: The Breakout Artist You Need on Your Playlist
Oct. 21 2024, Published 1:48 a.m. ET
Everyone could benefit from an emotional outlet; for many, the healthiest and most productive form of expression is artistic.
For Maia Zakay, who has faced a great deal of heartbreak and struggle in her short life–including bullying and illness that stole her voice–music has been the best therapy. It’s also become something much more: a career and a platform to speak about authentic feelings and struggles. She started making her music at 16. Now, at just 23 years old, Maia is a singer-songwriter, an aspiring actress and model, and an advocate for mental health.
Growing Out of Adversity
“I was feeling very alone,” says Maia of the moment she turned to music when she was 16, “And needed a way to let out all the bad emotions weighing me down.” Up until then, she'd envisioned that she might become a professional soccer player. Still, her challenges pushed her to discover music as a form of self-expression and therapy.
More than that, she found a passion for production and artistry. Her father overheard her music and gave her his impassioned support (Take note, dads!), connecting her to a skilled producer who could turn Maia’s time in her home studio into polished singles.
A few short years later, Maia has released more than 30 songs across streaming platforms, exploring her growing skills and artistic tone and expressing many powerful emotions that define the passage into adulthood.
Maia’s New Single “Lost And Found” Builds on Incredible Vocals
Leaning into the country component of the pop-country vibe,Maia begins her new single“Lost And Found” with the solitary strumming of an acoustic guitar, its sound raw and slightly distant. She sings solemnly over it, letting her voice carry the weight in a moment of musical magic you can only pull off if you have learned to put faith and confidence behind the power of your isolated vocals.
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The song’s opening lyrics, “Take Me Home Country Roads,” boldly reference the history of country music and the freedom its artists and fans celebrate, but the emotion is anything but happy. Bringing open roads and expansive horizons to mind, Maia turns those lyrics on their head, singing about being lost and searching for home.
Later, she sings, “Feel the storm coming, hiding in the mountains,” while a single echoing drumbeat elicits thunder. The song builds along with Maia’s vocal power. You can feel the storm coming closer as her desperation builds. It’s a powerful song, all the more so for the patient. It gathers sound and force as it goes on until she finally finds somewhere to be. Her music video to this incredible release is OUT NOW on YouTube!
Join her fanbase “The Real Ones” on Maia’s Social Media platforms
Maia Zakay makes excellent use of social media to engage with her fans, who have come to call themselves “The Real Ones.” Maia regularly performs LIVE for them on her TikTok page, engaging with fans in a way artists of past decades could only dream of. This creates an opportunity to join her as she grows her artistic career and be a part of her advocacy and impact. You can find her on major streaming platforms and social media sites under her name Maia Zakay.
