Written by Marilù Ciabattoni
Discovered via Musosoup
Independent British artist Maya Yenn knows how to blend different influences and sounds in her songs. Citing FKA twigs and James Blake among her top influences, her latest track, “Better Luck Next Time” sounds like it was taken from the late 2000s, but it’s as fresh as it can be.
While her upbeat sound might suit clubs and discos flawlessly, her lyrics actually explore anxiety and nightmares. And that’s the feeling we get once the song ends: that we just got out of a nightmare.
Starting with the artist’s ethereal harmonies, Maya describes a hellish scenario: the song's protagonist is a steward on duty who seems to be having an existential crisis. His distress is better represented by beautiful imagery like “nitrogen oxide [...] when my skin is set alight” and “I look out at the sky / As the engines both ignite.”
I love how the artist mixes very abstract images with concrete situations as the everyday life of a flight attendant, like when she sings: “I’ll boil the ocean / The race towards Atlantic blue.”
He continues spiraling into the abyss until the song ends on a morbid note: “Billowing smoke and a punctured lung / Kerosene spills like a slip of the tongue / And as the water starts filling up / You can’t die when you’re so damn young.” Damn.
Overall, the song gives me hardcore Billie Eilish vibes (particularly “bad guy” and “you should see me in a crown”), but Maya adds her own flair to it. Her voice perfectly fits the beats, and the layered vocals make everything more evanescent and dreamy–though not the peaceful kind.
Can you die when you’re so damn young? You sure can.
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