Flawless, Fierce & Feminine— A Press Conference with Mae Muller

I do not own the rights to this photo/Photo credit: Mila Austin

Last Tuesday, °1824 hosted another incredible space for fans to interact with the artists we cherish the most. Mae Muller joined us for an hour of conversation, laughs and rapid-fire questions. The platinum-awarded artist invited the audience into her diary and walked us through the pages of ideas, dreams and tears that went into crafting her debut album. In the process we learned she is indeed a lover girl who doesn’t take any shit. She credits Lily Allen and The 1975 as inspiration and crowns Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgraves, and Julia Michaels as dream collaborators for future projects. We also learned that her album title has some truth to it as she confessed to being late to her promotion photoshoot. Between sighs and giggles, Mae recalls sleeping through several alarms and a handful of phone calls from loved ones that led to the label president knocking on her window to confirm a proof of life. A moment of levity that humanized her to fans on the call.

If you’ve followed Mae on any social platform, you would agree the album marketing was innovative and exceptionally engaging. I had an opportunity to ask about the rollout, particularly the gesture to hand deliver physical copies to fans that preordered the album, and her response was everything I hoped for. She reiterated a love for fostering intimate relationships with fans and never forgetting the folks that propelled her to this moment. I was also impressed with the passion Mae expressed about song writing. It’s refreshing to hear when an artist is still emotionally invested in the process of making music.

I do not own the rights to this photo/Photo credit: Ahmed Idries

Admittedly, my introduction to Mae’s catalog was an R&B-esque record called “Side Piece” in 2019, leaving me with the assumption that she made R&B music, exclusively. She attributes the ambiguity in earlier projects to finding her identity as an artist, which worked to her advantage even if she didn’t know it at the time. What’s been clear from the beginning is her ability to cross-pollinate areas of Pop music with elements from adjacent genres, giving Mae a signature style amongst her peers. That skillset not only gives her a unique presence, but it’ll keep her at the forefront of pop for the duration of her career.

Sorry I’m Late is a masterpiece five years in the making. It’s a body of work to be enjoyed by fans but more importantly, it’s a declaration of arrival. Each song is a candid admission that we grow through what we go through; all coated in a theme of women’s empowerment. Early favorites are “Breathe”, “Bitch With A Broken Heart” and “Something Real”. Mae emphasized an exhaustion of the male gaze in music and this album is her victorious contribution of a woman’s perspective. She’s hopeful that fans will feel her authenticity in every harmony. Simply put, this is an amazing project and there’s not a ceiling in sight for Ms. Muller!