By: Shayla Lee
With inspiring lyrics and a powerful voice, Maiya is a 17-year-old musician from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who proves that young musicians should not be underestimated. Plugging into her own life experiences and giving musical gifts that remind people of the good times, Maiya’s music has been gaining traction from radio stations across the state and she has clocked in over 200k Spotify streams on her first single ‘Sidelines.’
Glowing with positivity, Maiya’s latest track ‘No Stopping Me’ will give you the motivation you need to reach your goals and achieve anything you set your mind to. We had the chance to chat with Maiya about her empowering new single, her musical inspirations, and people underestimating her because of her age.
Femme Riot: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What inspired you to become a musician?
Maiya: I’m 17 and just finished my junior year of high school. I am so glad its over! Yay summer! I love to read, spar in taekwondo, and obviously sing. My mom is a musician and inspired me to start singing. I also used to watch the movie about Selena Quintanilla’s life with my grandma when I was very little and I have always been inspired by her story. I’ve been singing ever since I can remember. I started doing solo performances when I was 5 and have been singing and performing ever since.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
I would describe my music as fun and catchy, but it also has a story and a meaning behind it.
Where do you draw inspiration for your music? Do you have any musical influences?
I try to draw inspiration from many musical genres. Many artists that I take inspiration from are Adele, Demi Lovato, Camila Cabello, Etta James, Whitney Houston, and Sam Smith.
I’m loving your empowering new single ‘No Stopping Me Now.’ The song focuses on achieving your dreams. How do you make sure nothing holds you back in your life? Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the track?
I stay true to myself regardless of what others may think of me. I work hard and always try to do my best on things that I want to do well in. The inspiration for No Stopping Me Now basically came from wanting to write an anthem that reminds people of the good times. It is always so easy to focus on the bad things that are going on around us and I wanted to write a song that reminds people that there is bad times, but there is also a lot of good times and a lot of positive things to enjoy and live for.
‘Sidelines’ is poppy, boppy, and has nearly 200,000 streams on Spotify! I love the lyrics of this one! Can you tell us more about this song?
Sidelines is about a girl who doesn’t think she has a chance with a guy and misses an opportunity, but at the end of the song she gets the guy. Sidelines may seem like many other love songs in terms of what it is about, but if you look closer, you’ll notice that it is also about taking chances and dreaming big. Even when you think you cannot achieve something, chances are you can and if you set your mind to it, you will. So Sidelines is in its purest form is about not giving up and taking chances.
Have you faced any challenges being a woman in the music industry? If so, how did you overcome the adversity and do you have any advice for other women facing a challenge?
I have not faced any challenges due to my gender, yet. I think most of the challenges I have faced have been due to my age and people underestimating me because of it. I would tell any other girls, women, and up and coming artists to just stay true to who you are and don’t worry about what everyone thinks of you. Just be yourself, work hard to do your best, and do what you love.
What can we expect from you this year? Hopefully we will see you in Vancouver sometime soon!
This year I will be writing more songs and doing a lot of local live performances. As an independent artist I am responsible for funding all of my music, so I will be working on that so that I can get back to the studio and record more. I would love to visit and perform in Vancouver and many other places around the US and Canada and someday around the globe.
What songs are you currently listening to?
Currently, the songs that I’ve been jamming to are, Familiar by J Balvin and Liam Payne, Tell Me You Love Me by Demi Lovato, Friends by Anne Marie and Marshmello, Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello and The Greatest Showman Soundtrack.
Anything we haven’t asked that you want to add?
I would like to thank you for taking the time to interview me! I want to thank all my fans for listening to my music and for their support! Keep connecting with me on my socials, I love your comments! I also want to remind everyone to get back to the good times and don’t wait on the Sidelines. Just get out there and go for it!
I want to thank Maiya for doing this interview with us! Nothing is stopping her and I can’t wait to see what else she shares with us in the future. Stay up to date with Maiya on Instagram and check out her music below!
FEMME RIOT 