LA-based singer-songwriter Maya Mendez steps into the spotlight this year with her debut single “Have your fun”. This single channels the emotional depth and grit of early 2000s R&B, with unflinching honesty and vulnerable vocal delivery reminiscent of Keyshia Cole’s early work.
In Have Your Fun, Maya recalls her experience in an abusive relationship, using her art as a medium to speak up about what she went through. This work is not just another story set to music, but a transformation of Maya’s trauma into a cathartic emotional release.
When I was listening to the chorus, it was tough to believe that I was hearing a debuting artist. Maya’s prowess as a songwriter was evident as she had nailed the art of telling a story with a few words.
“Leave me on your bedroom floor I’m crying
Disregard what’s said I can’t keep fighting
You’re not listening, I’m just pretending
Oh it’s getting old, have your fun I’ll do what I’m told”
She only needed to sing about a single moment of conflict. But yet, it perfectly captured the helplessness of being with an emotionally unavailable partner. You try to fix the relationship, you try to fix him, but eventually it wears down your soul until all you can do is cry and do what you’re told.
Maya’s formal training as a musician at LA Valley College really shines through not only in her controlled vibrato and pitch variations, but also in the overall composition. There’s nothing virtuosic going on here – but the measured, powerful and elegant vocals beautifully weave her story of heartbreak.
Even though her experience is not a happy one, Maya is not helpless either. In the verse she sings:
Pack your bags and you’re out don’t look back
I’ll be stuck here I’m learning what you taught
Meaning that she eventually summoned up the courage to kick her lover out. Listening to this section, I really enjoyed Maya’s ability to switch moods in her music, alternating seamlessly from power to despair as her narrative progressed.
The production on this song is also top-notch, with especially the panning and reverb standing out to me as being really well done. Having this much attention to detail tells us that Have Your Fun isn’t a one-off project and that Maya is serious about her musical journey.
In today’s commercial landscape, polished production often trumps raw emotion. However, Maya Mendez’s authentic approach positions her perfectly to stand out. Her honesty and willingness to confront her past are a bold statement of her artistic identity.
If this debut is anything to go by, we can be sure to expect great things from this young artist in the future.
ONLINE:
https://mayamendez.net/music
https://www.instagram.com/mayamend3z
https://www.tiktok.com/@mayamend3z