Letters are so personal – hand-written, sentimental, baring your emotions on a piece of paper, folded and crumpled to represent the long journey they go on to reach their rightful recipient. Collecting letters from a friend or relative staying far away from you and hiding them carefully in your drawer is far more secure than any cloud service in the world. They’re worth more than the latest mobile phone we carry so preciously in our hands, or our secret stash of gold. MAXIMILLIAN, Copenhagen-based rising popstar, knows the value of letters all too well, and he has presented these emotions in his latest single, ‘Letters’.
MAXIMILLIAN wrote this song for his best friend, who isn’t around at the moment. He writes him letters, telling him just how much he means to him and how much he misses him. The memories of the times they’d spent together and the laughs they’d shared haunt him in the darkness they’re both plunged in. But at the end of it all, he knows that they will be alright. This song means so much to him, and now, to us too.
An ode to friendship, a celebration of a lifetime bond with someone you love, this song makes me want to will the clouds to rain just so I can stare out the window with the gentle crash of rainfall accompanying this beautiful song playing in my ears. When you’re immersed in this song, it will make you want to bawl your eyes out. MAXIMILLIAN hopes to remind us to tell the people around us that we appreciate and love them, because if it’s too late, even a letter may not do the job.
This song has a new kind of sound that he has never tried before! It sounds like a lullaby – a soothing yet heartbreaking lullaby that doesn’t quite lull you to sleep, but to tears! He shared how he really wanted to try putting out something new “after releasing *insert intense, aggressive drumming gestures* kind of Swedish-pop music. I wanted to see how people would react after releasing something as thin and fine-threaded as this one”. And of course, we are loving it!
‘Letters’ is fresh off his upcoming and long-awaited debut album, Too Young, which will be out on 29 October! Despite having made his debut back in 2017, MAXIMILLIAN has never released an album, and understandably so! He’s only 22, and he shared with me that he wasn’t ready for the process, in our interview. He voiced that it was a long and difficult process, and in the beginning, it was even tough for him to upkeep his work-life balance – working on an album while maintaining and living a proper life with friends and family. But as the album came along, he had figured out what he liked and what he wanted to do, which made the process easier every day!
But what can we look forward to in this mysterious album? MAXIMILLIAN shared so excitedly that in this album, we would hear stories about relationships – more specifically, love. As a 22-year-old, that is a major part of his life right now, and he writes about the experiences he’s had in his personal life. In his words, at this age you “fall in love, left to right”! Among much else, he also has some emotional and meaningful songs that talk about growing inwards.
Sound-wise, he shared ecstatically about the spectrum of sounds and genres he’s exploring in this album. He personally hated it when things in his album got too repetitive, so to suit the different types of lyrics he’s written, he has also put together different universes which deliver the meaning the lyrics are trying to convey. He described listening to this album as “jumping from one world to another, but in the end, it all connects well together”. In this album, he promised that there’s something for everyone!
Well, if you happen to be unfamiliar with MAXIMILLIAN’s past work or want to start listening to his music but have no idea where to start, I gotchu! According to MAXIMILLIAN himself, he recommends that you begin with ‘Beautiful Scars’.
It’s extremely personal and tells you who MAXIMILLIAN is and how he perceives things around him. It documents a rather dark time that he experienced, trying to embrace and accept himself for who he is, and be proud of the harrowing journey he’s had to go through, rather than feel ashamed by it. Embracing your scars and being able to call them beautiful is a huge sign of growth and maturity. It represents how his perceptions have changed. Now that, is absolutely beautiful.
“It’s basically, in spoken words, who I am, who I was and how I was coping with it”. He writes his music with the goal of giving something to others for them to help themselves get through their own fuzzy cloud of complex emotions and hardships, helping them to see their scars as a beauty of who they are too. He writes songs and hopes that others can use them as a coping mechanism, because when he was experiencing those terrifying things, he never had one.
His love for his craft stretches beyond his own needs and expression; he wants people to hear the words and the story of acceptance that he never got. That is rare, and to me, that genuineness shows you just how passionate the artist really is.
Oh! And also, this song was triple-platinum certified, which is an incredible feat for any artist! It warms my heart that his story was so wholly accepted, and has been used as a support by people getting through their own storms. I hope that in the same way, ‘Letters’ and his upcoming album will receive that love and recognition too!
His wonderful song, ‘Beautiful Scars’, had also seen a collaboration with Moira Dela Torre in which their stunning voices melted together in a manner that’s unreal to imagine (which means you just have to listen to it!). And when I asked him sneakily if any more collaborations were in the works, I got one word for you – MAYBE. Well, I’m holding on to that ‘maybe’ for dear life because I just can’t wait to see what happens next!
Well, this is just the beginning of MAXIMILLIAN’s journey. His new releases and upcoming projects have me excited beyond words, and I simply cannot wait! To keep up to date with the latest happenings surrounding MAXIMILLIAN and his music, you can check out his socials and follow him on Instagram and Facebook!
Do also check out all his music, especially ‘Letters’ on all streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, and the live version on YouTube!
Thank you for sharing your pain and struggles to empower us, MAXIMILLIAN. We will always be grateful for your gift, your gift to be able to validate emotions that other people are feeling, and make them feel good.
Visuals courtesy of Cathrine Brix and Jonas Bie.
