Following on from introductory track ‘no fcks’, the Los Angeles newcomer Maddie Park is back with another R&B and pop flex with ‘transparent’. We thought this would be the perfect time to get to know her a little better!
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who haven’t heard of Maddie Park before, how would you describe your sound?
Thanks so much for having me! My sound is light, airy, and peaceful yet powerful contemporary R&B pop.
How did you first get into making music?
I’ve always loved music and singing. When I was little, I used to get in trouble for singing at the dinner table and taking too long in the shower (my favorite place to sing!) and that love for singing never went away. I didn’t start making and releasing my own music until about a year ago, and it’s inspired a whole new kind of love for music that just keeps growing.
You tracks from ‘no fcks’ to ‘transparent’ are always deeply rooted in contemporary R&B, who are your biggest musical influences?
Ariana Grande, SZA, and Jhené Aiko are all huge musical influences for me! Taylor Swift has also really inspired me, especially as a songwriter and performer, ever since I was little.
Do you also have common themes that run through your songs? And why do you navigate towards these?
Loneliness and loss are some things I’ve been gravitating toward in my writing recently. I think maybe it’s just my experience right now as a 20 something who has no idea what she’s doing and is just trying to pursue her dreams. There are a lot of moments where I feel lost and lonely, or like I’m losing parts of myself as I go. It’s all very confusing but writing about it helps me really feel all the emotions I’m experiencing.
Let’s talk more about ‘transparent’, the crisp pop-R&B track. What’s the story behind this one?
It started with the lyric ‘You so see through you transparent.’ I really liked the concept of transparency: seeing right through someone’s front to who they really are. I was thinking about other kinds of imagery I could use to illustrate transparency, so I actually looked it up on thesaurus.com and used the synonyms to help me write the chorus. (I actually had no idea what the word ‘diaphanous’ meant before writing this song, but it’s in the lyrics now!)
And what other exciting plans do you have for this year? New music or live shows?
I’m currently working on my first ever EP, and I really hope to be able to play live soon! I miss performing and I can’t wait to share the new music with you all in person.
Here’s one just for fun to finish with. Who would be your dream collaboration?
SZA, Jhené Aiko, and Doja Cat are all at the top of my list, but there are SO many more talented artists, producers, and songwriters that I would love to collaborate with someday!
You can also find ‘transparent’ in our R&B For Days playlist.
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