A former student introduced me to Ava Max's music a couple of years ago, and I was admittedly intrigued enough to listen to it on my own as well. She has a fun pop vibe, full of energy and color that makes her music pretty enjoyable to listen to. If you're big into pop and/or dance music, this post is likely going to be great for you to check out, but she definitely has some bangers that I think everyone should check out.
Here's our traditional fact dump segment (information current as of April 2024):
-Birth name is Amanda Koçi
-30 years old (she's an Aquarius)
-Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
-Singer & songwriter
-Primary genres are pop and dance pop
-Has released 2 solo studio albums
Like always, we're going to focus on Max's solo albums for this post, not singles and no EPs this time. Let's see what we have going on today!
Heaven & Hell (2020)
Max's debut pop/dance pop/electropop album was released September 18th, 2020 by Atlantic when she was 26 years old. With a run time of 47:39, the album had seven singles released: Sweet but Psycho (8/17/18); So Am I (3/7/19); Torn (8/19/19); Salt (12/12/19); Kings & Queens (3/12/20); Who's Laughing Now (7/30/20); and OMG What's Happening (9/3/20). Heaven & Hell has been certified Platinum by the RIAA since its release. This album is definitely cashing in on the dance pop, almost neo disco sound that's been so popular this decade already, but not in a bad or obnoxious way. Max's vocals work well for this genre, and there's some real bops of girl power anthems all throughout the track list. Here's my Top 3 for this debut:
Track 3: Kings & Queens (written by B. McLaughlin, D. Child, M. Blinsson, H. Bernstein, J. Erixson, M. Love, N. Khayat, A. Koci, H. Walter)
This is a fantastic song to have in your headphones when you're on the elliptical, I know from experience. It's fast paced, full to the brim with girl power vibes, and has a super catchy melody, particularly in the chorus. It's a great track so early in the album, and very enjoyable.
If all of the kings had their queens on the throne/We would pop champagne and raise a toast/To all of the queens who are fighting alone/Baby, you're not dancin' on your own/Can't live without me, you wanna, but you can't, no, no, no/Think it's funny, but honey, can't run this show on your own/I can feel my body shake, there's only so much I can take/I’ll show you how a real queen behaves, oh/No damsel in distress, don't need to save me/Once I start breathin' fire, you can't tame me/And you might think I'm weak without a sword/But if I had one, it'd be bigger than yours
Track 14: So Am I (written by G. Grombacher, H. Walter, M. Smith, R. Spreckley, V. Thell, A. Koci, C. Puth)
This is another great workout song, or just one to turn on when you need a little musical pep talk to cheer yourself up. I like the message of this one, that it's ok to not be like everyone else, especially in this age of social media over saturation. Once again it's incredibly catchy and very easy to get stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
Can you hear the whispers all across the room/You feel her eyes all over you like cheap perfume/You're beautiful, but misunderstood/So why you tryna be just like the neighborhood/I can see ya, I know what you're feelin’/So let me tell you 'bout my little secret/I’m a little crazy underneath this/Underneath this/Do you ever feel like a misfit, everything inside you is dark and twisted/Oh, but it's okay to be different, 'cause baby, so am I/Do you ever feel like an outcast, you don't have to fit into the format/Oh, but it's okay to be different, 'cause baby, so am I
Track 15: Salt (written by A. Rowe, H. Walter, M. Love, N. Morier, A. Koci)
This was the first Ava Max song I ever heard, and I think it's still my favorite, too. It's a great pick yourself up by the bootstraps song, a little bit vengeful but not necessarily spiteful like a lot of break up anthems can be. Like the others it's super catchy and easy to sing along to, and it's definitely an end of album banger.
Oh, oh, I got breaking news, and it's not about you, oh, oh/Oh, oh, I've been breaking hearts, too, and I learned it all from you, oh, oh/I got my thigh highs on, feel like Wonder Woman, that's when you want all in, but I'm not your woman/When my lipstick pops and I feel like Monroe, that's when you want me most, oh, oh/I’m all out of salt, I’m not gonna cry/Won't give you what you want 'cause I look way too good tonight/I’m all out of salt, tears are running dry/Won't give you what you want 'cause I look way too good tonight/I’m all out of salt/I’m all out of salt
Diamonds & Dancefloors (2023)
Max's sophomore pop/dance pop/new wave album was released January 27th, 2023 by Atlantic when she was 28 years old. With a run time of 39:31, the album had six singles released: Maybe You're the Problem (4/28/22); Million Dollar Baby (9/1/22); Weapons (11/10/22); Dancing's Done (12/20/22); One of Us (1/12/23); and Ghost (3/16/23). This album is even more dance than Heaven & Hell, but it only adds to the fun of listening and doesn't make it feel canned or corny or anything like that. Max's vocals are, in my opinion, much stronger on this album, making her sound even more confident and like she's still having a great time making her music. Here's my Top 3 for this album:
Track 2: Sleepwalker (written by A. Izquierdo, A. Koci, H. Walter, J. Jeberg, S. Douglas, J. Johnson, M. Lomax)
With a title like Sleepwalker, it could be easy to think this song could be slower on the tempo side of things, but with it being a dance music number it's just as believable that it would be as fast paced as it is. Like I said earlier, Max's music is perfect workout music, and this song is no exception. It's a really strong early list track to start the album off.
You say you want a taste, then bottle me up/But I should warn you, once is never enough/Zero to sixty from the second we touch/You say you're fallin' in love/You just might get what you want/So you better think carefully/I’ll have you up seven moons with me/I’ll turn you to a/Sleepwalker, dream of me wherever you go/If I take you home, I'll turn you to a/Sleepwalker, eyes are burnin' open or closed/Thought you should know, oh, oh-oh-oh-oh/I’m an obsession, not just a game/It feels like inception, stuck in your brain, oh-oh-oh/Sleepwalker, dream of me wherever you go/Remember, I told you so Track 7: Diamonds & Dancefloors (written by A. Koci, C. Ailin, M. Pollack, H. Walter)
Maybe it's silly, but it's so satisfying to me when an album's title track absolutely slaps. This song just gives off a sparkle as the title would suggest, and for the other half of the title it's absolutely a great song to dance to. This is definitely as much of a banger as Sleepwalker.
Alone with me, myself, and I/Watchin' the night passin' me by/Losin' myself inside a lucid dream, I/Don't wanna waste any more time/I’m dancin' in the kitchen light/It don't feel wrong but don't feel right/My heart's been callin' for a midnight memory/The only thing that's on my mind/Diamonds and dance floors, that's all I want/I miss the rhythm keepin' me warm/Drown me in glitter, glitter and gold/All that I ask for, ask for, ask for/Is diamonds and dance floors in every dream/I miss the music surroundin' me/Drown me in glitter, glitter and gold/All that I ask for, ask for, ask for
Track 14: Dancing's Done (written by A. Koci, H. Walter, P. Bowman, P. Mycroft, S. Douglas, M. Burns)
All of my picks from Heaven & Hell ended up being released singles, but for Diamonds & Dancefloors this is the only single that ended up really grabbing me. This ending track surprised me a little with the slowed down tempo compared to the others, but it really works for the song. It's a cool one to check out and sign off the album to.
I see the panic somewhere in your eyes, yeah, in your eyes/Our wildest habits brought us here tonight, yeah, back to life/If you're gonna leave me hangin’, then you're gonna leave me dead/I’m never going home if you're not there/I wanna give into your dark temptation/I wanna touch you like nobody does, oh/People like you and me were born to run/So where we going when the dancing's done/I wanna give into your dark temptation/I wanna touch you like nobody does, oh/People like you and me were born to run/So where we going when the dancing's done
Whether you were familiar with Ava Max before today or not, I hope you found some fun new music to check out from this post. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!
Comentários