On September 6th, Matty Marz released her debut album m.w.u. Matty is a NYC-based queer electro-pop artist who is all about exploring the boundaries of pop music. This debut album was born from her journey of self-realisation as a trans woman and compels the importance of embracing life’s dualities too. Matty stands out with her fresh and innovative sound and her personal lyrics. Listeners are invited on a journey into unexplored musical landscapes, which encourages them to embrace the unknown.
m.w.u. is a vibrant, dynamic pop experience. It has catchy melodies, pulsating electronics, and some complex musical arrangements. During the seven songs, she explores life dualities with the alternations between light and dark, joy and sorrow, growth and loss. The album is built around a rich electro-pop sound with heavy use of synthesisers, electronic beats and complex arrangements. Pulsating electronics form the backbone of this album as each track bursts with energy and features vibrant melodies and dense instruments that create an immersive and distinct listening experience.
The opening track, ‘Moment With You’, carries the same name as the album and is a clear invitation to dive into the emotional landscape of the album with an optimistic energy. ‘Light & Dark’ is an interesting song as well, as the alternating soft and harder beats create a contrast between smooth verses and explosive choruses that reflect the duality of light and dark, of good and bad.
Next is a song with mid-tempo electronic beats that create an arrangement that is quite intricate but also softer. This song, ‘Joy & Sorrow’, focusses on the relationship between happiness and sadness and suggests that one cannot exist without the other. It’s all about the journey of finding joy amidst sorrow.
The song that then follows talks about breaking free from constraints, whether these are emotional, societal, or personal constraints. ‘Breaking Free’ is thereby a powerful anthem of self-empowerment and self-acceptance. Breaking free and growing in life does not come without the costs of losses; ‘Growth & Loss’ is a song that talks about navigating this complexity and understanding that loss is undoubtedly part of personal development.
‘Be Yourself’, the sixth song, may be the most pop-forward track on the album, as it has an infectious melody and danceable rhythm. This song encourages self-expression, individuality, and embracing who you are without fear of judgement. This song is a confidence booster and thus perfect for moments of joy and self-love. The last song is called ‘Uncharted’ and offers a more explorative and experimental musical side. The lyrics reflect on stepping into the unknown, of both life and personal identity. The song reflects on the complexities that come with embracing uncertainty but seeing this also as an opportunity for growth and discovery. It’s all about the exploration and embracing of the future with curiosity and courage. The best might be yet to come.
During the press release, Matty shared that the album title m.w.u. stands for “moment with you” and that “the album is about the essence of living fully in the present, embracing each emotion and experience as they come.” She also added that she hopes this album “inspires others to find confidence in themselves and to believe that anything is possible when you dedicate yourself to experiencing all that life has to offer.” Matty hopes her listeners will embrace all the highs and the lows life has to offer as it reflects on the complexity of human experience in regards to personal identity, acceptance, emotional growth, and living authentically. Despite the upbeat and danceable nature of the instruments, there is an underlying sense of depth and introspection. This gives the album the emotional weight and resonance that make this record stand out.
With her experience studying music (vocals and composition), dancing, performing, producing, songwriting, and her powerful live performances, Matty has quickly built a loyal fanbase. It definitely makes her one of pop’s most exciting new acts!
Written by: Maud Hoebers
Edited by: Nèri Cliteur
