Photo by Danny Draxx
Summer 2021 appears to be the summer of coming age, self-actualization, and teen popstar supremacy. Joining the ranks of the newly crowned elite, MAY-A’s Don’t Kiss Ur Friends is like the alt-pop,queer sister to Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour. Writing about the all-consuming phenomenon of falling in love through the lens of owning one’s sexual identity for the first time, Don’t Kiss Ur Friends is an intimate, relatable, and instantly catchy diary entry of an EP.
Coinciding with the full EP release, MAY-A has also released the music video for “Central Station” — one of, if not THE, most earworm-y tracks of the release. Beyond the track being endlessly catchy, it’s unique in the love story it tells. MAY-A sings from the perspective of someone who is already has a significant other — one who doesn’t necessarily understand her fully — and who unexpectedly falls for a perfect stranger. The unexpected shock of coming across this person, understanding your own wants and desires, and knowing you need to leave the relationship you’re in adds a level of emotional complexity to the track. There’s nothing bad with a love song, but it’s admirable to witness MAY’A’s vulnerability with sharing this thought process of what is a difficult to come to terms with realization in such a truthful and beautiful way.
Don’t Kiss Ur Friends is out now via Atlantic Records.
