Hiiii everybody! Ok so first of all, I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted. Life’s been chaotic in both good and bad ways. But believe me, we have a lot to catch up on. Starting with a New Music Crush.

Honestly, nothing helps me tap into my inner teenager like emo and pop punk music. Considering I was raised on a diet of Fall Out Boy from an early age, I’ve been living for the resurgence the genre has been experiencing as of late.

From Blink-182, Paramore, and Avril Lavigne making comebacks to brand new artists breaking through, there’s never been a better time for me to make peace with my inner rebellious teenage self. And one new artist in particular has been a great representation of that.

Maggie Lindemann didn’t start off as a pop punk artist, but she was meant for it. When she first released music, her early career songs pushed her towards the bubblegum pop music of the late 2010s. But something didn’t feel true to her with it.

“My turning point was: I had this experience happen to me in Asia where I was going on this little tour and things didn’t go to plan,” she said in a press conference with 1824 before the release of her debut album SUCKERPUNCH. “I kinda just realized that if I’m not doing exactly what I wanna do, then none of the things I’m doing are worth it.”

It’s kinda wild to me that I definitely did not hear Maggie’s early music when it came out. But retroactively listening, it’s crazy how apparent it was that Maggie needed to make edgier, pop punk music because it felt like she was kinda forced into that pop girly role.

“I would say [to younger Maggie] don’t be scared to say no to people, don’t be scared to do the things you want to do and stop listening to what everyone else wants you to do.”

Maggie Lindemann

My first introduction to Maggie was through her collab with LØLØ, the super catchy “Debbie Downer” earlier this summer. This song wasn’t a groundbreaking revelation when I first heard it, but it’s been a fun pop punk tune to bop along to. And that’s important to have.

As Maggie found her sound, she gracefully transitioned with collaborations that helped highlight her edge, such is the case with her Travis Barker collab “Friends Go”.

Something about this song really speaks to the isolation I felt earlier this year. I really like the way her voice in this song pairs with the punk instrumentation because it really brings out the emotion in her voice. It’s like it set up a perfect way to transition to her full punk sound.

Then as I dove into Maggie’s music in early summer, I found out I was just in time for her debut album SUCKERPUNCH to come out. Her music started to give the inner teenager in me space to exist like never before.

“I want people to be able to relate and feel like someone understands them. And to have that song on the album that they can put on and not worry about anything else.”

-Maggie Lindemann

Maggie’s music has helped me work through the intrusive thoughts and the real fears I have about intimacy. One song that really speaks to that is “phases”.

I’m really scared of people changing their minds about me. Mostly because I feel like that betrayal has been something I’ve experienced a lot of times and in very sly ways. I had a cycle where I would let whoever I had an intense crush on would decide my self-worth. It was an insane way I neglected myself and really just broke my own heart. I’ve been actively working to break it but damn, do I long for someone to just adore me in every respect there is.

The way she sings in SUCKERPUNCH feels so genuine. Her artistry very clearly reminds me of some of her musical heroes: Flyleaf, Evanescence, and Paramore. These artists’ lead female singers really let their voices shine while not shying away from going hardcore.

What I like about Maggie’s music is that her sweet voice paired with the rawness of pop punk creates a tension. And that somehow perfectly captures my journey to connect with my inner teenager.

In my journey to be palatable to people as a teen, I tended to play up my sweetness in the way I present myself. I got really good at telling people what they wanted to hear. But, all the things I left unsaid created this chaos of raw emotion that began to manifest in the songs I wrote as a teen.

Somehow Maggie gives me license to embrace the naturally sweet in me along with the raw emotion that comes with knowing yourself.

I guess you could say I’ve been a sort of late bloomer for my rebellious era. I also feel like I’ve been saying this since I went through a Panic! At the Disco phase 5 years ago. But it hasn’t been until lately that I’ve hit my stride, comfortably sitting in that tension of wanting to be liked while also learning to unapologetically being me. Whoever said your 20s are like a second puberty absolutely did not lie.

It’s incredibly admirable to see the evolution of an artist into the first step of who they are — no masks, no pretenses, no holds barred. Because that’s when the music gets good.

When asked about how her younger self would react to the music she’s making, Maggie said she’d “be really hype.”

“It’s funny because a lot of people don’t realize I’m the same person that I was, I just had this mask up,” she said. “I was still listening to the same stuff that I’m listening to now. I still have the same interests; I was just presenting myself in a very different way. I think she’d be amazed that I can make the kind of music that I make now.”

A huge thanks to Caitlin from 1824 for the invite to Maggie’s exclusive press conference before her album was released. Check out some of my picks from Maggie’s music and maybe your inner teenager will vibe with her too.

Highlights

novocaine

This is the song that’s really been hitting me lately. I tend to get into these cycles of running away and numbing myself often. Hence my lack of posting on the blog for fear of wanting to get too deep here in this season. Because I’ve made a lot of serious breakthroughs with therapy over the past year, I feel like I’ve been given a free pass to indulge in things that soften the blows.

Scissorhands

Maggie’s PARANOIA EP was such a great preview of what was to come on SUCKERPUNCH. By playing up the macabre in the lyrics and instrumentation, her sweet voice shines through as incredibly vulnerable. It’s honestly a standout track. Also shoutout to whoever got that scissor sound on the beat.

Love Songs

This song shows Maggie at her most delicate vocally and it feels genuine in a Secondhand Serenade way. It’s such a sweet song in the most emo way. I like that it shows off her versatility because it leans into the sweet and the vulnerable. It’s a breath of fresh air in her music.

you’re not special

I’ve finally found myself in the hot girl phase of attracting and not obsessing over random guys that like me. I’ve been on a few dates in the last few months but one thing I’ve definitely realized is that men really ain’t shit, especially when they tell you how wonderful you are. Which like, thanks for noticing but words mean nothing. Actions speak louder than words and I’m proud of myself for finally paying attention to that above all.

self-sabotage

I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of self-sabotage lately. Mostly because I’m really scared of falling into it. A common theme with my therapist lately has been me realizing I’m way more normal than I thought with my instinctual fears of abandonment. I constantly wonder if I’m being too much. But the nice thing of voicing that is that I know I’m not. The inner teenager in me is just asking to be seen.