Rising British Pop Star Mae Muller Talks About Her Excellent Debut Album, Sorry I’m Late, And Her Hit Songs “I Wrote A Song” And “Better Days”

During the past few years, pop singer/songwriter Mae Muller has emerged as a rising star in the United Kingdom, with two major hits: “I Wrote a Song” and “Better Days” (with NEIKED & Polo G). Impressively, she was selected this year to represent the U.K. at the Eurovision Song Contest, and she performed “I Wrote a Song.”

Muller has previously released three EPs, and now she has released her debut album, Sorry I’m Late (on Capitol Records). This 17-song collection is an excellent work, that shows her unique, colorful personality, her insightful and personal songwriting, and her expressive lead vocals. This album is full of high energy, youthful, catchy pop songs that can appeal to a worldwide audience.

In addition to “I Wrote a Song” and “Better Days” (a collaboration with writer/producers NEIKED and rapper Polo  G), Sorry I’m Late contains many highlights. “Me, Myself & I” is a fun, hooky song that’s reminiscent of Dua Lipa’s pop style. And “I Just Came To Dance” and “Nervous (In A Good Way)” are upbeat songs with infectious melodies.

Muller also displays her range as a songwriter & artist, with some softer, understated songs that show a more vulnerable, personal side. For example, “MTJL (Maybe That’s Just Life)” is an acoustic tune that’s quite different from her other songs. It’s a delicate, introspective song that is honest and heartfelt. Other highlights include the fast-paced “Tatiana,” the midtempo “Breathe,” and the feisty “Written By A Woman” and “Bitch With A Broken Heart.”

In addition to her songwriting and recording, Muller is a talented video artist who has released many entertaining videos. Several of her videos are full productions that display vibrant choreography and elaborate set designs.

Muller, who is 26, grew up in London, where she was inspired by such artists as Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Adele. She has always loved music, and she started writing songs when she was a teenager.

In 2018, Muller signed with Capitol Records, and she subsequently released three EPs: After Hours and Frankly (in 2018), and No One Else, Not Even You (2020). Some key songs from this period are “Anticlimax,” “Dependent” and “Therapist.”

Then in 2021, Muller had an international hit, “Better Days,” when she teamed up with NEIKED (Victor Radstrom & Mikael Rabus) & Polo G. “Better Days” was a hit in several countries, and reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Now in 2023, Muller has released her singles “I Wrote a Song,” “Me, Myself & I” and “Written By A Woman,” leading up to the release of her album.

DK: I read that you grew up in London. How did you get started with music, and writing songs?

Mae Muller: I was born and raised in London and I’ve always loved music, I think when you’re born you have things that are naturally in you, and I just love music. I remember when I was young, I didn’t watch much Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. I would just sit and wait, watching MTV for the different music videos. I’ve always had an interest in it. And I think being from London, it’s such a creative place musically. You have Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Adele—it’s an inspiring place to be around, and that really rubbed off on me. Then I started writing music of my own.

DK: From 2018 to 2020, you released three EPs and several singles. Can you talk about that period in your career, and your favorite songs from that time?

Muller: Oh my gosh…those songs are some of the favorites that I’ve done. I loved creating those, and there’s a song called “Anticlimax” that I did with (hit songwriter) Jimmy Napes. It was such a fun song and it was exactly what was on my mind. There’s something magical when you’re feeling a certain way and you write a song, and the song says exactly how you feel. “Anticlimax” was one of the songs that got people’s attention.

DK: In 2021, you had a big hit with “Better Days” with NEIKED and Polo G. How did you connect with them and record this song?

Muller: I’ve known NEIKED (Victor Radstrom & Mikael Rabus) for a long time. They’ve got quite a few songs on my album. I’ve been creating with them for a while. I had been in Stockholm doing two weeks of writing with them, when they said, “We’ve got this song called ‘Better Days.’ We would like you to do the vocal…we can’t imagine anyone else on it.” And I was so flattered, so I sang it, and it felt special straight away.

We were happy with it, but we thought, “What could make it even better?” So I said, “I’d love to get a rapper on this.” I’d been listening to Polo G, and I spoke to my A&R (Charlie Knox), so we asked him. He said yes, and he smashed it. So it happened really nicely.

DK: Earlier this year, you had a hit with “I Wrote a Song,” and you represented the U.K. at Eurovision. Can you talk about writing this song, and then performing at Eurovision?

Muller: I wrote that song at the beginning of this year. At that point, Eurovision wasn’t even in my head. I just wanted to write a song that would make people dance and feel confident, and be sexy at the same time. Then I got in the studio with this idea, and I was with Karen Poole and Lewis Thompson, who are amazing musicians and writers. I told them about this idea, and by the end of the day we had the whole song written. Also, there’s a great video on YouTube that shows the process of it being written. I love the idea of when someone’s done you wrong, the best form of revenge is actually not seeking revenge at all, but putting all that energy into yourself and coming out feeling stronger.

DK: You’ve just released your debut album, Sorry I’m Late. Can you talk about the making of this album?

Muller: This album has been in the works for the past five years, so I’ve literally grown up writing it, and I wanted it to be a love letter to finding yourself and growing. As a woman in music, I always felt like I had to be this version of what I thought a strong woman was. And when I was writing all those breakup songs, I put myself up on this pedestal where I have to be this confident person all the time. That’s definitely a side of me, but when I was writing this album I found that there’s a lot of strength in vulnerability, and we should be allowed to show that and be proud of that. And that’s what I hope people get from this album.

There’s really something for everyone on the album. There’s the bops, the dance tunes, the breakup songs, the tender acoustic moments…there’s some of everything. But I think my writing keeps it all cohesive, because over the years I feel like I’ve found my voice which is really nice.

DK: I like your song “Me, Myself & I.” It’s a lot of fun, with a creative lyric. What inspired you to write this song?

Muller: I wrote “Me Myself and I” with NEIKED as well. We were in Stockholm, and I was stuck in a period of my life where I wasn’t putting any energy into dating. I’ve dated a lot and had boyfriends, but at the time I was like…I should be on my own and see what happens. This was really nourishing, and I found so much joy in putting all that energy into my hobbies, my friends and family. I came out of that feeling like my self-worth had skyrocketed. So that’s when I wrote “My Myself & I.” It was like…Me Myself & I is what I really need!

DK: I liked the videos you did for “Me Myself & I,” and for “I Wrote a Song.” Those were fun, very creative videos.

Muller: Thank you, I love a good video. I love making the visuals and coming up with the ideas. It’s the treat you get after you write the song. You’re like…Now we can get into the visuals and the creating. And that’s so fun.

DK: I also like your song “MTJL (Maybe That’s Just Life),” which is more acoustic and personal. Can you talk about writing this song?

Muller: Thank you, I’m so glad you like that one. You know, I think we all have so many pressures, and I think all of us as humans, it’s so natural for us to have insecurities. It took me a while to realize that it’s okay to have those insecurities and embrace them. And that song was literally me having this outpouring of that. It was almost like a diary entry; I didn’t care about the formula or song structure. I just wanted it to be an outpouring of my feelings, and when I listen to it that’s what I hear.

I think a lot of people can relate to that because some of the things that I’m singing about, they’re kind of trivial. They’re not really intense, tramautic things. But it’s all those little things that can get you down and make you feel that you’re not where you’re meant to be, and you’re not reaching your full potential. And I think we all feel like that. Someone might look at me and think, “She’s doing so well,” but I have days where I have no idea what I’m doing (laughs). So I think this song highlights that, and that’s reassuring.

DK: Besides the songs we’ve discussed, what are your favorite songs on your album?

Muller: I love “Sorry Daniel,” which is the second song on the album. It’s really fun, the chorus comes in and you’re not really expecting it. It’s a fun story. It was me introducing the album…it’s like people dipping their toe in. And I love track 11, “Breathe,” which is something different that I haven’t done before. It’s such an important song to me. Those are the ones I’ve been listening to the most at the moment.

DK:  I want to ask you about your live shows. I read that you recently did a tour in the U.K. Will you be launching a new tour, and coming to the U.S. to play shows?

Muller: I would love to come to the U.S.—it’s definitely on my list. I love writing there, and I’m always speaking to my friends from the U.S. Hopefully, we’ll make it happen soon. I love touring; it’s my favorite thing to do. My tour last year was amazing…it brought me so much joy. Performing is my favorite thing. Hearing my songs being sung back is the most special thing ever.

Here’s the link to Mae Muller’s site: https://www.maemuller.com/