Singer Ava Max Has An Empowered Edge

by Natasha Wolff | September 26, 2019 3:38 pm

“I’m definitely more confident when I sing it now. It’s like, ingrained in me,” singer Ava Max[1] says of her 2018 hit single “Sweet but Psycho[2].” The song was released as the lead single off the 25-year-old’s upcoming debut album and was an instant commercial hit, inspiring listeners to belt the lyrics across the globe. Subsequently, Max was featured on David Guetta’s song “Let It Be Me” and AJ Mitchell’s track “Slow Dance.”

In addition to “Sweet but Psycho,” Max has released six additional singles including “So Am I” and “Torn[3]” that are all slated to be included on her album due out in late 2019. As a songstress, Max has a powerful vocal range and a pop-centric sound, allowing her to create seriously catchy bops.

Max earned her first MTV Video Music Award nomination this year for Best New Artist, and performed a medley of her songs “Sweet but Psycho” and “Torn” live at the red carpet pre-show. Despite being a global pop sensation and most recently supporting the Jonas Brothers on tour, the singer admits she had some nerves before the live performance. “Performing at the VMAs[4] was definitely insane. It was live on the red carpet,” she recalls. “It was easy breezy during rehearsals and then right when I got on the carpet it hit me that I was really performing at the VMAs.”

By donning a fierce superhero outfit at the award show, Max was actually subtly hinting at her music video for “Torn,” which was released shortly after the VMAs aired. “No, I did not wake up in that outfit,” Max jokes about her bold red, black, and silver caped look. “I feel like we all can do whatever we want and that was the whole point of wearing it at the VMAs. Do whatever you want. Like, look at me. I’m wearing a superhero outfit and I don’t care. I think that is the message in general,” she adds of the song.

The music video for “Torn” was always destined to feature a strong female protagonist, as Max says she knew she wanted to portray a superhero who gets her power back from her cheating husband. Max shared her idea with the iconic music video director Joseph Kahn (Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” and Britney Spears’s “Toxic”) and the concept came alive. “He took it and made magic because he’s a magician,” Max says of Kahn with a laugh. “His mind goes a mile a minute. It’s incredible to watch him work.”

Max is a creative force, proven by her stellar visuals and confidence on stage, but what is next for the pop darling? “A lot of empowering strong anthemic anthems, for sure,” Max says of what fans can expect from her debut album. “Easy to dance to and definitely a lot of pop music.”

Max is slated to release her unnamed debut album later in 2019. Watch the official music video for “Torn” below.

Source URL: https://dujour.com/culture/interview-sweet-but-psycho-singer-ava-max-torn-music-video/