Get to Know: Maisy Kay

Maisy Kay is an artist carving out a place in the music industry as eclectic and intriguing as she is herself. You may know Maisy from many places, viral music videos, her work on video games, or even her time on Japan’s viral hit charts. We caught up with her as she released her latest single, “Emotionally Unavailable,” which was paired with a campy, fun music video that hides a chilling twist.

Take a look, and get to know the fascinating artist behind this dreamy new single.

BTS: Your newest song is “Emotionally Unavailable,” a title that already says a lot. Can you talk about the inspiration behind this song and what you hope listeners will get out of it?

Maisy Kay: I came up with the idea in a hotel room in Florida after I’d casually described myself as being too emotionally unavailable to date seriously. Then I thought about how normalized that phrase had become nowadays. I joked about it to my friends, but the actual message underneath was actually a little sad. This contrast inspired me, and I knew I wanted to write a super fun, happy-sounding song that, when you listened closer, wasn’t as fun as it was pretending to be. I call it my “crying in the club” song.

BTS: Your music video for “Emotionally Unavailable” features you with the vibes of a classic Hollywood starlet but dramatically shifts to show you in a much more sinister and threatening light. How do these creative choices represent the meaning of the song?

Maisy Kay: I wanted to keep playing with the mismatched energy of the song itself. It would’ve been easy enough just to do a cutesy light-hearted video that matched the sound of the track, but the lyrics are actually a bit darker. So I wanted the video to highlight further the contrast between the light and dark feel of the song.

caught on camera #behindthescenes #camera pic.twitter.com/ggd0Z2N36M

— Maisy Kay (@maisykay) June 27, 2022

BTS: Were there any other inspirations for the video?

Maisy Kay: The director and I describe the video as a mash-up of “Clueless” and “Silence of The Lambs”. I’m a big horror movie fan and wanted to show a little of that side of my personality.

BTS: What are some of your influences as an artist?

Maisy Kay: Freddie Mercury inspired me so much that I named my cat after him, but I also love Adele and how she creates these beautiful, heartbreaking songs that are still perfect for radio. I’m a big Harry Styles fan, but who isn’t? How he’s (Styles’) taken each album and used it to accentuate his eccentricity musically is something I definitely hope to accomplish myself.

BTS: You moved from a small town in the U.K. to L.A. with your parents at 13 and started pursuing your music career. What was that transition like?

Maisy Kay: It was very hard! I went from the middle of the countryside to an apartment complex in the middle of the city! I had no friends, and keeping old friends was hard because of the time difference. The plus side was it allowed me the time to let music become my whole life, which helped a lot in turn with figuring out who I was.

BTS: By my count, you have performed in 6 different languages. That includes Na’vi (the fictional language from the “Avatar” movie franchise), which is the language of your most streamed song on Spotify, “The Storm.” What inspired this love of language, and how have you honed that skill?

Maisy Kay: Honestly, Avatar WAS what started that love of language. I was 10 when the movie came out and I was obsessed. I knew I simply had to learn Na’vi. I went as far as doing Na’vi homework on top of my regular homework, which is insane as I couldn’t imagine doing extra unnecessary homework now! These days, I’m writing my own set of languages for an upcoming project, which is incredibly challenging, so I like to think my past work in language helps a little!

BTS: You have described a desire to relate to as many people as possible. What are some ways your music has allowed you to do that so far?

Maisy Kay: My favorite thing in the world is when someone messages me to say a particular song or lyric has touched them. Part of why I started putting my songs in video games was to connect to more people who possibly felt like me. Now, a lot of people actually know me from a video game, and it’s brought a whole other level of community to my career. I try to twitch stream often and get to know the people who listen to my music, which is honestly amazing.

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A post shared by Maisy Kay (@maisykay)

BTS: You have seen a lot of noteworthy success in your career already, being a contributing voice to Anly’s 2017 smash “Distance” (which hit #1 on Japan’s Spotify viral chats), having your music featured in video games like “Lost Ember” and being featured on numerous showcases. Can you tell us what some of these experiences were like?

Maisy Kay: I adore any video game placement! My first ever video game was for Lorelai, and my song Blood Filled Tears became the title song. I later ended up booking the lead role in that game, which made me realize I had a passion for voice acting and opened up an entirely new avenue in my career! As for Distance, it was incredible playing in Japan and singing in Japanese. I think it might be my favorite language to sing in. It was my first time ever playing in a different country, and I am just dying for an excuse to go back!

BTS: Is there anything else exciting coming down the pipeline that fans should know about?

Maisy Kay: My first ever album is on the way, something I have been holding onto for almost three years now! It will be an entirely new experience, both visually and musically, and I can’t wait for my fans to hear it!

Listen to “Emotionally Unavailable” now! Follow Maisy Kay, so you don’t miss her new album and all of her other incredible work.