If there is one thing the world needs now, it’s strength and optimism. Mayssa Zein’s newest single “Queens” serves both. Now available on all streaming platform, “Queens” is a bold anthem for a younger generation, a body-positive message to young men and women alike. “They can tear us down and they can beat us up; but we all know that they’ll never get to us,” Mayssa sings out in the chorus, encouraging her listeners to find courage and resilience despite their setbacks.
Mayssa has been musical from a young age, but not in the way one might expect – she was drawn to dancing, rather than singing. It wasn’t until her friends heard her voice in a music class that she was openly encouraged to pursue singing. It was the first, and certainly not the last, time Mayssa surprised a crowd with her powerful vocals and musical energy. The support of her peers was just the push she needed to start focusing on singing and begin training her voice professionally.
Many moments from Mayssa’s journey have been memorable. From her first time singing in public to releasing “Queens”, there have been many outstanding experiences. Yet, despite all that, Mayssa always recalls the feeling of performing first and foremost. In her words, the “most memorable experience has always been seeing people’s reactions to my singing, which they express through their kind words and smiles on their faces, as well as the way they would look at me asking me to sing more.”
As music lover, Mayssa recalls other performers and performances who recently blew her away and, ultimately, inspired her own work. Like many other young people during the COVID-19 induced quarantine in Lebanon, Mayssa was online, surfing her favorite content – namely singers and musical performances. “As an observer, during quarantine, I had many things on my mind, so I decided to try and distract myself. While searching on YouTube, I found a concert by my favorite band, “Why Don’t We.” I watched it for an hour; it was one of the most beautiful performances I’ve ever watched even though it wasn’t live. I can truly say it was the most amazing thing.” Although she is still discovering her own taste, Mayssa is open to absorbing and learning from her environment and her own favorite artists, including Taylor Swift, Madison Beer, and Ariana Grande – all highly successful and hard-working singer songwriters.
In fact, “Queens”, like many a hit song by any of the aforementioned stars, is an ode to confidence and positivity. Initial inspiration from the song found Mayssa while watching a film: “On a regular day where I decided to watch “Moxie” on Netflix, which was all about women empowerment and that’s when the inspiration hit me,” she recalls. “At the end of the movie, I immediately opened voice memos and started recording the rhythm that came to me, after which I added the lyrics. It just felt like the song came to me – and this was the first time I produced a song!”
As the song developed, Mayssa felt compelled to address some of the topics affecting young people, and disproportionately young women, today. From body shaming and bullying, to cyberbullying and the pressure of social media, young people must navigate a lot of obstacles while growing up. For young girls, the landscape tends to be particularly tough. “It’s just something many girls endure daily, and I’ve already heard many stories about it not only from social media but also from people’s personal stories. It pains me to witness the injustice that us girls go through regularly without reacting,” says Mayssa. She advocates, in “Queens,” and in her daily life, to speak up and refuse to accept the negative or abusive treatment of women as “normal.”
Ultimately, Mayssa’s goals are two-fold. As a singer, she hopes to find her unique voice, to reach out to her peers and audiences around the world: “My biggest dream would be to reach, through my songs, as many people as possible and have them feel my words and music and capture the message within. I really take it seriously and I would aspire to make it one day to the big stage where my performance would capture hearts and put a smile on the audience faces.” As an advocate for women and young people, she plans to continue to speak out for women’s’ rights, safety, body positivity, and staying strong in the face of obstacles. Although still young, Mayssa exudes the confidence of a woman who will find her way.
“Queens” by Mayssa Zein is now streaming on all platforms where music can be found.
