mxmtoon released her second album, Liminal Space, on November 1, 2024. After touring North America earlier this year, she has now arrived in Europe, beginning with her first show here in Paris. It was my first time attending a mxmtoon concert, and it exceeded my expectations. It was probably one of my favorite shows of 2025. She was incredibly vulnerable, sharing stories about each song, making jokes, dancing. So, if you want to know the story behind “cliché,” “just a little,” or even “feelings are fatal”—read on.
Let’s go back a bit: If you don’t know her, Maia, known professionally as mxmtoon, is a significant artist in the world of pop music, and, more specifically, bedroom pop. At 17 years old, she was discovered by the world—and by me, for that matter—with her song “prom dress,” written from her childhood bedroom. Eight years later, she now writes and composes in a studio, but I think it’s important to remember that some of the biggest songs in the world were made at home, by teenagers. That idea has always inspired me and has been my motto ever since: even if it’s harder, anyone can start making art from scratch. She’s not the only pop girlie who started in her room and is now a superstar—we can name girl in red, Clairo, dacelynn… all incredible artists who inspire me every day.
Now, 24, Maia has released two full albums filled with sentimental melodies that charm the hearts of millions.
mxmtoon is very loved in Paris, and her fans go way back. She already played at La Maroquinerie back in 2022. But it was time for her comeback, and this time at the Alhambra. Fans arrived early to secure spots in the front row, and one sign especially caught my eye: “even my sims love u”.
I didn’t know her before, but I absolutely fell in love with her music and her powerful vocals. What struck me the most was her confidence on stage. Many openers can be a bit shy, which is understandable, but that wasn’t the case for Bea. When her guitarist had a technical issue, she handled it like a queen, chatting casually with the crowd. If she was nervous, she hid it perfectly. She asked the audience questions, like whether they ever had an ex their mom hated, laughed, and got them to sing along.
The audience responded with just as much energy. Many people already knew her lyrics. During her song “Smoking Lesson,” the crowd raised their flashlights in the air. It was a beautiful moment and the perfect opening for the night.
mxmtoon arrived at 9 p.m., starting with a shortened version of “dramatic escape.” Then, after saying she wanted more energy, she jumped into “i hate texas,” followed by her iconic hit “prom dress.” Everyone cheered, sang, and danced along.
She spoke briefly about being jet-lagged but happy to be there, and asked who in the crowd had been to one of her shows before.
What stuck with me the most was her calm, grounded energy—despite being so expressive on stage. You might expect a very mellow concert since much of her discography is low-tempo and emotional, but the show was incredibly fun and energetic.
She played her older song, “seasonal depression,” reimagined for this tour. She explained that she often looks back on past songs and thinks, “I would have done this so differently.” It was interesting to rediscover that track through her new perspective.
She then followed with songs from Liminal Space including “the situation,” “god?,” and “rain.”
During “rain,” fans held up cutouts of colorful flowers in a beautiful display.
After performing the heartbreaking “elevator,” she gave a heartfelt speech:
“I made it a mission that I was only going to be writing songs with women. I was 19 when I started walking into sessions with other musicians trying to write songs about my life. A 19-year-old girl working with, like, 40-year-old men. They’d ask, ‘What do you want to write about?’ and I’d say, ‘I kind of have a crush on this one person?’ and they’d go, ‘Oh, I totally get it.’ I’d be like, ‘Do you? You’re a man and you’re 40.’ I think it was really important for me to work alongside women who could understand the experiences I was writing about. elevator marked the beginning of that process. And there was one song in particular that was really special to sing on tour because I wrote it entirely for myself. It’s about family, generational trauma, and all that stuff. So this next song is really special to me. It’s called now’s not the time.”
She started crying during “now’s not the time,” and so did some fans. It was a powerful moment.
Before “white out,” she took a moment to share her story, how she started making music in her bedroom, learning production through YouTube. As a teen, she wrote songs she hoped no one would hear because they felt too personal. But music eventually taught her that telling her story was not only important for others, but also for herself. Touring in places she never dreamed of visiting, like Paris, now feels surreal. She expressed how thankful she is for everyone who listens, even if they don’t know the words.
After “white out,” the band left the stage and she stayed alone with a ukulele to perform some acoustic songs. Before “cliché,” she told the hilarious story behind it:
“When I was 17, I wrote a lot of love songs even though I had no experience with love. One song in particular blew up, and I’d get messages from people like, ‘I showed this to my crush and now we’re dating!’ and I’d be like, ‘Oh my God, that’s so exciting!’ But I lied. I hadn’t lived any of that. At the time, I was mostly playing video games—especially Minecraft. Maybe my only understanding of romance came from situationships in Minecraft. So you won’t believe this, but I wrote that song about a Minecraft situation. And now I’m here in Paris, singing it for you. So now that I’ve ruined ‘cliché’ for you, are you ready to sing it with me?”
It was such a funny and sweet moment to learn the origin of one of her most famous songs.
She came out as bisexual in 2017, an experience that was both exciting and terrifying. As a teen, her mom found her crying at her desk, and when she came out to her, her mom simply said, “Okay.” That acceptance meant the world to her. For her, being queer and making music have always gone hand in hand. She once released a song before coming out, saying it was just about being sad, which was true, though she left out the queer part. Still, the song resonated with so many people. Now, she sings it openly, and hearing the crowd sing it back made the moment even more powerful.
Her band returned for “VHS” and, by the end, they were all jumping and dancing together. The energy soared. She followed with “number one boy” and then “mona lisa,” a super fun track that had the crowd waving their arms to the final chorus.
Then came another video game–inspired song: “just a little.” Written about wishing she could express anger more freely, it’s actually inspired by losing in Fortnite, which is hilarious. It’s also my favorite from Liminal Space, probably because I relate so much to the lyrics.
She closed the night with “passenger side,” about how her ex-boyfriend was boring, and “dance (end of the world),” which was wildly fun live. Everyone clapped, danced, and jumped. There was even a solo moment from the band before they took a theatrical final bow.
This is a concert I’ll remember forever and keep close to my heart.
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