Mareya Gets Vulnerable on High-Energy New Single 'ADHD & Me'

Melbourne-based Māori pop artist Mareya brings a whole lot of energy and a whole lot of vulnerability on her brand new single, 'ADHD & Me'. Detailing the struggles of living with the titular condition, 'ADHD & Me' is a candid and powerful anthem about the Aotearoa-born artist spending so much of her life not understanding the nuances of her own brain, and the immense sigh of relief which accompanied the arrival of her diagnosis:

'ADHD & Me' is a song that encapsulates the ADHD experience while also touching on the sense of freedom I had when I finally knew what was going on with me. Knowing the reasons why I did the things I did allowed me to lift a lot of self blame off me for being the way I am. I finally had an explanation and it was like a lightbulb moment for me."  MAREYA

A powerhouse producer as well as songwriter and performer, Mareya captured the magic and emotion of the single in her very own home studio in Melbourne, with co-production by Younique, mixing by Lachie Milne and mastering by Nic Barnshaw. Wanting to approach the huge central theme with the care and consideration that it deserves, Mareya put a lot of energy into finding the right sonic qualities to accompany its meaning. Striking the perfect balance to celebrate its own beautiful brand of chaos while also doing justice to its hardship, she decided that a bright and bouncy pop track, full of heart and sincerity, was the way to go about it:

"There was a choice that had to be made when writing the song, do I make it a ballad or do I make it fun? If I make it fun, does it invalidate the experience? I chose to make the song mostly fun and upbeat because the lyrics capture the truth of the song and I wanted fellow ADHDer's to at least have something upbeat and feel good to bop to transmute its heaviness. I also feel that the choice I made here expresses the hyperactivity that comes with the type of ADHD I and many others have. I chose to have a slow and softer bridge section to honour the pain, sadness and frustration that comes with living with ADHD."  MAREYA

Beyond its immediately personal significance for Mareya herself, 'ADHD & Me' was written with the hope that it might encourage further learning and understanding amongst audiences, as well as that it might provide some comfort to anyone who perhaps sees themself reflected back in its lyrics:

"This song really validated me and was so healing and cathartic to write and perform. I just hope it makes even one other person feel that way and feel seen. I also hope this song reaches people who have ADHD who don't know they do! It was the people around me and online talking about what I talk about in the song that made me book an appointment with my doctor, so if this song gets even one person a diagnosis or explanation that would also be so amazing! For people who don't have ADHD, maybe they will hear this song and understand their friend, partner or family member more."  MAREYA

A rising star who has already scored opportunities to share stages with the likes of The Jungle Giants and The Veronicas, Mareya has over 620K streams across DSPs to her name, as well as over 1.9 million video views across Instagram and Tiktok. With a big heart, a mountain of talent, and a steadily growing audience, Mareya is a sure name to keep your eye on.