Rising Music Star Maya Kuriel On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

Don’t throw away old songs. My vault of unreleased songs has grown so much in the last year simply because I decided to stop tossing old songs and ideas. Anything can be revived.

As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Maya Kuriel.

Maya “Maya” Kuriel is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Seattle, WA, but is now based in Los Angeles, CA. She is of Korean and Israeli descent. Maya’s poppy, melodic beats and honest lyrics have garnered her tremendous traction. She has been featured in various media outlets. Her debut EP, “21 Years to Realize,” was released in May 2021 and has since accumulated over 700,000 streams. Maya’s song, “Bittersweet,” went viral on TikTok, amassing over 2.4 million views. The young songstress is well on her way to becoming a global sensation.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born in Seattle, Washington. My mom is South Korean, and my dad is half Israeli. I have a little brother who is 4 years younger named Ben. Growing up in a bilingual home with my dad speaking Hebrew and my mom speaking Korean, I am fluent in Hebrew and have deep knowledge and appreciation for both cultures. Growing up, my family was extremely tight-knit, and I’m super grateful for that. I started singing when I was only 4 years old, and they’ve been supportive every step of the way.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve been singing since I can remember. Throughout my life, my parents have always encouraged me to pursue my passions and follow my dreams. So, it was never really a single moment. They’ve allowed me to continuously create and find myself through music.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

It would have to be my most popular song, “Bittersweet,” which was released in November of 2020. I was extremely proud of the track and decided to make a couple of videos promoting it on TikTok. I went to sleep not thinking much of it, woke up the next day, and opened the app to see over 2 million views. It hadn’t even been a year of releasing music, and at the time, I was still pretty intimidated by the idea of pursuing a career in music. The viral video and song were the little push and sliver of validation that I needed to realize that I may have a serious shot in the music industry.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I swore that I would never tell this story, but it’s the only thing that’s coming to mind! When I was 15 or 16, I had one of my biggest performances ever. Halfway through the song, the pianist messed up, and I ended up blurting out, “I’m confused,” right into the microphone. Everyone heard me, and I was absolutely horrified. Lesson learned; when you mess up, recover in silence!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’ve been in the studio creating a lot lately. I have so much music dropping in 2022. I have a lot of unreleased songs that I’m dying for people to hear, and I’m excited to share those with the world.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I’m half Korean and half Israeli, so growing up, I would always compare myself to famous singers, entertainers, classmates, and even close friends — most of which were white. I would try to adjust myself to fit that mold, and I realized that I did that because I never saw the true representation of my culture. You can see how culturally impacting something can be. K-Pop is huge, not only in Korea but currently in the US and so many other countries. If I would have seen that representation, even 10 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have tried so hard to be something that I wasn’t. I want to see people that look like me on my TV and not just as the quirky side character, as the lead role.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. You won’t see results overnight, mostly (i.e. besides the overnight TikTok viral video). My results have been slow, but steady. I’ve learned that it takes so much time and effort to put into the creation of the song, but also marketing, social media and visuals as well.

2. You can always improve art. I’ve found it challenging to not overproduce a song. I’m a perfectionist, and I’ve learned that going through 20+ mixes isn’t effective!

3. It’s okay if you’re still figuring out your sound.

4. Don’t throw away old songs. My vault of unreleased songs has grown so much in the last year simply because I decided to stop tossing old songs and ideas. Anything can be revived.

5. Surround yourself with people that genuinely want to see you win.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I think time management is so important. I get easily overwhelmed if I’m putting all my time and effort solely into music. I love hanging out with my friends, going on hikes, going to new restaurants, etc. I think making sure that there’s a healthy balance is crucial. Don’t get me wrong, music is my whole life, but I want to make sure that I don’t overwork myself to the point where I start hating it!

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would love to break society’s beauty standards and help people realize that no matter their height, weight, skin color, background, etc., everyone is beautiful in their own way. When I was growing up in school, I hated the fact that I wasn’t blonde and blue-eyed. I felt ashamed that I looked different, and unfortunately, that feeling followed me from Seattle, Washington to Los Angeles. Now, I’m surrounded by beautiful models and actors, and it’s difficult not to compare myself to those people. Loving myself, and being confident with who I am and how I look is definitely something I’m still working on.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Definitely! I think first and foremost, my parents have been extremely supportive of my music career. I would not be able to make the music that I make without their help and endless love. My manager, Sam Harrison, has believed in me since the moment I met him towards the end of 2019 and that relationship means so much to me. There’s a million people I could thank, but I’ll keep it short. Lastly, Peyton Incollingo has helped me tremendously with songwriting, creative directing, and styling. I love her mind, and I’m grateful to get to work with her.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Time heals everything.” Everyone is going through their own difficulties, obstacles, and insecurities, and I think that it’s important to remember that no matter how alone you may feel, with time, you will eventually heal. I have a neon sign above my bed that reads, “Eventually,” and it’s from one of my favorite songs of all time called, “Eventually,” by Tame Impala. The song is about how if you don’t feel happy currently, eventually you will. That sign is a constant reminder for me every day.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Probably Harry Styles. I’ve been a fan of his music for over 10 years now, and I’ve loved seeing him evolve as an artist throughout the years. I think he’s such an amazing musician and performer, would love to pick his brain.

How can our readers follow you online?

My Spotify is: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0QdMbXjSLBS2LfjQ3lvJvP

You can find me on Instagram and TikTok by searching “Maya Kuriel.”

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!