Music Review - Maddie Zahm

Maddie Zahm 

- Introduction-

As we take a step into this week's artist, I'm going to switch things up a bit and talk about someone that has a little more social platform than the past individuals we've reviewed. This week's artist is Maddie Zahm, she is currently 25-years-old and is from Boise, Idaho. The once American Idol auditioner gone pop star, has created music to connect with the masses. Throughout this blog we are going to indulge in the background, adventures to American Idol, the musical evolution, hardships, and some notable releases of Maddie Zahm.

- About Maddie Zahm - 

At the rip age of 13 Maddie became a worship leader at her local church. Now, since she was raised in a religious household this sense of life came natural to Maddie. When leading services, she remembers feeling a sense of "calling", but later found herself asking questions about what exactly was calling to her. "Is that the Holy Spirit, or is that just good synth?" As Maddie grew older her belief in the church waned, while her fascination with the music industry grew. 

At the ripe age of 19 Maddie took to the stage for Season 16 of American Idol. As she carried in her acoustic guitar and yet at the same time carried the weight of a whole community on her back. She sang from the heart and talked about topics that stat close to her heart with the judging panel. This gave Maddie the platform she needed to start her career. 

( The continuance of this section will be In the Musical Evolution Section)

- American Idol -

At the ripe age of 19, Maddie found herself on American idol. Her story touched the hearts of many during her season 16 appearance. She spoke out about her weight gain and how it effected her socially, and she also touched about an unforeseen friendship with an individual by the name of Marcus after accidentally walking into a music class for kids with disabilities. When auditioning for American Idol, Maddie brought Marcus along, where he was able to sit in and watch his best friend audition alongside with Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. 

When introducing herself to American Idol Maddie stated, "I'm just excited to embrace who I am and to stand up for those who might not fit the mold." THIS, was the turning point for Maddie Zahm, even if she didn't know it at the time. As the audition continued, Maddie sang "New Rules" by Dua Lipa. As she performed, Luke and Lynoel gave excited motions, encouraging Maddie to continue. Once the song had finish, Lynoel stated he had to hear Maddie and Marcus sing together. Ecstatic Maddie and Marcus approached the "X" on the floor and began to perform, "Firework" by Katy Perry. This is where Maddie received three "yes" votes, the audition concluded but this is not where her story ended. 

- Musical Evolution -

After this point Maddie took some time to find a different approach to her career. After going home to Boise, Idaho during the early days of COVID-19, Maddie was able to write record and self-release a series of songs which was later compiled into an LP called People Pleaser. These songs that were simpler and country inspired had only one goal in mind. These goals being getting published and becoming a songwriter. As Maddie wrote her songs she stuck to the genre of country, since it has the bare bones of being a good story telling genre. Because of this, within a few months Maddie was able to sign to a publisher, from this point she waited to see who would record her songs. 

At this point in Maddie’s career, she received advice from her publisher saying, “This genre isn't you.” This short sentence sparked Maddie into changing the genre of music she wrote. Her quick shift into pop music and the ability to “overshare” became the sole personality of Maddie's music. 

- Notable Releases -

When looking at Maddie Zahm’s notable releases I think of one of her earlier pop songs, “Fat Funny Friend”. The song described by Billboard being, “a devastating ballad about social mistreatment of plus sized people and the toll that mistreatment can take on a person's mind”. This release bringing emphasis to heartbreak and pain with lines such as, “They cant relate/ To how I’ve drawn out in sharpie where I’d take the scissors/ If that’s what it took for me to look in the mirror". These lyrics created an uprising on platforms such as TikTok due to individuals connecting with the pain of physical appearance and the struggle of weight loss. At the time Maddie Zahm herself was in a weight loss journey and she opted against releasing the song feeling that it was immoral of her to release a song from someone who might appear “skinny” in that time. Her fear of not connecting with her audience quickly dissipated once she saw  how everyone connected with her in the span of less than 24 hours, all because of her personal feelings and the lyrics she connected to them.

 

This of course is not the only notable release from Maddie Zahm. Other releases such as “Family Reunions” (2021) Where you take a step into the eyes of a couple that has broken up but cannot disconnect from each other, and the pain that comes with losing a second family. “You Might Not like Her” speaks out about a girl realizing that she wants to disconnect from her religious bindings and discover her true sexual identity. She reflects this back to her childhood and how she used to convince herself of how to be a “good girl” but in the end she was just “really bad at being real”.  With impacting lines such as, “Someday you'll learn to keep your own secrets/Say you're doing okay and really mean it/You'll lose your faith a bit and question if she's you/For a while, you might not like her, but I do” . And lastly, “Where Do All The Good Kids Go?” Which talks about being forced to grow up at the young age of 13 in her church and how it affected her as she truly grew up. 

- In Conclusion -

Though this was a longer blog than I normally do, I do appreciate anyone who stuck around and read the whole thing. Bonus points go to those who went and listened to the music and indulge themselves in the lyrics. Maddie Zahm is a force to be reckoned with in my eyes within the pop industry. She speaks on topics that connects with her followers on a different level in my eyes. Since her audition I followed her career, and her music truly touched me in many ways. She's an artist that stays to her roots, speaks her own truth, and experiences, and connects with individuals to create a love indulged community. I truly cannot wait to see what Maddie Zahm has up her sleeves for the future of her career, For she is a force to be reckoned with.

Where to find Maddie Zahm

-https://maddiezahmmusic.com/home/