Isle of Wight singer-songwriter Mai has released her new single, Candy Girl, marking the start of a new chapter for the emerging artist ahead of a forthcoming EP.
The track arrives as the first taste of a project built around vulnerability, experimentation, and self-expression, with a second single already in the pipeline.
A genre-defying debut
Candy Girl draws on alt-grunge influences, blending abrasive rock instrumentation with emotionally charged production from HungryHound Productions.
The single tackles the normalisation of the sexualisation of women in everyday culture, using sound and contrast to reflect the emotional complexity of that experience rather than offering neat conclusions.
Maisy Dean, the singer-songwriter behind the Mai project, said,
“I wanted the track to feel beautiful and unsettling at the same time, unlistenable but catchy, a bit like a fever dream, through exploring abrasive sounds mixed with delicate moments throughout the track.”
Softness and confrontation
The production deliberately holds tension between opposing forces – softness alongside confrontation, innocence alongside performance, and intimacy drawn from unrest.
A second single, Margot, will follow, described as a cinematic orchestral dream-pop track that moves the project in a contrasting but connected direction.
Community at its core
The wider EP explores themes of identity, desire, femininity, and human connection, created with local musicians and artists in a process grounded in community.
Live instrumentation sits alongside atmospheric soundscapes throughout the record, giving it an unpredictable, visually evocative quality that reflects both personal reflection and broader social commentary.
Check out Mai’s linktree to hear Candy Girl when it is released on 12th June 2026.
