INTERVIEW: Maelydée returns with new single “Sanzaru”

Based in Quebec City, Maelydée creates music that feels like stepping into a private world hanging somewhere between memory, imagination and emotional uncertainty. The French-Canadian singer-songwriter has developed a highly original artistic voice, crafting alternative pop cut with indie rock vibes and guided by a velvety vocal presence. Her work is wrapped in atmosphere and driven by mellow movement, allowing songs to play out like unresolved tales that leave a lasting impression.

That style has helped confirms Maelydée’s status as one of the more exciting rising voices within the French-Canadian music sphere. Discovered at the Festival International de la Chanson de Granby and recognised with a SOCAN Foundation Award, she’s already attracted significant attention through a sound that balances delicacy with unpredictability. Her music has reached the upper reaches of college radio charts while also finding audiences through SiriusXM and Radio-Canada, achievements that reflect both the accessibility and individuality of her songwriting.

Through her sound, textured arrangements, shifting energies and carefully constructed moods allow each track to operate as its own miniature world, often tinged with a sense of ambiguity. First sharing her studio sound in 2020 with the debut single “Chaque fois,” singles two and three followed before her debut EP, SORTIE, landed in 2023. Following a brief hiatus from sharing her musical vision, this year she’s returned with new material in the build up to a sophomore EP, set to drop in January next year.

Marking her return is her brand new single titled “Sanzaru,” opening the first window into her forthcoming EP. Revolving around a grooving rhythmic flow and punchy guitar work, “Sanzaru” introduces an infectious energy that instantly grabs your attention and holds it across three minutes of catchy pop rock music. Within its inviting surface however lies a more complex emotional context; the song explores the idea of voluntary numbness in response to the overwhelming nature of contemporary life, examining how people sometimes choose disengagement as a coping mechanism when faced with constant noise and uncertainty.

The track draws inspiration from the symbolism of the three wise monkeys, Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru, figures traditionally associated with the principles of seeing no evil, hearing no evil and speaking no evil. Opened by the sweep of stuttering tones, the track jumps into a breezy jam of pulsing bass notes, the crisp snap of drums and Maelydée’s smooth vocal leads which glide above the grooving arrangement to spin memorable melodic leads via rhythmic delivery. Rolling with lightly crunchy guitar chords, danceable energy and slick hooks, “Sanzaru” sees Maelydée make her return in spectacular fashion.

The visual world surrounding the single brings it to life on screen with the music video embracing a conceptual pop aesthetic that moves between saturated pop art imagery and an almost clinical sense of artificial realism. It’s an epic visual pairing that presents a colourful and engaging accompaniment that perfectly matches the music. As she prepares to release her highly anticipated second EP, Maelydée is set to continue going from strength to strength on her exciting musical adventure and we can’t wait to see what she’s got in store for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

We caught up with Maelydée to find out more about her musical journey so far, her new single “Sanzaru” and what she’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Maelydée below.

Hey Maelydée, how’s things?

Hey, everything is great! I have so many exciting projects coming up, and the response to the release of my latest single, “Sanzaru,” has been amazing. So yeah, life is good right now. 🙂

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

That’s a good question. I must have been very little. The way I create usually starts with a melody stuck in my head that just expands and branches out on its own. I’ve had that ability since I was a kid. If I remember correctly, the very first song I wrote happened on my way home from elementary school for lunch. This melody just popped into my head, and I wrote it down in a little notebook as soon as I got home. To my knowledge, or at least as far as I can remember, that was the first melody I ever came up with.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

It’s hard to narrow it down because I listen to so many artists from completely different genres. But what binds them all together and inspires me, despite their different eras, styles, or techniques, is their authenticity and soul. It’s the fact that they truly mean what they say and feel what they play. There’s a profound emotion in their work, especially in their vocal delivery and songwriting, that you can’t necessarily put into words, but you can deeply feel it.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

When it comes to songwriting, I love blending reality with a bit of autofiction. I’ll often take an experience or a feeling from my own life and marry it with a similar situation that a close friend or someone around me is going through. Mixing those elements together creates something much more complex and nuanced. It helps me find fresh angles and new perspectives on themes that can otherwise feel a bit static or overdone, like love, which has been explored millions of times before. So yeah, drawing from the lived experiences of the people around me is a huge source of inspiration.

Other times, it stems from raw, intense emotions. When I’m going through a rough patch or processing something that keeps me up at night, music becomes a way to vent. Like most artists, it’s a tool to unpack my feelings and better understand why I feel the way I do. Ultimately, my inspiration is intimately tied to my emotional world and the stories that surround me, both my own and those of the people in my life.

What do you love about the Quebec music scene?

What I love most about the music scene in Quebec is how young artists are taking French-language music to a global stage. Mixing the French language with a distinct North American sound is something uniquely ours. I just love the sense of unity and the incredible creative energy driving the scene right now.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

It depends on the song, but I’m a huge fan of listening to music while driving or commuting. There’s a sort of bubble that forms when you’re traveling alone, trapped in your own inner world. So, if I had to pick the perfect setting, it would be during a commute on a bus or the subway, just being in motion while deep in your own thoughts.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

My sound has evolved a lot, even though I haven’t been doing this for that long. At first, especially in my songwriting and lyrics, I was heavily influenced by traditional French chanson. But then, I took a major turn toward electronic music, diving into production with DAWs and moving away from organic instrumentation.

With my current sound and the tracks coming up, I feel like I’ve found a beautiful balance between those two worlds. It combines modern, polished electronic production while bringing back that raw, organic feel with live instruments. My lyric writing has matured a lot too. I did some songwriting residencies that really helped me challenge my ideas, push my concepts further, and avoid the obvious choices. I’ve always had good instincts, but I feel like my writing has become much more refined and incisive.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

That is such a tough question, mostly because my answer changes depending on whatever era I’m going through or what specific style I’m obsessed with at the moment. But if I had to choose one, and I think it makes total sense with my musical journey, it would have to be Kevin Parker from Tame Impala.

There’s something about his sound that is constantly evolving. Every time he drops something new, it’s the kind of music you need to listen to a few times to truly dig into and appreciate. His melodies are so clever. He writes with this incredible vulnerability while keeping things super catchy and effective, yet totally off the beaten path. I also love the way he balances electronic and organic elements. Collaborating with him would be a dream. I saw him live once in Montreal, and it was unforgettable.

How did you find making your new single “Sanzaru”?

It was a huge learning experience because it marked the beginning of a shift toward a more organic sound. The core idea behind “Sanzaru” was to focus on solid songwriting. We wanted a track that, if you stripped away all the production and arrangements, would still be incredibly powerful in its simplest form. I think that was the key to making “Sanzaru,” and it’s a philosophy I’m carrying forward. A good song has to stand on its own when stripped bare. You can have the most beautiful arrangements in the world, but if the core song isn’t memorable once you take them away, you need a new idea. “Sanzaru” really gave me that reflex to go back to basics.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

We live in a time where you can wake up any given day feeling like the world is ending. I wanted to share the idea that two conflicting mindsets can coexist. You can be deeply anxious about the future, exhausted by the daily grind, and overwhelmed by a disconnected world, while simultaneously wanting to just unplug and escape so you don’t have to carry that weight all the time. It’s a way of saying it’s okay to feel both. We have the right to tune out, intentionally close our eyes, and numb ourselves to the chaos around us just to survive the day.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

What I love most when I listen to indie pop is falling in love with the vibe and the atmosphere on the first listen, and then falling in love with the song all over again when I actually dive into the lyrics and realize there’s a much deeper meaning. That’s exactly what I want people to get out of my music. I want them to be able to enjoy it passively, like in the background while cooking or cleaning, but also be able to tune in actively, connect with the lyrics, and rediscover the track with a whole new perspective.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

Honestly, I haven’t had the chance to perform my own songs live very much yet, outside of a few contests or music residencies. So, I’m actually going to twist the question a bit: what I’m most looking forward to is getting out there and playing shows. I’ve spent a lot of time tucked away in the studio lately, but the next chapter for me is definitely live performances. I know my best live show is still ahead of me, and that’s what excites me the most!

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

I’d say never settle and never get complacent. Always challenge yourself and keep learning. The moment you sit back and think you know everything is the moment you stop being creative. So yeah, always stay in a headspace where you want to learn, push your boundaries, and grow better every day.

But most importantly, be yourself. When you start out, you’re often looking for your persona, trying to figure out what kind of artist you want to be. Someone once told me something that makes total sense to me now: what you consider to be your biggest flaw is ultimately your greatest asset in this industry. You shouldn’t be afraid of it; you need to embrace it. For a long time, I thought my hypersensitivity was a weakness for this career, but today, I see it as my absolute best asset. It’s all about taking what you think is a weakness and turning it into the unique thing that sets you apart.

Finally, what do you have lined up next?

Next up, I have a second single coming out this fall. It’s going to be accompanied by a major music video directed by a professional director, Matthieu-Olivier de Bessonnet. It’s a highly cinematic, story-driven visual project shot as a one-take, and I can’t wait to share it. After that, my next EP will drop in early 2027. And as I mentioned, we’ll be transitioning into live mode. The goal is to build the live show, hit the stage, play these songs as much as possible, and take them on the road!

Watch the music video for Sanzaru below