Coming out of New York City’s Upper West Side, singer-songwriter Madeline Rhodes has already made a significant impact in the pop music world. Raised amidst the challenges of a home marked by mental illness and addiction, Madeline found refuge and self-expression in the art of songwriting, using music as a therapeutic outlet.
After pursuing performing arts at NYU and making her mark on Broadway, television, and film, she transitioned to sharing her personal stories through music. Debuting as MuMu in 2018 with the feminist anthem “Free the Nip,” Madeline used her music as a platform for activism, earning recognition in prestigious publications like The New York Times, Variety, IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter.
Her music found its way into mainstream pop culture, featuring in Netflix’s Big Mouth and the groundbreaking film Best Summer Ever, where she co-wrote all the music. Now she’s ushering in the next chapter of her exciting musical story, venturing out under her own name and changing her artistic focus to deliver a stark shift in her sonic output.
Currently gearing up for the release of a full-length album later this year, the upcoming record promises to cover the intricacies of mental illness as a family disease, threaded with tales of betrayal, sickness, loss and love. Bringing us the first taste of the forthcoming LP and unveiling her new direction to the world, she shares the album’s lead single and first track under her own name with “Bailing on Your Birthday.”
Departing from the typical celebration anthems of her previous work, this song is about the complete opposite, taking care of your mental health and having a better time by avoiding a debaucherous lifestyle. Maintaining her trademark sound of infectious pop songwriting and grooving rhythm, “Bailing on Your Birthday” serves up an instantly catchy sound instilled with a message of mental wellbeing.
Kicked off with a punchy stab of guitar chords, grooving drums and pulsing bass guitar work, Madeline’s bright vocal leads glide above threading hook-driven melodies carrying lyricism that explains why she missed a friend’s birthday bash to focus on her own mental health. Floating through a disco-inflected pop scene, she crafts a shimmering arrangement packed full of danceable rhythm and capped by her elegant vocals, resulting in a memorable sound that marks her new direction in spectacular fashion.
With her upcoming full-length record set to drop later this year, 2024 will no doubt see Madeline Rhodes go from strength to strength as she shares her thrilling sound. Commenting on writing the single, she shares, “It was my best friend’s birthday and I was having a terrible depressive episode. I called her after the party had already started and told her I wasn’t coming. She was pissed and I was like ‘it’s not always about you!!!’…on her birthday. Rude. But also kinda true? I wrote this song as an explanation for my absence at her party. I hope that when she hears it, she forgives me.”
Listen to Bailing on Your Birthday below
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