ALTERNATIVE POP SINGER-SONGWRITER MADILYN MEI UNVEILS NEW SINGLE & TOUR
July 20 - October 4
Breaking stylistic barriers, Madilyn Mei’s music circulates through a whirlwind of feelings, with theatrical inflection stretching from moments of vulnerability to expressions of vitality. Today, the singer, songwriter, and visual artist unveils her quirky and fantastical new single “What’s Going On?!” via Mercury Records. Listen HERE.
Produced by her longtime creative collaborator Jesse Dill (aka Scrawny), “What’s Going On?!” revolves around a vaudevillian piano melody accented by theremin, synths, guitar, and bass. Along the way, it pulls listeners under the big top and into her whimsically otherworldly sonic circus. Adopting the role of both puppet and puppeteer, Madilyn’s high register instantly transfixes, and she proclaims, “I am an alien, my rocket ship is human bone and skin,” a lyric that sparked a viral fever on TikTok and Instagram, with over 8,000 uses and countless fan-made animations.
The accompanying animated visual nods to classic eighties and nineties claymation, and telling a story just as captivating as the song itself. It embodies themes of loneliness and anxiety, giving viewers a front row seat to the manifestation of these feelings from the perspective of a relatable protagonist on-screen.
Known for building creative worlds around her music, the concept of the video was Madilyn Mei’s brainchild and brought to life by stop-motion animator and co-director Callum Scott-Dyson– watch HERE.
About the single, she shared, “‘What’s Going On?!’ is about feeling different and therefore having a hard time connecting to other people. It also addresses body dysmorphia and gender dysphoria. While writing it, I was exploring some very deep feelings that I’ve personally struggled with. It’s alien-themed, but also more personal than ever.”
Next up, she will support AJR on a massive summer amphitheater tour alongside fellow special guests Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Cavetown, Goth Babe, and Valley. It kicks off on July 20 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, visits major markets coast-to-coast, and concludes on October 4 at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA. Check out the full confirmed itinerary below.
Earlier this year, Madilyn dropped “Poppin Skittles,” which quickly amassed over 1.1 million Spotify streams. Independently, she has impressively reeled in over 100 million streams total.
Now, she amplifies her vision in widescreen with more music to come.
TOUR DATES:
7/20 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/22 Salt Lake City, UT Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
7/24 Denver, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
7/26 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
7/27 Tinley Park, IL Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
7/29 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
7/31 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Center
8/6 Camden, NJ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
8/8 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Amphitheatre
8/9 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
10/4 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
ABOUT MADILYN MEI
The artistry of Madilyn Mei encompasses multiple dimensions of sound, sight, and most importantly, connection. Breaking stylistic barriers, her music circulates through a whirlwind of feelings, with theatrical inflection stretching from moments of vulnerability to expressions of vitality.
The otherworldly production darkens or brightens the mood to match emotional pitch, embedding relatable feelings within a fantastical framework. The Arizona singer-songwriter stresses intense candor and unabashed honesty, exploring grounded and earthly experiences of anxiety, alienation, identity, loneliness, and love. At the same time, her music blasts off into the embrace of extraterrestrial soundscapes and wondrous visuals, all stemming from a singular mind. At 16-years-old, she released her debut song “Stolen Smiles,” paving the way for “Knotted Constellations” and “The Queen.” Single “Let’s Be Friends” became a fan favorite, building additional buzz, before breaking through with 2022’s “Blue Haired Boy,” which has generated 16.5 million Spotify streams to-date.
The latter was the first building block for her debut EP Where No One Knows My Name. In 2023, she maintained her momentum with “The Milk Carton,” which has since amassed 16 million Spotify streams. A series of projects followed, including her full length studio debut To Exist With You [2023], and 2 EPs: Promise You Won’t Scream [2023], and The Bard [2024]. Indicative of her impact, Mei’s fanbase hangs onto every word, going as far as to dress up “fantasy-style” to see her at live shows. It’s no wonder AJR tapped her as support for their 2025 “Somewhere In The Sky Tour.”
Eclipsing over 100 million streams independently and earning critical acclaim, Madilyn Mei fashions a space for these emotions to run free on her forthcoming debut via Mercury Records.