Maya Kuriel has stepped into the suffocating emotions of the ocean with her latest single, “Dead Weight.” Stripping herself of the pop glitz, Maya has struck an emotional chord that hopes to resonate with listeners headed or living in a toxic relationship.
“Dead Weight” is Maya Kuriel’s first major release in 2025 and the start of a new, darker era for the rising pop star.
So, does the start of this darker era stick the landing? Or, should Maya head back to the writing room and step back into the Los Angeles sunlight? Let’s find out.
Maya Kuriel’s vocal honesty comes through in waves throughout “Dead Weight,” providing listeners with a beautiful and haunting melodic playground to explore as they swing across each of Maya’s etherical notes collapsing into the waves of desperation, crying out, and painful need to escape.
Maya Kuriel and her writing team of Gavin Hudner and Peyton Incollingo have outdone themselves, as I found myself dissecting each lyric as they escaped Maya’s lips. “Keep on dragging us down, but you blame me” hit me like the freeway scene from Final Destination 2; cratering my soul as my own experiences with toxicity flowed freely from one ear into the other.
“Dead Weight” is painfully beautiful, and though shadowed in darkness, it is a ray of light for those still finding the strength to escape and find themselves anew. The haunting heartbeat-style beats bouncing throughout the track provide the needed backdrop to fully make this release one of Maya’s best to date.
To answer my initial question, Maya Kuriel’s latest single, “Dead Weight,” sticks the landing perfectly to kick off this new complex era that’s sure to be filled with dark memories and sun-filled half-smile endings. Through the pain and suffocating beauty, there’s always an escape rope somewhere in the darkness, and “Dead Weight” could be the musings and self-reflections needed to make one’s own escape plan out of the toxic zone.
If you’d like to hear even more about the makings of “Dead Weight,” check out Maya’s social media post where the talented artist goes a little more in-depth on the track and her upcoming era.
