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Photo: Roc Nation

Featuring production from Pharrell and KAYTRANADA and impressive features from the likes of Lucky Daye, Ty Dolla $ign, and Free Nationals, Maeta takes us back to the bare bones of R&B in her sultry love-drenched project, When I Hear Your Name.

Signed to Roc Nation, the Indianapolis native is a promising voice in the genre, using this album as an opportunity to distinguish herself from up-and-coming to fully arrived. Opening with the James Fauntleroy-assisted ballad “Sexual Love,” Maeta wastes no time letting the world know she’s not concerned with feigning humility; she’s a powerful vocalist, and her pen is mighty.

Living at the intersection of pop and soul, When I Hear Your Name doesn’t shy from exploring the depths of a heart brave enough to confront the jagged edges of love, even when it’s accompanied by fleeting bliss. If you’re falling in or out of love, surviving it, or peeking hopefully through its haze, there’s a part of yourself you’ll find in Maeta’s unraveling. She’s a student of love, telling stories of every wrong corner turned.

“S(EX)”, which reimagines Floetry’s “Say Yes,” is a cleverly written story of that one lover stained in your sheets, one you’re not even sure you want to scrub away in the first place. “Cool Cat” pays homage to QUEEN’s original rendition, while the KAYTRANDA-produced “Questions“ is an infectious dance track, yet not at the expense of a narrative riddled with longing and desire. Every song presents a different shade of intimacy, whether at its most potent or painfully fading. 

“Through The Night” closes out the album, showcasing Maeta delivering vocals so commanding it’s difficult not to be entranced. In a genre saturated with acts fighting to prove why they’re the most worthy of peering eyes, Maeta has let her talent speak for itself in When I Hear Your Name.

Listen to When I Hear Your Name below: