If you’ve been on TikTok for a brief moment this year, you’ve probably heard “If We Ever Broke Up,” the addictive attitude-filled alt-pop song that’s been dominating the platform.
Its creator, 19-year-old Kettering artist Mae Stephens, was bombarded with messages to release the song in its entirety, and now, 2023’s alt-pop hit is out!
The huge viral hit has amassed over 10 million views on TikTok since Mae first shared a snippet on New Year’s Eve, and interest in the song has only grown. It’s also far from a unique moment, with more than 200,000 monthly listeners on Spotify listening to songs Mae previously shared.
The perfect goodbye kiss to an ex, “If We Ever Broke Up” has been captivating fans at an incredible pace thanks to its sensuous attitude and addictive synth melodies. Mae says: “It was written from the perspective of if I was still with my ex-boyfriend and if I had the attitude and experience that I have now when I was 16 I would have done all this and told his dad what he did. ”, he explains. “I think deep down all people want to tell their shitty ex’s dad what they did. I read a lot of comments from people saying that this song helped them get over the breakup because it gave them that boss energy!”
Before Mae woke up on New Year’s Day to find that her song was taking the online world by storm, Mae had found solace and refuge in her music production between shifts at Asda. A songwriter since the age of 12, Mae has turned to music to guide her through the difficulties of teenage life, pouring out her heart into moving and impactful songs written on her grandmother’s old piano.
“I used to get really angry as a kid and I had a lot of pent-up tension, especially when I got home from school,” she explains. “I tried really hard to find what would help me break free from all these – things like judo, skiing, cycling. I tried so many things until I got to writing songs. Being able to sit down, close the door, not have anyone next to me, and just have some space to think and vent my emotions into something creative was probably the only thing that really helped me at school besides my brother.”
The target of cruel bullying, Mae’s school years were far from easy, having been picked on for being the “loud, quirky girl”. When classmates discovered her YouTube channel, she shared her original songs and covers, but every video she shared provoked more hate and evil. Overcoming evil with the help of music and her brother, Mae was “determined to move on and prove many people wrong.”
Now, Gen Z has found a new champion in Mae Stephens – an artist ready to use her voice to help others and provide the same kind of reassurance with her music as she did when she first started writing: “A lot of kids probably go through for things that are much worse than what I went through and do not have as much prominence as they should”, she says. “Seeing kids go through this and not having anyone to look up to is something I really hope I can help. I want to be the champion of the underdog – Mae’s misfits.”
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