Mae Stephens explores her personal experience with ADHD and celebrates it in her newest single. The eponymous track shares her ideology that “disorder” is not the correct word to describe her. For her entire life, she has felt that she has been “treading water” in her own brain, well aware that she learns differently than others. But now, rather than viewing this as a negative trait, she perceives it as a positive attribute to her personality. Throughout the track, Stephens describes what it is like to have a constant flow of new hyper-fixations and how it feels to be overstimulated. Nevertheless, she refuses to believe that disorder is an accurate term to describe her. In the second verse, she picks apart the acronym, agreeing that the words “attention”, “deficit,” and “hyperactive” accurately describe her. However, when she gets to “disorder,” she rejects this idea. Instead, she sings: “And disorder is the wrong term// It’s just my normality.” For her, ADHD is not something that is wrong with her but instead a positive trait that she is grateful for. It is what makes her who she is and she would never want to change a thing. With her insightful lyrics, she not only reshapes the way she looks at ADHD but also inspires listeners who resonate to do the same.
“ADHD” is an infectious alt-pop track that utilizes a smooth bassline and Stephen’s compelling voice to effortlessly mesmerize listeners. While the music instantly catches the listener’s attention, there was a unique component to the production that stood out to me. The moment the track begins, the instrumentation starts with the sound of voices chattering in the background, as if multiple conversations are occurring at a party or a restaurant. This remains constant throughout the entire track, subtle enough where if you are not trying to listen for it, it is nearly undetectable. This is a brilliant addition to the song, emulating what if feels like to have ADHD. The thoughts never stop racing and there is never peace within their heads. Stephens’ ingenious inclusion of this element to the production creates another extraordinary layer to the song. Alongside the funk-pop soundscape, “ADHD” is a flawlessly crafted track that has all the right ingredients to provide Stephens with another viral hit single.
Mae Stephens is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from the UK. She made her debut in 2023 with her smash hit, “If We Ever Broke Up”. The song blew up on TikTok earning its spot as the second most popular song on the platform for 2023. Additionally, the single has nearly one billion streams worldwide and the singer has over 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify—an impressive feat for a debut artist. 2024 will be a new year of beginnings, including her very first headlining show at Colours, Hoxton on February 27th. Get tickets here and follow her on all socials to remain up-to-date with any new releases and announcements!
Written By Karlee Skipper
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