A chAt With Mae Muller on “Sorry I’M Late”
BY GITIKA SANJAy (She/THey)Mae Muller is unafraid to be vulnerable - and she’s ready to show it to the world. The London-born singer-songwriter has already built a rich musical career at only 26, having represented the United Kingdom at Eurovision, released three EPs, and collaborated with artists such as Neiked and Polo G, but Sorry I’m Late marks a turning point in her journey. Her debut album, Sorry I’m Late is an 18-song exploration of the multiplicity of women and of Muller’s own depth.
Out Jamz had the opportunity to speak with Muller prior to the release of the album on her thoughts about the process and writing of the songs themselves. It was clear from the start that Muller is, beyond anything else, striving to show her authenticity through her new project. “I sound more sure of myself [now],” she commented when asked about the album. “I think before, when I first started writing music, it was all very much - ‘I take no sh**, you can’t break my heart, I’m this strong-arse woman and I’ve got this… - but I wasn’t that person all the time…that was my version of a strong woman.”
However, in Sorry I’m Late, Muller is turning away from this past persona. “In this album,” she continued, “I’m showing my vulnerability and exposing things that are a little bit scary, but what I’ve got out of it is that it doesn’t just show one version of me - it’s all the in-betweens and sometimes it’s not so pretty.” She described her evolution as the “main difference” between Sorry I’m Late and her previous works: she’s embracing her vulnerability and “finding the power in that.”
The multifacetedness of the album is reflected not only in the songs, but in the extensive visuals Muller and her team crafted leading up to the release. The LP cover features Muller - or rather, several versions of Muller - sitting around a table. Each is dressed strikingly: one with curly hair and a crown, another with a bob and a sweeping pastel dress. Muller spoke on the concept, sharing that “each of the characters represents a song on the album, and all the different versions of me and sides of me that it’s taken for me to get [here].” The portrayals of Muller vary noticeably in posture, look, and dress - and according to the singer, it’s all intentional. For example, she described the character of “B**** with a Broken Heart” as “intimidating and strong…in this all black latex look…visually quite intimidating but she knows what she’s doing.” Yet, in contrast, the gentler tune “Maybe That’s Just Life” is a “lot more vulnerable, and she’s literally in her pajamas sitting around the table.”
“Maybe That’s Just Life” is a special song for Muller - it was her favorite to write on the album. “It wasn’t really even a song,” she shared, “it’s not really like there’s a verse, [then] pre-chorus, [then] chorus - it’s just an output of emotions, and I think it was just so therapeutic to write.” The song is stripped-back sonically, featuring Muller singing over a gentle backing piano and guitar. It allows the lyrics to take center-stage, as well as Muller’s intended message: “Living on this earth, we’re all under this insane amount of pressure,” she said. “It’s okay, to have those bad days where everything is wrong, and you feel a bit like a failure…writing that song was just like accepting [it] and being like - you know what? Whatever happens, it’s okay, and tomorrow might be better. It probably will be better.”
Sorry I’m Late is a celebration: of female power, of emotion, and above all, of the strength of vulnerability. Through 18 songs, Muller ties together stories of her own struggles, growing confidence, grief, peace, and joy. It’s an oxymoron, according to her. “Even though I’m being really vulnerable, and I’m being open about my insecurities and what I would change about myself - in doing that, I sound a lot more sure of myself. I know who I am, and I’m not afraid of that.”
Sorry I’m Late is out now to stream on all major streaming platforms.