After releasing his debut album Hell’s Kitchen Angel, back in 2016, MAX single-handedly earned his spot in the world of pop music with unforgettable hooks and repeat-worthy tunes. Taking four years off to hone his craft, the singer/songwriter’s sophomore album Colour Vision — which dropped on Friday (September 18) — shows that he’s here to stay… for awhile.
“I’m ecstatic about this album finally being out. It’s truly the most full and special body of work I’ve ever been able to share,” MAX tells Celeb Secrets. “From the collaborations to the sonic landscape I’m so proud of it.”
The 12-track project features his undeniable bop “Love Me Less” ft. Quinn XCII, which is certified Gold in the US, reached #17 at Top 40 radio and has accumulated over 250 million streams worldwide; “Working For The Weekend” feat. bbno$; and his latest single “Blueberry Eyes” with Suga of BTS, which debuted at #1 on YouTube’s Hot List. Within the first 24 hours, “Blueberry Eyes” surpassed more than 6 million global streams and 4 million views on YouTube as well as took up several top trends on Twitter.
Garnering more than 1.2 billion streams and touring the world multiple times, MAX started making waves in 2016 when he yielded an inescapable smash with his 3x platinum hit “Lights Down Low,” which generated over half a billion streams globally, soared on the Billboard Hot 100, reached #7 at Top 40 radio and earned him an iHeartRadio Music Award nomination for “Best New Pop Artist.” He followed the track with “Love Me Less” ft. Quinn XCII, which is certified Gold in the US, reached #17 at Top 40 radio and has accumulated over 250 million streams worldwide.
Celeb Secrets sat down (virtually) with MAX to talk about the real meaning behind Colour Vision, how he’s grown since the release of his debut release Hell’s Kitchen Angel, collaborating with Suga of BTS, bbno$ and AJR and what he hopes fans get out of listening to the new album.
Keep scrolling to see our full Q&A with MAX and let us know what you think of MAX’s new album Colour Vision by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can keep up with MAX by giving him a follow on Instagram at @maxmusic.
Celeb Secrets: Super exciting that your new album is dropping very soon – can you talk to us a little bit about “Colour Vision?”
MAX: “I’m ecstatic about this album finally being out. It’s truly the most full and special body of work I’ve ever been able to share. From the collaborations to the sonic landscape I’m so proud of it.”
CS: Is there a deeper meaning to the name “Colour Vision?” If so, how did you choose it?
MAX: “I had a bit of a trauma in my life where I basically almost lost my voice, and as a singer you can imagine that’s pretty insane. It gave me a totally new perspective. I found a new appreciation for every moment, every show, every second I could do what I love. I woke up from the dark nightmare of a reality into having a whole new vision for my life and the way I wanted to live it. That’s Colour Vision to me.”
CS: Would you say you’ve grown as an artist since releasing your debut album vs “Colour Vision?”
MAX: “Absolutely. I think I’ve learned to trust my gut and fight for my vision overall much more so than from my debut album.”
CS: The project features a ton of tracks with collaborations – how do you go about making those/choosing which artist is the best fit?
MAX: “It usually stems from a friendship, mutual respect, and musical chemistry. If that’s there I just love creating together with other artists and groups I love.”
CS: We want to talk a little bit about two in particular; first being your latest single “Working for The Weekend” with bbno$ and AJR. We love how you enlisted in your friends for both vocals and production. Can you describe what is was like in the writers’ room/studio for that song?
MAX: “AJR have become some of my closest friends in the music world. We just get each other and we really respect each other’s hustle and passion. The song stemmed from that exact feeling and came together so naturally.”
CS: Does working with your friends take priority for you when you’re making music?
MAX: “Honestly if I don’t connect with the people I work with, the work usually isn’t great so I definitely gravitative towards people I get along with well.”
CS: We love that you’re also working with Suga from BTS for yet another song, with it being your record this time. Can you share some of your favorite memories from working with him/anything you may have learned from collaborating together?
MAX: “I just love how music transcends language and it all boils down to the emotion behind what you’re saying. It was such a special and unique experience to create a multi-language track together from separate countries after we had become friends from hanging out in person.”
CS: What do you want your fans/new fans to take away from your album when listening to it?
MAX: “I hope they find the same spark of magic and joy I found in making it with so many wonderful people. That’s what my favorite albums and movies do for me. They spark that joy and inspiration we all crave and make me believe in real life magic again.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any behind-the-scenes secrets from making the album that we wouldn’t know when listening to it?
MAX: “I recorded the majority of the album in a converted garage turned studio in the back of my parents’ house.”
Listen to Colour Vision now:
