Following the release of ‘Streetlights’ – his first track on Polydor – Joey Maxwell is sharing his latest R&B-tinged indie-pop bop, ‘my self’.

“’my self’ continues thematically from where Streetlights left off, it’s a song ultimately about introspection and the attempt to resist being too self-analytical,” he explains. “In a digital age where perfect body types and flawlessness are projected almost every time you open social media, it becomes a rabbit hole for unhealthy comparisons and illegitimate metrics of success.

At the time I wrote it I was feeling quite stagnant and uncomfortable with my own journey and, as much as I knew and still know, that it’s counterproductive to constantly compare yourself to other people, it felt sometimes unavoidable. Throughout the song, there is a realisation that perhaps it’s not better to be ‘someone else’ – however much I deep my own insecurities they are MINE and I have to own who I am.

The slowed-down garage beat plays a bit of a homage to the formulative sounds of growing up and being a young person in ldn and I think this has more of a club tune vibe which is something that I want to explore as I develop.

I hope anyone who listens to ‘my self’ is able to explore any level of introspection or find relief in it. I also hope that me being a man and being honest about insecurities and body positivity can maybe help continue a conversation that still seems to be stigmatised between men with stupid fucking constructs like toxic masculinity.”

Check it out below.