Album Review: Mae Muller – Sorry I’m Late
3 min read
Mae Muller released her debut album, Sorry I’m Late on Universal and Capitol records, following her 2023 Eurovision Song Contest appearance, where she represented the UK with I Wrote a Song. The album title, Sorry I’m Late, suggests the London-born artist is unapologetic in delivering at her own pace, but also serves an unintended apology, as the album was released 2 weeks after scheduled release date!
A catchy bass greats you in the up-tempo opening track, I Just Came to Dance, but swiftly Muller changes tack, to a slower arrangement, covering the rejection of a guy who clearly had unreciprocated feelings for her – Sorry Daniel! The tables have turned in Bitch with a Broken Heart, where Mae takes the turn of lover scorned ‘now I am coming for you in all my songs, there’s nothing you can do’. The infamous Eurovision entry I Wrote a Song follows, with everything you’d expect from a Eurovision pop song, whilst Me, Myself & I champions the upside of being single. Both Tatiana & Somebody New have really upbeat melodies but quite sombre lyrical content about losing out on a guy.
The second down tempo track of the album, I Wish I Could Hate You and following tune Little Bit Sad covers the trials and feelings of that post-breakup, whilst MTJL is a stripped back acoustic song about being ok with not being everything you could want to be (and my favourite track on the album). That moment mentally when a relationship is over is the subject of Breathe, semi-upbeat lyrically and a lovely light synth arrangement. This is followed in Mae’s relationship cycle by Something Real, an excellent song about getting your dopamine hit from dating apps, but craving something more than the vacuousness feelings being judged through a screen.
Feel good anthems Nervous (In a Good Way) & Better Days (with Neiked and Polo G) tackle the nerves of early dating and the want for it getting less casual, whilst Porn Lied to Us, the second acoustic arrangement of the album, deals with the realities of intimacy vs the expectation built by the adult entertainment industry, and is very honest and well written. The Realities of being a woman against the implied and sometimes self-imposed standards is well covered in Miss America, whilst finally, Written by a Woman is about that ‘too good to be true’ guy.
On the face of things, you would presume Sorry I’m Late to be a collection of short pop songs, with the expectation that the content would be little more than catchy and superficial – you would be totally incorrect to think this, however! The deeper I went into the album, the more it became obvious that Muller is not simply a gifted singer, but actually a gifted singer-songwriter. Her lyrics are relatable and thought-provoking, and will be easy for her listeners to feel a connection to her though some immersive storytelling. Muller’s impressive debut album is an authentic exploration into the complexities of life and love for young adults, and is a must-listen for lovers of honest, soulful pop.
Mae Muller may be sorry she’s late, but with her debut it’s clearly a case of better late than never!
