Maya J'an Shares 'Pocket Knife' Lyric Video

(Warner) Emerging alt-pop auteur Maya J'an returns with her dreamy second single, "pocketknife," out now via Soulpower Records / Warner Records. Another example of the Los Angeles singer-songwriter's ability to gorgeously poeticize the complexities of her inner world, the song plays out like a quiet war between self-preservation and the visceral pull of burgeoning love.

Produced by Benjamin Greenspan and Jordan Brooks, "pocketknife" opens on tense strings that relax into a warm, loping groove - meeting Maya where she is as she looks both sidelong and longingly at an unfolding romance. "I sleep on top of a pocket knife, he's got me dreaming there is more to life," she coos. "What in the fresh sam hell is this? Some sort of peace, some kind of bliss." Her gossamer vocals belie the sharp edge she can't fully shed.

"'pocketknife' is a song about what happens when a guarded heart accidentally starts to feel safe," says Maya. "It lives in the space between toughness and tenderness, when you've spent your whole life sleeping with one eye open and suddenly someone makes you wonder what it would be like to rest. Survival means staying sharp, but love arrives anyway, not loudly but just enough to disrupt the armor. 'pocketknife' is a ballad that doesn't pretend love fixes you. It just captures the moment when love makes you feel something new, wanting peace while keeping a blade within reach, trusting someone while still knowing how easily it could all fall apart."

The song is a powerful companion to her inaugural January release, "cul-de-sac," a tribute to Maya's hometown of Pasadena and the pieces of her childhood that were lost in the fires that devastated the region just one year prior. Billboard dubbed the single "a striking debut," while

LADYGUNN quipped, "Maya J'an turns ashes into art." Meanwhile, 1883 Magazine wrote, "Maya J'an is one of the most interesting voices in [music], turning personal observation into vivid, evocative songwriting... Every element feels purposeful[,] an intoxicating soundscape that draws listeners fully into Maya's musical world, one that feels immersive and hard to leave."

Maya arrives as an artist in 2026 after establishing herself as a behind-the-scenes force. Her songwriting prowess has put her in the room with the likes of Pharrell, SAINt JHN, and Justine Skye, among others. Her credits include Aqyila's "Bloom," which won Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year at the 2025 Juno Awards. She was moved to release her new music at the urging of her social media followers after she vulnerably shared a snippet last summer.

Every thoughtful lyric and captivating melody is written by Maya herself, with each song beginning as a diary entry that's then carefully molded to musical structure. A multi-faceted artist who is fearless when it comes to sharing herself, she also maintains a Substack full of photos, words, and deeper context - an extension of the close relationship that she's nurtured with her online community, whom she considers her collaborators. Stay tuned for more from Maya J'an.

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