Words by Katherine Cardinale
Indie pop sensation MARIS has teamed up with fellow artist Caroline Kingsbury to release her latest single, “Give Me A Sign,” and it’s the ultimate queer pining anthem. MARIS, who is originally from Montana, moved to Los Angeles in 2021 to pursue a career in the music industry. Since then, MARIS has released a number of singles, as well as a six-track EP titled Gravity. Her mission as an artist is to “connect with listeners through her candid experiences as a queer and emotionally vulnerable songwriter with an ‘80s-inflected pop universe and beats you can’t help but dance along to.”
This latest installment in MARIS’ discography solidifies her ability to create addicting, relatable songs about themes like love and growing up. “Give Me A Sign” effortlessly blends MARIS’s songwriting abilities with instrumentals that will make you press play on the track again and again. The single features fresh vocals over a fun beat, and it is both thematically and sonically reminiscent of songs by artists like Chappell Roan, MUNA, and Jenna Doe. In the second verse of “Give Me A Sign,” Maris sings “I’m not one of the boys / Don’t get me wrong, I wanna make you feel good,” proving it to be especially relatable for queer people who have experienced unrequited love and felt as though they have had to compete against an unrealistic standard when cruising on someone. A highlight of the song is the bridge, which builds as the two artists repetitively sing the title of the song, which emphasizes the pining and desperate nature of the track. This eventually builds up and smoothly transitions into the final chorus, which is layered on top of the bridge and creates a powerful outro to the song.
MARIS has done a fantastic job of creating touching music that is for queer people and about queer people and maintains both a lighthearted and fun tone rather than heartbroken or sad, which leaves her fans feeling empowered and optimistic after listening to her diverse discography of songs. “Give Me A Sign” is available to stream wherever you get your music, and you can catch MARIS this spring opening for Maude Latour on The Sugar Water Tour all across North America!
Loudspeaker Collective 