From YouTube to the Stage: mxmtoon Lights Up The Majestic Theater
March 18th, mxmtoon brought the ‘Liminal Space Tour’ to the Majestic Theater in Detroit with special guest Juliet Ivy. This lineup promised an unforgettable night and certainly delivered on every front.
Opening the night was the talented Juliet Ivy. Known for her indie-pop melodies and dreamy vocals, Ivy’s set was absolutely fantastic. She brought an intimate yet high-energy vibe to The Majestic Theater, setting the perfect tone for the night ahead. Beginning her music career at only twenty-two and coming from a Columbian-Chinese background, Ivy is paving her way into the indie scene one song at a time.
Ivy is known for blending a variety of music into one seamless sound, everything from hyperpop to indie to R&B. Despite being new on the scene, Ivy’s opening song of choice, “Breakfast Song,” immediately had the crowd smitten with her presence. Her clever mixture of soft, upbeat melodies with whimsical lyrics hinting at a deeper undertone truly showcased her lyrical prowess, offering a song you can dance to at face value but one you can relate to past the surface.
Ivy’s second song, “Bestfriend,” mixed hyperpop beats with her enchanting vocals, giving it that almost daydreamy feeling that fans yearn for. The song was both heartfelt and fun at the same time, highlighting the nature of loving without pretense and laughing without worry. The final song I had the pleasure of photographing “is it my face?” off of Ivy’s first EP, ‘tiny but scary.’
She slowed it down a bit with the gentle, lulling backtrack of a ukulele combined with tear-jerking lyrics. Although it was a stark contrast to her previous songs, it was just as genuine. Ivy’s personal experiences bled into every song as she poured her heart out on stage, and the audience was just as enraptured by her as I was. Keep an eye on Juliet Ivy, because she might just be the next big name on the indie-pop scene!
Finally, mxmtoon. The online indie-pop sensation’s performance was nothing short of magical. Her voice, paired with her charming stage presence, made the night feel intimate despite the environment of The Majestic Theater. mxmtoon originally began releasing her music in private in 2017, though soon after the internet had accepted her with arms open wide, rising to stardom nearly overnight.
Once the California-based singer’s online presence became too large to ignore, she quickly got to work, and just a year later released her first EP, ‘Plum Blossom.’ mxmtoon has always been regarded as indie-pop, often categorized in the lo-fi genre thanks to her melodious ukulele riffs combined with her emotionally transparent lyrics. However, the young star has since showcased her true musical range, debuting her first full album, ‘Masquerade,’ in 2019.
In 2020, the singer released the twin EPs ‘dawn & dusk’ and, just two years later, her second album, ‘Rising.’ mxmtoon has branched out into the subgenres of bedroom pop and folk-pop, and it has been nothing short of impressive how she has gone from internet sensation to lo-fi staple in a matter of just years.
mxmtoon opened her set with the song “dramatic escape” from her latest album ‘liminal space,’ released in 2024. With a relaxed beat and minimalist yet effective instrumentals, the crowd embraced her by singing along to every passionate word that fell from her lips. The song, while simple in its essence, captures the idea of stagnating with personal growth, of one preferring to stay exactly as they are solely because they cannot have immediate change. As she puts it, she would rather “keep planning her dramatic escape.”
mxmtoon’s next song, “i hate texas,” had an almost swing feeling to it, with sultry saxophone luring the audience into the opening notes and leaving them hanging on her every word. The lyrics have an almost frustrated tone about them despite her heavenly vocals, touching on the topic of reclaiming one’s own life despite the hurt left by another; a song about taking back your own life yet never truly forgetting. While the first two songs had been slower, mxmtoon sped up the beat a bit as the beginning notes of “prom dress” began to play, causing a roaring cheer to erupt from the audience.
“prom dress” was a fun, upbeat song, despite the depth of its lyrics, and has also become wildly famous on platforms universally, especially TikTok. The song has earned mxmtoon over 310 million listens on Spotify alone and has become a well-known and well-loved classic on indie-pop playlists across social media. The crowd was eating it up, dancing and singing along to every word, as mxmtoon took the stage by storm with this all-time fan favorite. It was an absolute joy to get to photograph the infamous mxmtoon herself and to witness her talent firsthand. When she comes to town, it’s a no-brainer to go see her live!
Altogether, the show was absolutely phenomenal! Between rising star Juliet Ivy’s whimsical, fun beats to mxmtoon’s heartfelt, passionate lyricism, these two women have taken the world by storm for indie-pop and lo-fi lovers alike. I was enamored with their performances, especially mixed with the moody ambiance of The Majestic Theater. If you have the chance to see them live, it’s safe to say, you don’t want to miss out