Maya Hawke is back with a new song, “Dark,” the latest single from her upcoming album, Chaos Angel.
Arriving alongside a cinematic music video, “Dark” is the latest sample of Hawke’s poetic songcraft, seeing her tackle the topic of fragile new love. Beginning with an acoustic arrangement, the tune blossoms into an indie rock groove colored by a growling guitar and punchy snare, with Hawke’s voice layered overtop.
Speaking about the single’s meaning, Hawke said, “‘Dark’ is a cut and dry love song about a relationship struggling to find its footing. It’s about trying to sort out the mixed bag of history and pain two people bring into a new love to find the path forward.”
Hawke also offered insight into the production of “Dark,” explaining that the “chorus was written a few years ago when I was going through a particularly debilitating bout of bedtime anxiety.” Continuing, she said, “I would lay in bed with the fear that if I let myself fall asleep, my brain would forget how to breathe and I would die in my sleep. I saw a doctor who told me that I had to become okay with dying. He said if I accepted it, I would be able to sleep and would likely… not die. He was right, I didn’t die. And I wrote this song to celebrate it.”
“Dark” follows the previous Chaos Angel single, “Missing Out,” which arrived alongside the album’s announcement last month, and was performed by Hawke on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this month. Chaos Angel itself is due on May 31st via Mom + Pop. Pre-orders are ongoing.
Meanwhile, Hawke has live shows coming up in Nashville and Atlanta. Grab tickets here.
