The moment you decide to put some headphones on and listen to Makhyli’s fierce single “Breaking Bad,” feelings of excitement naturally begin to take the wheel. The singer/songwriter on the rise is making music for “volatile feelers,” and those who refuse to ignore their emotions. After all, emotions are what make us human, and what drives our creativity.
As a former member of the girl group Boys World, Makhyli saw the release of her first solo single “Breaking Bad” to not only be an opportunity for a re-introduction to the pop music landscape, but a creative rebirth too. “I’m so glad that I’m able to have this moment,” Makhyli said. “I feel like it’s really a defining time in my life right now. It’s a whole era of just transformation.”
Growing up, Makhyli was always artistically inclined, and knew very early on that she wanted to become a singer. “It was really wild because I didn’t have any reason to be that way,” she confessed. “It’s not like my mom was like ,Yeah, you should be a singer. This is what you should do.’ I kind of just got it downloaded in my brain when I was about one year old. I started by singing in the back of my car seat. I would sing Keisha Cole and Alicia Keys, and my mom was like, ‘What the heck? Is that baby, like, singing along? What’s going on?’”
Makhyli’s passion and vision for her future remained the same as she grew older. However, this also came with a need to step outside of her comfort zone. Makhyli regarded herself to be quite shy as a child, which could be seen as an issue for someone with aspirations to be a performer.
“I was the most shy person that you would ever meet in the entire world,” she said. “It was catastrophic. So, to want to be a singer and perform on stage, it didn’t really add up.”
Eager to help her daughter succeed, Makhyli’s mom coached her to curb her shyness and boost her confidence. She promised Makhyli that if she followed her lead, she would soon be able to audition for her first musical at school. For example, if Makhyli was at a store and wanted to buy a T-shirt, she’d make Makhyli walk up to the cashier and ask to buy a shirt. She would guide Makhyli do things like this day after day, until she eventually broke out of her shell.
As an artist, Makhyli now loves being able to let loose on stage and feel a sense of freedom. “There’s this energy that I can’t describe, and I feel like you only understand if you’ve performed before or if you’ve done something in that capacity,” she said. “There’s just some other being that joins me and is like, ‘Hey, I got you. Let’s do this!’”
Makhyli adores larger than life visuals and building her own world that listeners can immerse themselves in. Produced by her boyfriend Robbie, Makhyli’s single “Breaking Bad” is an empowering pop anthem that encourages listeners to chase after what they want in life.
“This record is really special to me because I feel like it really was my first thoughts,” she said. “It was my first instinct. It represents me breaking out of my shell and into a whole new lane and direction, because this sound is really different from what I’ve done before in the group. I feel like it was really important to not overthink it, to be authentic, to say things that came to me. Some of the lyrics were wild and I was like, you know what? Forget it. Just put it out.”
At the end of the day, Makhyli wants to encourage her fans to be bold and unapologetically themselves. Although the music world can be intimidating at times, she realizes that she is a musician for a reason, and pushing through to accomplish your goals is the only option. Makhyli also urges aspiring artists to be open with their ideas, and don’t be afraid to share them!
Makhyli said, “There’s a wide spectrum of emotions, and I feel like that’s really beautiful. There’s so much power in feeling your emotions to the 10th degree. That’s like when I said, ‘I’ll have it, I want it, castrate it, jump on it.” You’re probably not supposed to say that, but in the moment, I was like… oh my gosh. The feeling of getting cheated on, I’d want the man castrated. That’s how I feel, and sometimes I do think that I could qualify as ‘off.’ I’m proud of it! As long as I can use it in my music and know that someone out there relates to it in some way, I’m going to keep doing that.”
Listen to “Breaking Bad” on Spotify now, and keep up with Makhyli on Instagram @makhyli!
Article featured image photo credit: @yvesrobbie
WOULD YOU RATHER?
Makhyli answers a few “Would You Rather” questions just for you!
Would you rather wear clown shoes every day, or a cape made out of bubble wrap?
Oh, gosh. The bubble wrap just sounds so annoying. I can hear it in my head… but clown shoes are like six feet long. I feel like that would be a statement. I could really work with that, you know? I could make it cool in some way. Bubble wrap, I would lose my mind.
Would you rather only be able to eat soup with a fork, or cereal with a spatula?
I feel like I can maneuver the spatula. I don’t have time to be forking soup. I’m sorry, but no. Give me some dry cerebral and I’ll make it work. I probably wouldn’t eat it that often, but in dire conditions.
Would you rather wear a suit of armor made out of bubble gum that sticks to everything, or a hat that grows mushrooms when it rains?
MUSHROOMS. I would just avoid the rain at all costs, you know? Maybe sometimes I wouldn’t mind mushrooms, like if I ordered a pizza and knew I could eat all of this. But sticking to everything? Oh my God. That’s bacteria though. That’s a nightmare, actually.
Would you rather have a nursery rhyme as a personal theme song that plays loudly every time you enter a room, or a pet parrot that narrates your life in a pirate accent?
All the time? Narrating my whole life? I would need a break. I feel like every time you walk into a room though… What if you’re walking into a funeral or something or a library? But the bird… the parrot in the pirate voice? This is the hardest question I’ve ever answered. I think I would choose the nursery rhyme.