{"id":17319,"date":"2025-06-10T16:19:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T14:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=17319"},"modified":"2025-06-12T23:59:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:59:34","slug":"no-labels-no-limits-meet-mayaa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/17319\/no-labels-no-limits-meet-mayaa\/","title":{"rendered":"No Labels, No Limits: Meet MAYAA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Coming up to the Donauinselfest Viennese indie artist, MAYAA, steps up to perform her passion music. From self-producing in her local community studio in Hirschstetten to the stage of the biggest free entry festival worldwide, she draws inspiration from her life to write into her songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(MAYAA working on song lyrics on her notes app. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
(MAYAA before she takes the stage doing her makeup. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
(MAYAA performing on the iconic U4 stage. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
(MAYAA singing for the crowd. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Maya Wopienka (stage name: MAYAA) is a 25-year-old artist from Vienna who\u2019s steadily making a name for herself in the local music scene. With a background in acting and a hands-on approach to music production, she writes and performs songs that are deeply personal, genre-fluid, and unapologetically honest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether she\u2019s performing at a youth center, at the iconic U4 club, or on one of Austria\u2019s biggest festival stages, MAYAA brings the same energy: raw, relatable, and real. Her music bridges genres with fearless creativity – blending catchy pop melodies with the pulse of EDM, while never shying away from experimentation. Singing in both English and German, she crafts songs that are as emotionally charged as they are sonically bold.
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(MAYAA walking to the spot where she swam in the lake growing up. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From early on, the stage was calling. \u201cI watched Hannah Montana and knew: that\u2019s what I want.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAYAA grew up surrounded by art, her father was a theater actor and a writer, her mother is a musician and painter recreationally. She drew inspiration from her life experiences, including her near death drowning in a lake near to her home, Hirschstetten. One distinct memory comes from the time her mother thought she was practicing swimming, \u201cI almost drowned. I was eight, couldn\u2019t swim. A girl flipped the mattress I was lying on. I thought: this is it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(MAYAA pointing to the lake she grew up swimming in and almost drowned in. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That memory later became the emotional core of her song L\u00fcgenmeer<\/a>. \u201cI wanted to translate that feeling of losing control into music \u2013 but in a way others could relate to. So the water became a metaphor: a sea of lies you\u2019re drowning in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(MAYAA posed in front of the lake. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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(A wide shot photo of MAYAA at the lake. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before the show, MAYAA becomes the performer. \u201cI\u2019m nervous, but you\u2019ll never see it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Makeup, setlist, breathing exercises. The routine helps, but the nerves are real, \u201cMy throat hurts days before. My body knows what\u2019s coming.\u201d Still, she loves the stage. \u201cI grew up with it. I know how to own it. And I want every show to feel different \u2013 for me and for the audience. I want my friends and family to experience something new every time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(MAYAA painting stars on her cheek. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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(MAYAA’s jewelry and makeup. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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(MAYAA doing her makeup. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The death of her father marked a turning point. \u201cI quit my job. I needed time.\u201d
She returned to the youth center in her hometown she used to visit as a teen \u2013 specifically, the basement studio. \u201cI asked if I could use it. Then I locked myself in there for seven hours a day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(MAYAA adjusting the microphone stand for her performance. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonatha Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
(MAYAA engaging with the audience. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
(The crowd watching MAYAA’s performance. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
(MAYAA singing from from her chest. June, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
(Someone in the crowd recording MAYAA’s performance. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where her first songs were born. Later, she met producers, recorded her debut single, and began shaping her sound. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to just be someone\u2019s plus-one in the industry. I wanted to find my own way.\u201d Her songs are rooted in real stories: A best friend lost in romantic illusions. A father who left behind words and wisdom. A heartbreak that took years to process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MAYAA will perform next on June 19th at the G5 Livebar, followed by her biggest concert yet on June 20th at Donauinselfest \u2013 Austria\u2019s largest open-air music festival. \u201cI never thought I\u2019d get to play there. Three million people \u2013 it\u2019s huge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the stage, she\u2019s working on new songs and producing a YouTube series where she breaks down her lyrics and creative process. \u201cI want people to understand what\u2019s behind the songs \u2013 how they were made, what they mean.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(MAYAA performing. May, 2025. Photograph by Jonathan Eugster)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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(After the show, MAYAA hugging friends. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite her growing presence, MAYAA stays grounded. \u201cI don\u2019t do this for the money. I have a job working with kids and teens, and I love it. Music is my heart project. If one person connects with a song \u2013 that\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(MAYAA closing the stage. May, 2025. Photograph by Jadie Leung)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coming up to the Donauinselfest Viennese indie artist, MAYAA, steps up to perform her passion music. From self-producing in her local community studio in Hirschstetten to the stage of the biggest free entry festival worldwide, she draws inspiration from her life to write into her songs. Maya Wopienka (stage name: MAYAA) is a 25-year-old artist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3752,"featured_media":17330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acls","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNo Labels, No Limits: Meet MAYAA - International Journalism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"No Labels, No Limits: Meet MAYAA - International Journalism\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Coming up to the Donauinselfest Viennese indie artist, MAYAA, steps up to perform her passion music. 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