Ava Max has hit back at the haters who brand her music corny and cheesy (Picture: Gerardo Mora/Getty for iHeartRadio)
Chart-topper Ava Max may have mastered the art of not giving Edam – but says accusations that her music is cheesy really grate.
In an exclusive interview with Guilty Pleasures, the Albanian-American singer schools her critics on how hard it is to create pop magic.
‘Some people call it corny. They say it’s cheesy – it’s not cheesy,’ Ava, 28, insisted. ‘Actually, it’s difficult to make a pop song. To make a hit pop song is extremely difficult.
‘It’s like science. You have to try different chemicals and liquids.’
She and super-producer Cirkut have certainly cracked the formula – with her breakout hit Sweet But Psycho peaking at No.1 in 22 countries.
The singer would love to collaborate with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion (Picture: Marilyn Hue)
Now Ava is back with her dazzling sophomore album Diamonds & Dancefloors, out now, which was inspired by a bad break-up.
‘I got my heart broken, so I was writing when I was in a very sad place. But I turned them into dance records because I wanted to dance… I didn’t want to just sob,’ she shared. ’It’s a part of my heart, and I’m just letting it out.’
Ava, who dreams of collaborating with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, never had any doubts about making it in the business, even as a teen.
Star’s em-bra-assing moment… and scary Carey coincidence
Ava suffered a wardrobe malfunction while on stage (Picture: Marilyn Hue)
OMG What’s Happening… must have been what Ava was thinking when she suffered a wardrobe malfunction mid-performance.
‘A bra-top has popped off on stage. I think I was in Chicago. Thank God, I had another top, but it was see-through, so I had to hold my hands on my boobs the whole time,’ she laughed.
‘Another time my microphone pack completely unplugged. I couldn’t hear anything.’
Meanwhile, the musician spilled that she has tum-thing unexpected in common with her idol, Mariah Carey – the same birthmark.
‘On the left side, right next to the belly button,’ she admitted. ‘She might think I’m crazy… it’s in the exact same spot. It freaks me out!’
‘I was a rebel, a complete rebel. I would tell the teachers, “I’m going to move to California and become a singer”. They’d be like, “You’re crazy, finish this essay!”,’ she chuckled.
But it was a tough road to pop stardom after moving to LA, as ‘no-one wanted to sign a 14-year-old girl who just loves to sing, so it took a long time to find my way’.
MORE : Doja Cat dons moustache and beard at Paris Fashion Week – and it doesn’t look bad
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‘To make a hit pop song is extremely difficult.’