Mae Stephens has always had a way of making the messy parts of being human feel bright, funny, and strangely comforting. So when we sat down with her for 18 Questions, we should not have been surprised that she answered every single one with that same disarming mix of humour and honesty.

Fresh off the release of “Delusional”, a pop song about obsession, denial, and the slightly unhinged feeling of wanting something so badly that reality starts to blur, Stephens is in a colourful, restless mood. Written with OSKI on less than an hour of sleep, the track pushes her instincts further than ever: playful on the surface, sharper underneath.

It marks a different kind of chaos from the Mae we have heard before. After the Motown-leaning heartbreak of “Blue”, the intrusive-thought humour of “Tiny Voice”, and the defiance of “Done With U”, “Delusional” arrives with a Technicolour energy all its own, and a video to match.

In between, we asked her about morning matcha, clothing tags, biting her nails, grief, and learning her worth as a songwriter. She talked us through going from working in ASDA to sharing stages with BLACKPINK and P!NK, why she no longer feels the need to chase hits, and what she hopes fans take from her upcoming UK headline tour.

Eighteen questions. One Mae Stephens. Here’s how it went.

1. What’s the first thing you usually do when you wake up in the morning?

Stretch. I really struggle in the mornings to get motivated, so stretching takes the last few droplets of wanting to go back to bed away.

2. When do you feel most like yourself during the day?

The second I’ve had my morning matcha. I’m honestly like that Snickers advert where I’m not myself until I’ve had my first cup of the day!

3. What’s something small that can completely shift your mood?

Tags on clothing. If I can really feel a clothing tag, I am the most useless person to engage with because I can’t take my focus anywhere but the clothing tag.

4. Do you tend to overthink things or go with your gut?

A bit of both. Sometimes I jump before I’ve seen what’s at the bottom of the cliff. Other times I’ll have a perfect view and still think of a hundred reasons not to. However, my gut hasn’t been wrong yet, so fingers crossed!

5. What’s one habit you’re trying to break right now?

Biting my nails. I’ve always had a problem with it since I was very young. Hence why I always have fake nails on or I simply sit on my hands when I speak, as otherwise I will make my own hands bleed. I believe since I was young it was a way of regulating anxiety.

6. What kind of energy do you naturally bring into a room?

Positive always. I never bring my baggage to work with me and always enter with a fresh perspective! After all, you never know who you’ll meet or what opportunities will arise.

7. What’s the last thing that made you feel genuinely proud of yourself?

I channelled my grief into a song. My grief is something I refuse to address because, in my mind, addressing is accepting and accepting is letting go of what happened. I realise now that it’s not the greatest way of thinking. But until I created this song, that was solidly how I thought things needed to go. Myself and the producer created the most beautiful track wrapped in my own personal experiences and it’s something I’m so unbelievably proud to have my name stapled to.

8. When you look back at where you started, what feels the most different now?

My drive to write. I don’t chase hits like I was told to. I write the music I want to write because I absolutely refuse to let somebody deem what is valuable and invaluable in my line of work. Then I would pressure myself into a corner trying to find the next label-worthy song. Now, no amount of pressure could make me keel over and hit chase again. The difference is I know my worth as a songwriter now.

9. Your new single “Delusional” leans into obsession and denial in a really honest way. Were you ever worried about how far you pushed that perspective?

Not really. Shock factor seems to have become a trend.

10. You said you wrote it on almost no sleep. Do you think being slightly unhinged or exhausted actually helps you tap into something more real creatively?

I think we definitely pushed ourselves from the sleep deprivation. You could say we were “Delusional” writing “Delusional”!

11. There’s a lot of humour in “Delusional”, even though the themes are quite intense. How do you balance making something fun without losing the emotional truth?

Tapping into the unhinged side a tad. Notice how “Delusional”’s music video is based in a world so vibrant and rose-tinted you can’t help but stay a while and forget the outside world for a moment. This was intentional. Those moments of comedy become funny because they’re wrapped up in sinister paper.

12. You’ve described it as your “delulu song of the summer.” What does being a bit delusional actually mean to you in relationships?

I guess being a little out there. To me, this song represents taking a leap or rather a full-blown jump into the unknown with a smile.

13. Compared to “Blue”, which was more restrained and reflective, this feels more chaotic and playful. Which side of yourself feels more natural right now?

Both. Sometimes I like to take a step back and sit in the moment. Other times I love to bask in the chaos. I try to find a healthy balance of both as serenity can bloom in chaos.

14. You’ve built a really loyal online following. Do you ever feel pressure to live up to a version of yourself people expect from you?

I used to. Now I understand that being real is the true meaning of my fan base. I am always honest with my fans and I like to think they are with me too.

15. You’ve gone from working in ASDA to global success pretty quickly. Has that shift changed how you see yourself, or do you still feel like the same person?

Again, I think it’s a bit of both. The industry is fast-paced and ever-changing. I’ve learnt to adapt at the drop of a hat and that comes at a price. I know I’m way stronger mentally because of the industry, however I know I have the same mentality with people. Treat me with respect and I will do you the same courtesy. Same as customer service. We are all people.

16. You’ve shared stages with huge names like BLACKPINK and P!NK. What’s something you’ve learned from being around artists at that level?

You work hard. Or you don’t. There is no in between. You give your mind, body and soul to your craft or nothing at all. They work so unbelievably hard to bring an engaging show to the stage. There is no “half-ass” approach in performing.

17. Your songs often feel very diaristic, like you’re letting people into your inner thoughts. Is there anything you still hold back from putting into your music?

Absolutely. As much as I would love to go into greater depth about some of my struggles as both a human, woman and female musician, it isn’t universally relatable. I try with my music to release some of those more personal experiences but I also do have to think about relatability in the grand scheme of things.

18. With another headline tour coming up, what do you want people to leave with after seeing you live this time that they might not have felt before?

I hope at least one of my songs speaks to you. As a musician, it’s my job to create the soundtrack to people’s lives and stories and so all I hope is that you’ve found your next adventure song or a song you can release all your emotions to. All I want to do is help people as music helped me. Music. Is. Therapy.

“Delusional” is out now, follow via @maestephens_