Grammy-winning songstress and NEXT model Maxine Ashley has reemerged to share her brand new single, “Somebody Else.”
Right out the gate, a funky bassline sets the tone for the bold track. Maxine delivers an implicit warning for her current beau, professing “You’re gonna make me f**k somebody else/If you keep on treating me the way you do.” The idea that a new romance is the best way to get revenge becomes her top priority. From there, she finds solace in ‘70s funk with a modern twist, resulting in an all too relatable anthem for people who are fed up and over being mistreated.
On her latest offering, Maxine Ashley shares: “When I wrote ‘Somebody Else’ I was dating. It was like a constant game of cat and mouse: who’s going to text first, who’s going to ignore who the longest. It was so exhausting. I’m a super monogamist and I don’t believe in having multiple partners, so this song is my way of moving on and not getting too attached to one person – especially the wrong person.”
Alongside the new song, Maxine shares the accompanying visual for her genre-bending bop. Directed by Michael Rainin, it revolves around a beautifully chaotic lover’s quarrel. Watch above.
Feeling like her time isn’t being valued, and in turn taken for granted, Maxine makes it clear that there’s a thin line between love and lust. “Somebody Else” is a risqué reintroduction to the pop confection that made Pharrell Williams into a believer at 17, which is how old Maxine was when she first signed to his I Am Other imprint.
No longer signed to the label, the Bronx-born sensation has ascended from going viral on YouTube for her one-of-a-kind song covers to Whitney Houston and Rihanna songs. Now, Maxine has records with everyone from Ariana Grande (for her work on the singer’s 2018 album Sweetener) to Lil Wayne (“Hot Thing”), and linked up with South African DJ, producer-artist Black Coffee to score her first Grammy win in 2021 (“You Need Me”). The latter was performed at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden last weekend (Oct 7).
“Somebody Else” serves as a landmark release for JBR Creative Group, helmed by 4X Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Eric Benét, JBR’s President, and entertainment executive Alison Ball, CEO of the powerhouse agency. With more new music on the horizon, Maxine Ashley is injecting a breath of fresh air into the alt-R&B space one ear-worm melody at a time.
About Maxine Ashley:
Maxine Ashley is a hardworking girl from The Bronx. Surrounded by music her whole life, the young star was born to salsero parents. At 13-years-old, despite not venturing much beyond her borough in the past, the aspiring musician landed a record deal (after going viral on YouTube for her one-of-a-kind song covers) and relocated across the pond to London. Maxine went on to spend several years in the UK, working on her pen and experiencing life. As she explains, “It was almost like college. My first time really getting out the hood was going to another country.” She refused to be boxed in, which proved to be a major backdrop in her story. Returning stateside at 17, the viral vocalist received an email from the man who’d change her life – Pharrell Williams. By the time Maxine got around to signing with Pharell’s I Am Other imprint, she had ascended past the level of internet sensation. After a successful run, Maxine departed from the label and embarked on her journey as an independent artist. Deeply inspired by latin music, hip-hop, dancehall, and indie rock, Maxine’s taste is music harps on the boundlessness of someone who creates without borders. Her unique vocal texture gives a distinctive edge to her sound, and Moodswings (Maxine’s debut EP) signaled her arrival as an artistic force. The 4-song project touted support from publications like Hypebeast, Wonderland Magazine, and SoulBounce to name a few. As her profile has risen over the years, Maxine started to pursue other interests. She began to build her modeling portfolio, landing campaigns with Adidas, Fenty, MAC, Pat Mcgrath, Vogue, and more. In 2019, the accomplished songwriter was part of Ariana Grande’s Grammy Award-winning Sweetener album, collaborating with the pop star and Pharrell Williams on “blazed.” In 2022, Maxine received her first Grammy win (penning “You Need Me” for Black Coffee’s Subconsciously album) at the 64th GRAMMY Awards. From there, she continued to develop her compositional ability, quietly becoming one of the most sought after collaborators in the music industry. She was eventually anointed as the first lady of JBR Creative Group – the brainchild of 4X Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter Eric Benét and veteran Entertainment Executive Alison Ball. Now, the digital diva is leaning on her chameleon-like ability to adapt quickly. And with new music on the horizon, Maxine is that much closer to achieving her ultimate goal in life: becoming “the biggest star in the world.”