"OOOUUU," Young M.A is back with her first project in five years, Kween. It's also the first album she's recorded fully sober, following past struggles with alcohol that led to her 2023 hospitalization for health issues tied to excessive drinking.
"I had a time in my life where I consumed a little bit too much alcohol and it put me in a bad physical state. I was on the edge, like real close," she tells Billboard.
Noting that she able to “fight through it,” she explained how the experience of recording music sober changed the album-making process.
"[I]t’s definitely a difference," she said. "You drink to get the edge off and ... [y]ou become more confident in what you doing."
"When you’re sober, you kinda overthink and hesitate a little more," she continued. "I think I was a little more aggressive before. I feel [like I'm in] a more mature, grown-up and disciplined stage."
While some people may call the new album a comeback, M.A calls it a reset. "I don’t want people to think this is a comeback," she explained. "We had a little bump in the road and we got over that and we’re driving again.”
She added that her goal is to remind listeners of her musical talent and "bring the music back to music."
"I ain’t looking for no type of accomplishment," she said. "I just want them to understand that the music never left."
She added, "I just need the music to feel like music again. Let’s have fun again. ... Bring more of that energy everybody."
It's what she did with her breakout single, "OOOUUU," which remains an important part of her career.
"I’m always gonna appreciate that record. I’ll never get tired of that record. That record makes me a lot of money to this day," she said. "It’s timeless."
"People probably get one summer or two summers, but I still hear my record like it just dropped," M.A added. "It will be here with the kid’s kids."
Kween is now available on streaming services.
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