New Music Review — Maya Kuriel’s “Alibi” Is a Fever Dream of Love, Loyalty, and Late-Night Getaways

There are songs that you hear and there are songs that happen to you. Maya Kuriel’s latest single, “Alibi,” falls squarely in the latter category — a fever dream of devotion wrapped in noir-tinged synths and raw-heart vocals. Dropped today as her second release of 2025, “Alibi” isn’t just a song; it’s a cinematic escape route for anyone who's ever chosen chaos over comfort, love over logic.

Maya’s been steadily building her own storm system on the edge of pop since her 2020 debut, and “Alibi” feels like the lightning strike. Produced by longtime collaborator Gavin Hudner and co-written with Julia Joy Thompson and Peyton Incollingo, the track is a moody, atmospheric dive into forbidden devotion. Think: modern Bonnie & Clyde but filtered through Maya’s grayscale lens — all blurred city lights, half-packed suitcases, and pulse-pounding promises whispered in the dark.

The sonic world here is rich and tactile. Maya leans into her signature eerie-synth-meets-grunge production, but pushes deeper. The verses creep like fog, the chorus breaks like a wave, and her vocals? Equal parts whispered threat and battle cry. There's grit beneath the velvet, and it cuts just right.

“Alibi” follows the emotional wreckage of January’s “Dead Weight,” where Maya peeled back the layers of toxicity and the heavy cost of staying. But where “Dead Weight” lingered in sorrow, “Alibi” runs — full speed, no rearview mirror. It's reckless, romantic, and steeped in the kind of danger that feels a little too good.

Born in Seattle and now based in L.A., Maya Kuriel isn’t just rewriting the rules of pop — she’s tearing up the map entirely. As a first-gen Korean American artist, she’s creating space where space never existed. Her music doesn't just resonate; it haunts. There’s a cinematic urgency to everything she releases, and “Alibi” is no exception. With over 2.5 million streams already under her belt and a cult-like fanbase growing by the minute, it’s clear: Maya isn’t rising. She’s arriving.

So if you’re looking for something safe and sweet, keep scrolling. But if you want a song that wraps its hands around your ribcage and doesn’t let go — “Alibi” is your new obsession.

▶ Stream “Alibi” now on all platforms.

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