Arts & Entertainment
New video drops from mxmtoon
Singer-songwriter mxmtoon has followed up the recent release of her song “fever dream” with a brand new video.
The 19-year-old musician, who also goes by the name Maia, this week released a video featuring a special dance sequence where the singer meets her younger and future self.
Says the artist:
“From the start I knew that I wanted “fever dream” to have a dance based music video! Dance has always been a hugely important part of my life, and to finally make a song that felt like it could exist in another creative world that I grew up involved in was utterly exciting. We wanted to work with the themes of the single to make a video that exemplifies the nostalgia the lyrics evoke but also the courage to move forward. This project was so much fun for me to work on, and the amazing crew involved couldn’t have done a better job.”
The new clip was directed and choregraphed by Erin Murray, who says, “This video is a dawn to dusk dance between Maia, her memories of her past, and her expectations for her future. I wanted to capture the genuine exuberance of the song while alluding to the ways nostalgia and expectation color our present. Working with Maia was an absolute pleasure, and I hope people feel as good watching this video as we felt making it!”
Maia, who recently announced mxmtoon’s dawn & dusk tour, is currently working on two back-to-back EPs, which are due later this year. She made her debut with the 2019 EP “plum blossom,” recorded in her parents’ bedroom, which racked up over 100 million streams on Spotify alone. She followed it up with 2019’s “the masquerade,” accompanying it with an original podcast and a graphic novel.
She has amassing millions of followers and subscribers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, where she makes a point of using her ever-growing platform to speak out on issues close to her heart. “As a young bisexual woman of color from a family of immigrants, a lot of current events directly affect who I am,” says the Chinese-American artist. “I firmly believe it’s my obligation and opportunity to speak on issues that affect us all.”
Of the new song, Maia says, “Launching myself into the music industry was a rollercoaster chapter in my life, and even still I’m extremely new to this world. “fever dream” is about exactly that, and the leap of faith that’s required when you make decisions in your life at different points. you may not always know the outcome, but trusting yourself, allowing yourself the opportunity to take risks, and the chance to face new challenges can be utterly rewarding. much of my life since has felt like a fever dream, a blur of moments sometimes too grand to even comprehend, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
You can watch the video below.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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