From pop princess to the new Avril Lavigne, Maggie Lindemann is on the come-up as your new favorite pop-punk singer. The singer, songwriter and fashion icon released her new album SUCKERPUNCH on Sept. 16 and we couldn’t get enough. I joined Lindemann at her press conference with Universal Music Group to get the dish about her new album and her drastic style transformation.
Maggie Lindemann has undeniably found her sound, drawing inspiration from 2000-2010 pop punk and alternative rock. The songs of her new album SUCKERPUNCH chronologically bring you through the emotions you experience during the aftermath of a breakup.
“I wanted it to feel like a progression from being upset and angry and then being sad and then happy and then going through a bad relationship…” Lindemann explained to us, “… towards the end it’s like ‘how could you do this to me?’ which— is more about you taking back the power— and then the last song is “Cages”, which is supposed to leave you with hope.”
If you opened Lindemann’s diary with the aspiration of knowing her deepest emotions and struggles, you would be reading the lyrics to SUCKERPUNCH. While reaching deeper inside her inner self, Maggie realized she struggled with sabotaging her own relationships. This was how her single “Self Sabotage” was born. She revealed that the song was the best reflection of the new era of the music she is stepping into and expressed pride in the use of glitches during the production process.
In one way or another, we can all relate to the songs on this album. Maggie admitted that quite a few songs are about a guy she never dated. I think the heartbreaking, soul-shattering feeling is universal when we think about the one that got away. Though it’s a sad feeling in theory, the artists’ use of electric guitars and bridges built to the clouds gives us the urge to scream it at the top of our lungs in the car. Listening to SUCKERPUNCH will make you feel vengeful in the best way possible.
“With “Cages”, we did a music video the other day for it that comes out with the album and we wanted it to have a fun video where it feels super young and fresh,” Maggie reveals about the creative process. “… you watch it and it gives you Avril Lavigne vibes because it was heavily influenced by Avril’s “Sk8er Boi” music video”
Now that we’ve established the grunge-rock style of Maggie Lindemann, it’s important to credit her for crushing the image that was forced onto her. Lindemann wasn’t always this edgy in the public eye. She gained traction after the 2016 single “Pretty Girl”, which is described as bubblegum pop. As a teenager with a small understanding of self-identity and an even smaller understanding of the music industry, she blindly accepted the innocent and girly image that her higher-ups promised would sell.
The pretty girl was a girl who loved metal music but was underestimated because of her beauty and social media followers. “I’ve always loved rock music and I grew up listening to pop punk bands,” Maggie revealed. She opened up about a traumatic experience that opened her eyes to the importance of being true to herself. “I kind of just realized that if I’m not doing exactly what I wanna do, none of the things I’m doing are worth it.” The singer started to step into her true style with her last album Paranoia, and even described SUCKERPUNCH as “the ugly s**t of Paranoia.”
After dropping her label and becoming an independent artist, Lindemann felt free to be unapologetic and was gifted with the freedom of being able to be more experimental and bold with her music. She now radiates an authenticity that is both refreshing and inspiring.
Maggie hopes more than anything that listeners can recognize her evolution and the way she grew in her writing and production. I wondered what the “pretty girl” version of Maggie would say if she heard this album.
“It’s funny because a lot of people don’t realize I am the same person that I was,” Maggie explained to me. “I just kind of had this mask up. I think she would be really happy, excited and probably amazed that I’m able to make that kind of music now.”
Now that SUCKERPUNCH is released, you may wonder what’s next. To that, I would remind you that after being an opener for Sabrina Carpenter and Madison Beer, Maggie is finally gracing the stage as the main act. SUCKERPUNCH might be performed live near you.
If that’s not enough, the icon is also working on new products for her clothing line, SWIXXZ. We’ve loved her line that’s featured in Zumiez, but it’s only getting better. When I asked her for a glimpse of the future of SWIXXZ, Maggie revealed that she wants to add shoes, accessories, eyelashes and makeup to her line of work. Is there anything she can’t do?
The future of Maggie Lindemann is something that has just begun. She is a reminder of what it looks like to follow your true passions, even when it seems out of reach. Being a female in the music industry is hard, let alone in punk rock, but she did it anyways. Maggie is not someone to underestimate and is someone you should keep an eye out for in the future of music.
Listen to SUCKERPUNCH now on your favorite streaming platforms. She’s more than just a pretty girl.