Pop/Review Markoe - Malta
Markoe isn’t just making music—she’s making a statement. A former primary school teacher turned full-time artist, she left the classroom behind to pursue a dream that refuses to be silenced. Now, she’s carving out her place in the industry with vulnerable, acoustic-inspired pop infused with raw emotion and a soulful edge. With influences like Billie Eilish and Teddy Swims, Markoe’s music explores mental health, trauma, love, and the relentless push-and-pull between chasing a dream and staying grounded in reality.
With a debut that is equal parts whisper and scream, Markoe enters the spotlight with “Malta.” The emotional struggle between security and self-expression, domesticity and creative freedom, is captured in this ambient pop song, which was written on a Maltese balcony during a restless night. Though spoken with remarkable clarity and musical maturity, the song was born out of vulnerability.
Markoe, a former full-time elementary school teacher, infuses her music with the weight of her inner turmoil and real-life decisions. In a period of intense personal reflection, she wrote about Malta while pregnant, jet-lagged, and emotionally raw. Every note and phrase reflects that experience, giving the song a subdued urgency that is both incredibly personal and eminently sympathetic.
Markoe's music tends to be dramatic, slow-burning pop. Her sensitive vocals are given space and solitude by the minimalist textures—swells of ambient synths, delicate piano notes, and atmospheric layers. Every syllable Markoe sings has the weight of someone who has experienced it firsthand, transforming her personal narrative into an experience that speaks to everyone.
“Malta” presents Markoe as an artist with depth and vision, and it's more than just a debut. It's a song for people who are at a crossroads in life and must choose between what is necessary and what is expected. Markoe demonstrates that often the most potent songs are the quietest ones with this eerily lovely release. It will be interesting to see Markoe's future as a storyteller and sound alchemist if “Malta” is any guide.