MAX Discusses “Blueberry Eyes” and Steve Aoki’s Remix

MAX, born as Max Schneider, is an accomplished New York-based singer who is constantly rising through the ranks of the global pop music industry. In 2019, MAX received a nomination from the iHeartRadio Music Awards for “Best New Pop Artist”. On September 15, 2020, MAX teamed up with SUGA from K-Pop supergroup BTS to create and release “Blueberry Eyes“.

Since then MAX has seen “Blueberry Eyes” reached top spot on iTunes worldwide, trended #1 on Twitter and reached #1 on YouTube’s Hot List. On November 12, MAX released Steve Aoki‘s remix of “Blueberry Eyes” and as of this writing, the music video has received over 1.5 million views on YouTube. Here is One EDM’s exclusive interview with MAX, a fantastic singer who also heads his own future-funk project called “Party Pupils” alongside producer SuaveYungBlanc.

Kenny Ngo: 2020 is nearly ending. How is November going for you so far?

MAX: It’s pretty cute. Just been excited to release all this music and, of course, getting ready for my baby girl to be born this month. Just building her crib and all of that.

Steve Aoki just released his remix of your hit single “Blueberry Eyes” featuring SUGA of BTS. What do you think of his remix?

Oh, I love it. He’s such a legend and put such a brilliant 80’s nostalgic spin on it. Totally unexpected and special.

How did you react when you found out Steve Aoki wanted to compose his own remix of “Blueberry Eyes”?

We’ve known each other for a long time because my other act “Party Pupils” has release music through his label Dim Mak And toured with him. I knew he collaborated with BTS early on, and ARMY loves him, so I asked him personally if he would be interested. Luckily, he was super excited about the idea. 

Do you feel any differences between listening to the remix and listening to the original track?

I think they’re totally different vibes, which is why I love it so much. One feels like a rainy day looking out the window and dancing in your room. The other feels like falling in love in a strawberry field, looking up at the clouds and a gorgeous day. 

When the original track came out on September 15, it quickly reached top spot on iTunes worldwide, trended #1 on Twitter, and also reached #1 on YouTube’s Hot List. What do you think about these awesome accomplishments?

It’s so exciting. All of the numbers and #1’s are always really cool, but it’s just a reflection of the dedication the fans have, and that’s always what I’m most grateful for. 

How was it like working with a world-famous star like SUGA? Especially since he is a member of BTS, the world’s most-popular K-Pop supergroup.

SUGA is the best. So brilliant and humble. It was so special to work with him and become friends. I’ve been ARMY for a long time, so seeing them continue to grow and accomplish their dreams is beautiful. It’s even more special now that I get to call him a friend truly. 

You also learned Korean so you could rap SUGA’s verse for the music video, as well as for live performances. Was learning Korean very complex for you?

It was definitely a challenge, but I love having ambitious ideas and just seeing if we can pull them off. I’ve fallen in love with singing in Korean now, so I’m gonna definitely learn more.

Aside from learning Korean (and of course, English), which languages have you learned in the past?

Some Spanish because it was actually my first language when I was growing up but lost it all in middle school. A little bit of Japanese, German, and Dutch. Some French. Anything to basically get by in countries we tour in to say “Thank you,” “Go crazy,” “Where is the bathroom”. You know, just the basics.

What do you think about the fusion between K-Pop and electronic music?

I think it’s an exciting frontier that I want to explore more with both my own MAX project and with Party Pupils. We’re just scratching the surface.

What should the fans expect next from MAX in 2021 and beyond?

Tons of music, definitely letting four more years go by without another album. Also, a little glimpse into new dad life and the cute baby world, of course. I’m so excited to be a girl dad.