Heather Mae’s Double Album Triumphs With Anthems of Resilience and Radical Joy in What They Hid From Me and Kiss & Tell

On This Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Heather Mae’s double album What They Hid From Me and Kiss & Tell is a genre-defying revolution, blending raw alternative reckoning and vibrant pop rebellion to amplify the voices of outsiders, survivors, and seekers of radical joy.

Heather Mae

Heather Mae isn’t just a singer-songwriter—she’s a force of nature, a genre-defying artist-activist rewriting the rules of music and resistance. With her groundbreaking double album release, What They Hid From Me (alternative) and Kiss & Tell (pop), Mae delivers a seismic one-two punch of raw reckoning and unapologetic celebration.

These records aren’t just music—they’re a movement, fusing the grit of alternative rock, the infectious hooks of indie pop, and the storytelling depth of folk to craft anthems for outsiders, survivors, and seekers of radical joy.

What They Hid From Me: A Reckoning with Truth

What They Hid From Me is Mae at her most unfiltered, a raucous and introspective dive into the scars of survival and the fire of resilience. Produced by ZDAN and featuring an all-female band—including Grammy winner Allison Russell and the transcendent SistaStrings—this album is a sonic excavation of religious trauma, mental health struggles, and the fight for justice. It’s a mirror held up to the pain of unlearning and a fist raised for those reclaiming their truth.

The album’s standout tracks are as relentless as they are revelatory. “What I Know Now” is a gut-punch of a survivor anthem, grappling with consent and self-blame in a way that feels both personal and universal. “All’s Not Lost” transforms the daily grind of living with depression into a folk-rock catharsis, while “Black Lives Do” channels the urgency of racial justice through the lens of someone whose partner is Black. With its blend of Americana, alt-rock, and raw storytelling, What They Hid From Me doesn’t just confront the past—it demands a better future.

Kiss & Tell: A Rebellion of Joy

If What They Hid From Me is the reckoning, Kiss & Tell is the rebellion—a vibrant, hands-in-the-air celebration of queer joy and unapologetic love. Co-produced by Mae and Nashville pop maestro Lollies (known for work with Timbaland and Hayley Williams), this album trades grit for glitter without losing an ounce of heart. It’s a love letter to the misfits, a middle finger to the naysayers, and a dancefloor-ready declaration of freedom.

Tracks like “take it slow,” with its R&B-infused sensuality and a rap verse from ATL’s Yani B Fly, simmer with desire, while “shook” and “ode to joy” burst with queer euphoria. The breakout single, “Kissing Girls,” released in June 2024, is already a bi-anthem, resonating as both a personal confession and a rallying cry for LGBTQ+ folks who grew up in places where their queerness felt impossible. kiss & tell doesn’t just invite you to the party—it demands you take up space.

A Movement in Sound

What makes these albums revolutionary isn’t just their sound—it’s their spirit. Both What They Hid From Me and kiss & tell were created entirely by women and nonbinary music makers, from the guitarists to the engineers to the photographers. In an industry that often sidelines marginalized voices, Mae’s choice to center these creators is an act of defiance, a deliberate step toward dismantling the status quo. Every note, every lyric, every decision is a testament to what’s possible when underrepresented artists are given the mic.

Mae’s music has always been about more than entertainment—it’s about empowerment. Her songs tackle the raw realities of mental health, queer liberation, survivorhood, and systemic injustice with a clarity that cuts deep. Yet, for all their weight, these albums never feel heavy. They’re infused with a radical joy that refuses to be dimmed, a reminder that resilience isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving.

A Declaration of Defiance

In a world where policies and prejudices still try to silence marginalized voices, Heather Mae’s double album is a battle cry. What They Hid From Me and Kiss & Tell are more than collections of songs—they’re declarations of existence, love, and resistance. They’re for the outsiders who’ve been told they don’t belong, the survivors who’ve fought to reclaim their stories, and the dreamers who dare to imagine a freer world.

With these records, Mae makes one thing abundantly clear: no matter how hard they try to erase us, we are here, we are loud, and we are not going anywhere. Turn up the volume—this revolution sounds like Heather Mae.

Find more from Heather Mae now:

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