Heaven and Hell

Including her mega hit, Sweet But Psycho, up and coming pop sensation Ava Max released her debut studio album, Heaven & Hell, on September 18. Along with Sweet But Psycho, Max also features other replayable ear worms, such as Kings & Queens, H.E.A.V.E.N, Take You To Hell, and many more great songs. The conception of Max’s debut album could be credited to her family’s history of having music in the home, as well as the sounds of other pop stars, such as Mariah Carey.

“My mom sang opera, and my dad played the piano, my uncles are in music, my grandpa and grandma made music, so the entire family loved music,” Max told Women’s Wear Daily. “And so, when I started singing, and I loved to sing, they were like, ‘Oh, she’s actually good. We should support it.’”

Along with Opera and Pop, Max was also motivated by the sounds and music that she had heard with her friends when she was growing up.

“In South Carolina, they loved country music, but they also loved rap music, so I got into country and rap music,” Max said. “And then in Virginia, I would just listen to pop.”

Max has actually had the album completed for a while now, but like most other things this year, it ended up getting pushed back due to the ongoing pandemic. Max only chose to release the album now, as she believes that the state we are currently in is somewhat “normal.”

“It’s ‘Heaven and Hell’: side A is ‘Heaven,’ ‘Torn’ is purgatory, and ‘Hell’ is side B,” said Max. “So, it kind of gets you through this journey.”

With The Guardian calling Heaven & Hell “a turbo-charged 2010s pop joy,” and US Magazine saying that “with its yin and yang concept, Heaven & Hell is a promising launchpad for Max, who is bound to have one heck of a ride toward stardom,” it is clear to see that Ava Max won’t end up being just a “one-hit wonder.”