Maria Mena’s Growing Pains

I have to admit, one thing I’ve always wanted to do is go to an AA meeting. Not because I’m an alcoholic. I just want to sit there and listen to people air their dirty laundry in public and try to top one another with their stories. It appeals to the voyeur in me. I know that would be disrespectful so I haven’t done it…at least not yet.

So until that time comes, I submerge myself in bad reality tv, watch documentaries about freaks, and listen to emotionally filled music. In my gay opinion, Maria Mena is one of the most emotionally exposed singer/song writers out there. She sings stories of low self esteem, verbal abuse, a horrible childhood, volatile relationships, and trips into emotional darkness; listening to her albums is like sitting in on someone else’s therapy session. Her new album Growing Pains is no exception.

Ladies and fellow fags, Growing Pains is the ultimate break up album. Maria croons for those of you who dumped the only one who ever truly loved you (“Good God”), if the one you loved gave up on you but you need them to admit they were wrong (“Confess”) or if rumor has it that your ex is now seeing someone else (“I Don’t Want To See You With Her”). You can throw this album on, bust out the gallon of ice cream, wash it down with glasses of chardonnay, and cry your eyes out as Maria relates to all you’re going through. Although ending a relationship is a sad topic and her lyrics are depressing, the songs vary from ballads to upbeat. How she can make a break up song sound so damn happy is beyond me. My favorite song on the album is “Leaving You” which has a great beat although it’s about breaking someone’s heart and informing them that it’s going to be just as painful tomorrow as it is today. However, the album does end on a bright note. On “You Deserve Better” she tells her ex to save themselves while she saves herself and on “Growing Pains” she learns that just because she went through this pain it was worth it in the end.

Maria is Norwegian and not well known in the US. In 2004 her song “Your The Only One” barely broke into the US Top 100 chart but that’s how I discovered her and I’ve been a fan ever since. Her voice has only matured and gotten better over the years. She’s someone that I would love to see in concert but she doesn’t tour here, at least not in all the years I’ve been following her career. You know when you go to a show and you look around at all the other fans and think “these are my peeps”…sometimes that can be quite an eye opening experience. I have a feeling her show would be exactly that.

2 thoughts on “Maria Mena’s Growing Pains

  1. T

    She mentions that she’s in the process of planning a couple of shows in the USA but that it’s difficult to get a work-permit (see the comments here: https://www.instagram.com/p/-925g1ReD5/?taken-by=mariamena_official

    Also, in this recorded interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XQaw7mw7Dg she talks about some of her tour plans for 2016. She has dual citizenship (Norwegian and American, as her Nicaraguan father grew up in the USA (if I remember correctly)), so it sounds like it’s mainly the work-permit / visas for her band that is the issue. Anyway, I’m really happy that she is at least planning to play concerts in countries she doesn’t regularly play in. It’s great to see all of her fans from different countries writing about her music!

    • Dave

      First off, thank you SO much for my first comment ever. So weird to think someone read my blog who isn’t family or a friend.

      The YouTube video was VERY informative and made me love Maria even more than I already did. Wow is she opinionated and I love that. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that she can get the work visas and come to the USA. I never knew how much was involved in touring outside an artists own country. If she does make it here and the tickets are expensive, I’ll understand why. I don’t care how much the tickets are, I’m going!

      Thanks for sharing and making my day!

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