Following the acclaimed release of his first single, “Let Me Down Slow,” Max Drazen returns with “Caffeine,” a song fans have been waiting for since last July when he posted a clip on TikTok that amassed a million views in the first 24 hours.
The neo-soul-tinged, tongue-in-cheek track tells the story of the up-and-down relationship of a couple with vastly different approaches to life. It’s one of the first songs Drazen wrote and recorded with producer Dave Villa (FLETCHER, Daughtry). Max wrote all the lyrics. Drazen recently signed with Capitol Records, which released “Caffeine” in conjunction with Field Trip Recordings. He has inked with Fourward for management.
“I love happy songs with sad lyrics. Songs that make you want to dance but also have a deeper meaning,” says Max Drazen. “‘Caffeine’s sonics match the energy of the honeymoon phase in a relationship, while the lyrics describe feeling hopeless but indifferent.”
Putting “Let Me Down Slow” on its list of “10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through The Week,” Billboard praised it as a “relaxed rhythmic-pop track that amps up as the singer-songwriter becomes more desperate for emotional closure… Drazen showcases different tricks up his sleeve in the process—rap-singing on the verses, vulnerable warbling on the bridge, and a nice melodic feel on the main hook.”
Early Rising said, “‘Let Me Down Slow’ is a classic break up song that displays both Max’s vocal range and writing ability in the most cohesive way.”
Born and raised in Connecticut, Drazen’s first influences came from his parents’ record collection—Elton John and Billy Joel. As he got older, he fell in love with artists like Smino, Justin Timberlake, Jon Bellion, and Two Door Cinema Club. The pieces would connect during his junior year of high school, when Drazen went over to a friend’s house and wrote his first song.
Although recruited to play soccer at Middlebury College, he found his focus shifting to songwriting. He developed a sinewy, genre-agnostic voice and centered his authentic perspective as a kid from the ‘burbs, adeptly swinging between R&B, pop and rap. Now signed to Field Trip Recordings, Drazen has his eyes set on the future, with more genre-traversing songs on the way.
