At just 24 years old, London born singer/songwriter Maria Milis is already making waves in the pop landscape, blending heartfelt storytelling with sleek, modern production. Of Greek and Brazilian heritage, Maria’s rich cultural background informs both her artistry and her fiercely independent spirit. But music wasn’t always the plan. Before stepping into the studio, Maria earned a law degree and built a career as a trainee lawyer in the corporate world, a path that seemed steady, yet never truly fulfilled her.
“I realised I was spending my life building someone else’s dream instead of my own,” she reflects. That moment of clarity led her to pursue her long-standing passion for music, embarking on a creative journey that would transform personal pain into art.
Her upcoming six-track EP, produced by Grammy-nominated producer/songwriter Leah Haywood, whose credits include Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears, is a deeply personal body of work centred on Maria’s past experiences with toxic relationships. Each song represents a distinct emotional chapter, many of them penned when she was just 18 years old. “They’re my stories, my interpretations,” she says. “I’ve used them to transform myself and my life into something better.”
The first taste of that transformation arrived on June 6th with “Sleeping With the Enemy” a high-production dark pop track laced with subtle Latin elements that nod to her heritage. Recorded at London’s legendary Metropolis Studios, the single represents “being with someone you know is bad for you and staying with them despite that.” Maria describes it as a song about self-betrayal, by falling for someone who, from the outside, appears perfect and charming, only for the reality to reveal itself as something far more insidious. “For me, it represents the initial stage of a toxic relationship, before you fully realise what you’re involved in,” she explains.
Within its first month of release, “Sleeping With the Enemy” surpassed 20,000 Spotify streams, broke into the Top 100 on both the UK and US iTunes charts, and earned Maria her first Rolling Stone UK feature, a remarkable feat for a debut artist. The track’s moody, cinematic production and layered storytelling offered listeners an unapologetic introduction to her world: raw, emotive, and unafraid to confront the darker corners of love.
With her striking debut, a dream collaboration under her belt, and a clear vision for the future, Maria Milis is not just a name to watch she’s a voice determined to make pop music deeply personal.
