Rotate Talk With maniia – “Sugar Free Rebel” Interview

Ukrainian-born, Prague-raised, and now based in New York, rising pop artist maniia is carving out her own lane with emotionally raw storytelling. Her latest single, “Sugar Free Rebel” captures the messy, cathartic energy of heartbreak, transforming late-night dance floor chaos into something empowering. Blending dark synth textures, diary-style lyrics, and early-2000s pop influences, maniia’s music feels like a late-night confession set to a pounding beat.

We caught up with maniia to talk about the story behind the song, the chaotic nights that inspired it, her multicultural journey, and what the future holds as she continues building her voice in modern pop.

Congrats on your new release. First of all, who is maniia?

maniia: I’m a girlie who was born and raised in Prague until I was 18, and then I moved to New Jersey for school. Even though I grew up in the Czech Republic, I’m Ukrainian.

I’m a Capricorn (aka stubborn), but I also feel things very emotionally. I have a million things I want to accomplish in this life, but being a music artist is the primary one. That’s the dream.

The title itself is striking. What does being a “sugar free rebel” mean to you personally?

maniia: To me, it immediately throws me back to going clubbing and having my favorite drink (is a vodka Red Bull even a cocktail?) and just dancing my feelings — good or bad — away on an EDM nightclub dance floor.

I didn’t really care about the drinking part. I just wanted to dance and feel the bass through my body.

“Sugar Free Rebel” is described as a “full-on club crashout experience.” Can you walk us through the moment or night that inspired it? How did it feel to turn that into a track?

maniia: It wasn’t just one night — it was a series of moments. I was ending a long-distance relationship that I realized no longer represented the goals I had for my future, and I had to let go of the idea of someone. I realized I would have to eventually start fresh with someone new, and it felt exhausting that I put in so much effort into that ex relationship, only for it to not work out. As a Capricorn and perfectionist, I spiraled at the thought of this and felt sorry for myself lolol.

That realization made me fully crash out for months. I had so many nights where I would just lose myself on the dance floor and numb my feelings. Sometimes you need a crashout to cleanse your emotions.

At first, I would feel terrible after nights out. But eventually, I stopped feeling terrible — and I picked myself up. Turning that into a track felt like reclaiming that chaotic energy and making it powerful.

Your storytelling style has been called “diary-style.” Do you actually write in a diary, or is that more of a metaphor for how you approach lyrics?

maniia: I do sometimes write in a diary just to have a place to dump how I’m feeling. But honestly, writing music is my diary.

I’m constantly scribbling in my notes app (I really hope no one ever finds it lol) — phrases that make me feel something, or that bring back a feeling I had when I was younger.

You were born in Ukraine, raised in Prague, and now based in New York. That’s a lot of cultural movement. How has each place left a fingerprint on your music?

maniia: I was actually born in Prague, but I’m Ukrainian. Prague feels like home because that’s where I feel most comfortable — so many nights prancing around the city, fully comfortable with the culture and the language. It’s my HOME.

Being Ukrainian has tremendously shaped my identity, and even more recently, my music. When Russia attacked Ukraine again in 2022, my entire life flashed before my eyes. It was a huge realization that I needed to stop making excuses about why I couldn’t be an artist and just start creating.

It was such a pivotal moment. I realized I can’t take my life for granted — and the life I was living wasn’t fulfilling me. So I started seriously pursuing this music dream.

There’s a strong sense of vulnerability in the lyrics, yet the production feels bold. How did you balance fragility with empowerment?

maniia: I think it happens naturally. I lean toward more vulnerable lyrics and softer notes, but I gravitate toward punchy, confident, gritty beats that make you want to stomp in the club.

It’s just both sides of me existing at the same time.

What was it like working with producer Teddy Marquee to shape the final version of “Sugar Free Rebel”?

maniia: Teddy and I have found such an awesome way of working together — we really found a groove that’s honey.

We usually finish songs in about 10-ish hours, but that requires a lot of prep on my part. I will fully produce a demo on my own first, then we will build the official track together. After that, I recut vocals and tailor the production until it feels right. It’s very collaborative, but very intentional.

If “Sugar Free Rebel” were a movie, what genre would it be?

maniia: Formula 1 😂😂😂

Fast, chaotic, adrenaline, zero brakes.

You’ve cited artists like Tove Lo, Kito, and Justin Timberlake as inspirations. What specific elements from each of them resonate with you?

maniia: Tove Lo — her unique writing and melodies. Her hooks are so catchy, and her production feels minimal but still full at the same time.

Kito — punchy, melodic production with really cool vocal effects. Justin Timberlake — melodies, catchy hooks, the HIT-ness of a song. The vocal stacks, harmonies, and how performance-ready his records feel.

“Sugar Free Rebel” is early in your career — what do you want people to still be saying about this song five years from now?

maniia: That it’s the perfect club crashout song.

What’s Next? Any upcoming projects or Shows

maniia: Hopefully an EP in the fall. And maybe a few singles before then.

Message to fans and readers

maniia: Thank you for loudly supporting me. I can’t wait to give you more. Forever grateful.

‘Sugar Free Rebel’ is the sound of turning heartbreak into freedom. maniia captures the chaotic beauty of letting go. It’s a track that proves the dance floor can be both a battlefield and a place of healing, marking maniia as a fearless new voice in modern pop

Connect With maniia on Instagram and Spotify