At a time when pop’s pace seems stuck on fast-forward, Maya Unagi’s “Stumbling” hits like a pause button for the soul. The Bay Area native and longtime underground favourite has dropped a track that doesn’t clamor for streams—it simply exists, humming with sincerity, soul, and intention. It’s a slow jam for soft hearts, and an early contender for one of the year’s most quietly impactful singles.
Built on a bed of analog keys, soft percussion, and sweeping strings, “Stumbling” moves with the ease of an exhale. Unagi’s voice—somewhere between a whisper and a balm—glides across the track like it’s remembering something painful but necessary. There’s no overproduction here, no glittering high drama. Just carefully placed emotion, and a rhythm that understands the value of space.
With production from Curran Sinha and a dream team of musicians including Karim Hutton and Sara Kawai, the track’s palette feels both earthy and celestial. Every sound is organic, yet slightly surreal—as if time itself had been stretched to accommodate the song’s tender pace. Maya, who composed and plays keys, acts as the anchor, grounding it all in a sense of personal truth.
Lyrically, “Stumbling” dwells in the grey areas of growth—those awkward, aching in-betweens where clarity is scarce but transformation is happening all the same. It’s the soundtrack to quiet epiphanies, to letting go, to waking up not quite healed but trying anyway. Think Solange meets Cleo Sol with the narrative poise of Raveena—Unagi’s lane is clear, and she’s staying true to it.
With her upcoming EP Pieces slated for release this July, “Stumbling” suggests Maya Unagi isn’t chasing the zeitgeist—she’s building a world on her own terms. And if this track is any indication, it’s a world well worth lingering in.
