We’ve all been there — lying awake at night, butterflies in our stomachs, replaying a conversation in our heads, wondering how one tiny moment could’ve changed everything. 0livia Mae’s debut album “Butterfly Effect” is exactly the soundtrack to every late-night overthink, almost-relationship and “what if” moment you’ve ever had. The album’s 10 songs are packed with heart-on-sleeve storytelling, soulful harmonies and lyrics that feel ripped straight out of Mae’s 2 a.m. journal entries.

A Thornton music industry student by day and a rising indie artist by night, Mae is a self-driven, independent artist whose music blends alternative, R&B and singer-songwriter influences to create pieces that are unapologetically her. 

“This is probably the most vulnerable that I have ever been in my life, period … I really wanted to bring back the art of vulnerability and storytelling in music,” Mae said. 

Three years in production, “Butterfly Effect” is Mae’s most personal and ambitious project yet, featuring fan favorites “YOLO” and “Fell Asleep On FaceTime,” which have already sparked attention on streaming platforms and created anticipation for the full album. Taking inspiration from artists Charlie Burg, UMI and USC alum Jensen McRae, she takes her listeners on a journey of young love in today’s society.

But before she became the artist writing the next go-to breakup bops, Mae was a theater kid, a biology class overachiever and a Disneyland performer. Her journey into music started at four years old, performing in a community theater production of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Acting on stage as a salt and pepper shaker, she fell in love with the excitement of putting on a show. She spent a decade immersed in musical theater and sharpened her stage presence, vocalization and storytelling, shaping her individual artistry.

Veronica McFarlane, a senior majoring in theatre with an emphasis in acting and a longtime friend of Mae, recalls being in awe of Mae’s powerful voice hitting all the notes of the “Phantom of the Opera” soundtrack on a car ride to their improv class. 

“It’s really great seeing her shine, because I saw that spark of her love for music come at a very young age,” McFarlane said.

Mae only began seriously exploring songwriting in her senior year of high school when her biology teacher assigned her to write a song about mitosis for extra credit. Since then, she has fully tapped into her creative talent and released her debut single, which she performed at USC Village as an incoming music industry student. “Your Friend & My Ex” is about a personal experience of falling for her boyfriend’s best friend, whom at first, she wasn’t sure she wanted to admit. 

“My music pretty much is just openly admitting to things that might be embarrassing. For a year and a half, my friends used to call me a ‘homie hopper,’” Mae said. “But the thing is, I owned up. I own my feelings. It’s taking accountability of myself and of my emotions. And if you like it cool, if you don’t, cool. It’s okay, it’s just me.”

However, it wasn’t always easy for Mae to unscrew her bottled-up emotions, in fear of judgment or burdening others. Now, she’s turning her real-life experiences into songs that hit a little too close to home.

“As I’m getting older, I’m realizing it’s okay to feel certain things and it’s okay to show your emotion,” Mae said. “This is really me taking that step, being like, ‘This is who I am. These are what I feel. This is what I think.’ It’s okay to feel these things and it’s okay to share them with people.”

Songs about liking someone completely off-limits, like “I Hate to Admit it,” capture emotions that many experience but few openly discuss. Mae hopes that her songs help other people in similar situations find a community they can lean on throughout their journey. 

“I would have loved that growing up,” Mae said. “I know what it’s like to be there and kind of being that person to my younger self and to anybody else that needs it.”

At its core, “Butterfly Effect” is an album about the highs and heartbreaks of girlhood — the messy, magical, heart-wrenchingly fleeting moments of growing up that feel like the end of the world at 17 and a nostalgic dream at 22. 

These emotional whirlwinds are where Mae gets her inspiration. From the rush of a first crush to the quiet ache of a missed chance, Mae’s music is like a late-night conversation with your closest friends, capturing the raw, unfiltered feelings that only make sense when you’re living them.

“Because we are young adults, we are still kind of learning who we are as individuals … having this can show people that there are others out there in similar positions,” Mae said. “It’s definitely something that I feel anyone can relate to, and just a safe space for people to show their most authentic self and be vulnerable in feeling their emotions.” 

Xavia Hendrickson, a sophomore majoring in music industry and one of Mae’s close friends, also shares this perspective on her music. 

“I feel like it’s trying to convey something a little bit more of the ups and downs of a love story and how it’s normal for things to go sideways … I feel like anyone, but women specifically, could relate to it, especially in growing up … I feel like it’s kind of like a hug, like it’s okay, it can happen,” Hendrickson said.

For those who know Mae, her artistry is an extension of who she’s always been. 

“[She’s] just someone who sparkles … she’s one of the people where it’s like, you make eye contact with her and already form an instant connection,” McFarlane said. That magnetic presence translates effortlessly into her music, where she tells stories that resonate with anyone who has ever fallen in love, felt lost or dreamed of something bigger.

For Mae, this album is just the beginning. She hopes to keep creating more music that resonates with fans and inspires them to embrace their truest self.

“Be vulnerable. Authenticity sounds good,” Mae said.