Maya Milan

Threading contemporary R&B through pop melodicism and urban attitude, Maya Milan channels equal measures of passion, sensuality, and wit as both vocalist and songwriter. She resides in Maryland, where she first issued music during the mid-2010s via several singles before unveiling the 2016 EP 11:11. Over subsequent years she continued dropping tracks such as “The Struggle” and “Don’t Owe You” while balancing her solo work with duties as Keith Sweat’s touring vocalist, a period that ended with the arrival of her second EP, Passin Time, in 2024.

Born Maya Russell in Boston, she spent her childhood in Largo, Maryland, where church singing and recordings by Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Mary J. Blige shaped her voice. Early in the 2010s, while still attending college, she adopted the name Maya Milan and quickly secured opening slots for J. Cole, Big Sean, and K. Michelle. Those performances showcased the powerful range and assured presence she displayed in both live and recorded settings. Prior to her self-released debut EP 11:11 at the close of 2016, she had already put out the singles “Push” and “Fun.” In 2017 she joined Keith Sweat’s band as touring vocalist, yet resurfaced in 2019 with the Pretty Yellow collaboration “PopTags” alongside the solo cuts “The Struggle” and “Don’t Owe You.”

Following the polished 2021 release “Get Back,” new material appeared only sporadically until 2024, when the singles “Warning” and “Passin” surfaced and later formed the core of her EP Passin Time.