Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho

Music Appreciation

Ava Max, born Amanda Koçi in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Albanian immigrant parents, emerged as a rising pop force in 2018. Influenced by early 2000s pop divas, Max began recording music at a young age and eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time career in music. Her breakthrough came with the release of her debut single “Sweet but Psycho” on August 17, 2018. The track quickly catapulted her into global recognition, topping charts in more than 20 countries and establishing her signature blend of theatrical pop and bold visual style.

“Sweet but Psycho” was co-written by Ava Max, Madison Love, Tix, Cook Classics, and producer Cirkut. The song explores the duality of being misunderstood or labeled for emotional intensity, particularly from a woman’s perspective. Musically, it combines a punchy electropop production with catchy hooks and dramatic flair. The lyrics play on the stereotype of the “crazy girlfriend,” flipping it into a declaration of empowerment and self-acceptance. With lines like “Oh, she’s sweet but a psycho,” Max toes the line between satire and sincerity, making the song both provocative and an earworm.

Around the time this song came out, I was at the tail end of a relationship with a woman I loved deeply—someone who struggled with mental illness. She had schizophrenia, chose not to take her medication, lost her job, and turned to alcohol to cope. While I never believed she would hurt me, one night pushed our relationship past the edge. She threatened to end her life, and when I returned home, I found her in bed with a slicing knife hidden under the sheets. A few days later, I ended things. She didn't take it well and made several threats afterward. To this day, I still get the occasional message from her—often about a dog we never even had. This song, for all its pop gloss, hits close to home. She was sweet—and yes, a little psycho. But what made it hardest to leave was the intensity I found myself drawn to.

The music video for “Sweet but Psycho,” directed by Bengali American filmmaker Shomi Patwary, features a vibrant and stylized visual narrative. Patwary used saturated colors, intentional lens flares, and vintage anamorphic lenses to give the video a retro, dreamlike quality. Model Prasad Romijn plays the male lead, who finds himself on the receiving end of Max’s unpredictable behavior. The video follows a storyline where Max is seen swinging between loving and aggressive acts—tying him to a chair, smashing objects, and dancing seductively—mirroring the song’s lyrics. The visual plays with horror tropes and psychological thriller aesthetics, reinforcing the song’s commentary on gendered perceptions of mental health and behavior.

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/music-of-roma-oscar-nominations-8494323/