The Sound of Growing Up Too Fast: Makaio Huizar Confronts Youth on What Do You Want To Be When You’re Older?
Adolescence is often portrayed as chaotic but cinematic. Makaio Huizar presents it differently. He frames it as introspective, isolating, and quietly overwhelming.
On What Do You Want To Be When You’re Older?, the 18-year-old artist explores themes many young listeners recognize but rarely articulate: emotional numbness, fractured family dynamics, dependency masked as love, and the anxiety of becoming someone unfamiliar.
The EP does not glamorize youth. It documents it. Bedroom pop production enhances that intimacy. Soft layers and restrained instrumentation create a private atmosphere, as though listeners are reading unfiltered journal entries.
What makes the project resonate culturally is its refusal to offer easy resolutions. Growth is not portrayed as triumphant. It is portrayed as gradual, uncomfortable, and uncertain.
For a generation navigating mental health conversations more openly than ever, Huizar’s debut functions less as entertainment and more as reflection. It does not claim answers. It asks questions.
And in doing so, it becomes relatable beyond its seven tracks.
Presave the EP Now: http://Makaiohuizar.tunelink.to/whatdoyouwanttobewhenyoureolder
At just 18 years old, Arizona-based singer-songwriter Makaio Huizar is emerging as a distinct voice in independent alternative pop, blending elements of bedroom pop, folk pop, dream pop, and atmospheric songwriting into deeply personal music. With over 355,000 total streams across his catalog — including breakout tracks “What Am I Waiting For?” and “Town” — Makaio has steadily built a dedicated audience drawn to his confessional lyricism and immersive sound.
His upcoming debut EP, What Do You Want To Be When You’re Older?, out April 24, unfolds like a series of diary entries that explore identity, mental health, family dynamics, love, accountability, and the uncertainty of growing up. Each of the seven tracks offers emotional honesty and narrative cohesion, peaking with the expansive closer “Stars,” where Makaio answers the central question of the project with quiet ambition: he wants to be a star.
Raised in Oceanside, California, in a large family shaped by struggle and resilience, Makaio channels lived experience into music that resonates with listeners navigating change, confusion, and self-discovery. Recognized in 2025 by Broken8Records as an “Artist To Watch” and “One of Arizona’s Most Promising Young Artists,” he is positioning himself as a defining voice for a generation that values vulnerability over spectacle.
Presave the EP Now: http://Makaiohuizar.tunelink.to/whatdoyouwanttobewhenyoureolder
Connect with Makaio Huizar and stream his music:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmakaiohuizar?igsh=M251bG9oanZ2dzYz&utm_source=qr
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsmakaiohuizar?_r=1&_t=ZP-91theC4KzIl
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4iHVWZaNqFWl0woiEtFrLj?si=s8hFNRu1QECUpseiQirlxg
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/makaio-huizar/1712378059
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@makaiohuizar?si=ohqbJH_INLjflOGj
