The weather has officially turned stifling, but the third of Maisie Peters’ 2025 singles, “Say My Name In Your Sleep” harkens to a cooler time.  

Co-written by Marcus Mumford, his influence cannot be denied: in and amongst the banjo solo and the low harmonies is an airiness only achieved when two classic indie-pop artists gather. In the centre is this: a haunting picture that completes the trifecta of “Audrey Hepburn” and “You You You”. The former is the romantic resolution, while the latter is the anger imbued by loss; “Say My Name In Your Sleep” is thus the melancholic reminiscence.  

It’s dangerous: “I’d rather be hated than forgotten,” croons Peters, the harsh duality of being “happy for ya, but I hope you say my name in your sleep.” It’s one of those scary and unavoidable desires, and Peters pads it with more horror-film-imagery: “If these walls could talk, I swear they’d scream.” This is a crash-out for the ages, how loss and finality come secondary to evil wanting and the need to be remembered after a breakup.  

Then she pleads, “It was love, it was love, don’t lie to me, babe”—but how true is this? Peters invites the questioning in a floating acoustic sound. It has all the whimsy necessary to make these desires seem trivial, but don’t be fooled! This is typical Maisie Peters, using all the lightness in the world to venture into general psychological torment. The minimal production is perfect, not only for this song, but for the era as a whole. It seems Florescence, Peters’ third album, is morphing into a world of streaming-autumnal-sun and storytelling.  

Something that makes me return to this song again and again are Peters’ vocals. I wouldn’t necessarily say this is the height of her vocal powers—but it’s the uniqueness of her voice here. It’s the texture, the gliding over every lyric so you don’t properly have a moment to comprehend the words, and then sudden, intensified harmonies creating an immersive entrapment. Like a spider weaving a web, her voice adds to the dreaminess of the song as a whole, and each lyric bleeds into the next. It doesn’t quite give you an opportunity to leave—which, of course, is Peters’ intent. A hypnosis. 

If “Audrey Hepburn” or “You You You” weren’t entirely for you, or if you’re just dabbling in the Peters world, this is where I’d tell you to turn. This is required listening to understand what Peters represents: the most human, but underrepresented desire to not just love someone, but ruin them. And all of this with a banjo solo and the feeling of the sun streaming through the window as you nap.  

If “Say My Name In Your Sleep” is for the Maisie-beginner, then “My Regards” is for the every-listener, and if the former is cooling it down, “My Regards” is heating it right back up. Its earworm quality makes it last through the day, and the music video (directed by Chicken Shop dater Amelia Dimoldenberg) hosts a line dancing sequence to encourage virality. It’s also a really funny video, starring Benito Skinner as the heartthrob movie-star, and Peters as a bodyguard who takes her job very seriously. Worth a watch even if you don’t particularly like Peters’ music—it materialises the song’s content in a fun way, and really, that line dance is hard to resist. 

It’s definitely the most upbeat of the four lead singles, and provides a different insight altogether—where “Say My Name In Your Sleep” curses the ex-love, “My Regards” warns everyone of Peters’ commitment to her new love interest. “God bless all of those other eyes, they can look but they can’t ever touch,” she cautions, allowing for a more acoustic sound to highlight her sincerity.  

Where “My Regards” falls apart is in its cliched themes, especially in comparison to the other singles. The sentiment of “send[ing] the boys and the girls of the city, best of luck, my regards, from his bedroom,” feels familiar, even overdone. It pales in comparison to the glowing craziness of “Say My Name In Your Sleep”. The contemporary references: “call me Kevin Costner the way I’m guarding his body,” and “Now I’m sewing his name in my 509s” are fun but aren’t necessarily as inventive as we know Maisie can be. I will say, however, I enjoy that her delusion has left a taste in this song in the same way it does in “Say My Name In Your Sleep”—one of crazed romance. “The only air that he’ll breathe’s my perfume” is awesome in the way it absorbs the psychosis.  

These are only the ramblings of a lyric-lover. Which is fair, considering Peters raised me that way (her lyrics are usually so jaw-dropping). However, I don’t think her music necessarily has to follow the pattern of depth, angst and romanticism of the lead singles prior. Sometimes a fun song is all we need! I’m sure the casual pop-enjoyer could have a great time with the folky upbeat of this song, and how it seems to followyou through the day.  

The skips in beat toward the start of the song also feel exciting and fresh, while staying sonically in line with her last few singles. Again, her voice is also great in this song! With some interesting riffs and adlibs toward the end, while we may have heard these lyrics before, her voice is sounding better than ever. This sound is to die for, and bodes well for Florescence, her next album slated for release on the 15th of May. Until then, we have four interesting singles and one hilarious music video to tide us over!