Every now and then you hear a song that just stops you in your tracks and makes you immediately think, “wow, this is a really important song that people need to hear”. And Maddie Zahm’s new single ‘Fat Funny Friend’ is one of those special moments. 

The Los Angeles based singer-songwriter has been cultivating a fanbase with her honest confessional pop, but I don’t think anyone was really prepared for how deeply vulnerable she actually is on this track. Exploring growing up and struggling with her weight and how others made her feel because of it, she details how she’s looked at herself her whole life because of the representation she was given in media. Always being referred to as the “fat funny friend”, and made to feel like the “supporting role” to people around her, she processes how damaging these thoughts and comments were to her. “I’m just the best friend in Hollywood movies, who only exists to continue the story. The girl gets the guy, while I’m standing off-screen, so I’ll wait for my cue to be comedic relief” she heartbreakingly sings before questioning ”Can’t be too proud, can’t think I’m pretty. Do they keep me around, so their flaws just seem silly?”. Currently finding herself on a weight loss journey, she wrote this song with her housemate Catie Turner as a direct response to the emotional trauma surrounding transitioning from a plus side body, which is something no one ever talks about. 

Complimenting the emotional vulnerability, she has built up production that is reminiscent of Gracie Abrams and Chelsea Cutler. It’s got moments of raw vulnerability as well as moments of emotional confidence. The dreamy mix also interpolates the raw demo before the final chorus which gives you another level of vulnerability. 

‘Fat Funny Friend’ is a song that is going to comfort so many people. It’s going to be a song that makes so many people feel no longer alone. And it’s going to be a song that is going to make people feel understood and listened to. As someone who struggles with body dysmorphia, when I heard this song, my heart burned a little warmer as feelings and thoughts I have felt for a long time were validated. No matter where you are on your personal journey, if you have ever struggled with your weight and how others have made you feel about it, then you need to take a moment to give yourself an extra big hug today and listen to this song.