It’s a song about all my exes. Wait, no…it says sweet, too, so that can’t be right.

Just kidding, ladies.

But who is this? Ava Max seems to have come out of nowhere with this sweet pop confection, an earworm called “Sweet But Psycho.”

Max was just 24 when “Sweet But Psycho” was released as a single on August 17, 2018 through Atlantic Records, where it climbed the charts and stayed well into 2019. Born Amanda Ava Koci in 1994, she tried a couple variations on her name (Ava Koci, AVA) before settling on Ava Max, and it fits her dirty pop image well.

“Sweet But Psycho” hits you instantly, either killing you (if you hate synth-based pop music) or making you perk up and dance (there are more of these people, considering its longevity on the Billboard Hot 100). Lyrically, the track is straight forward in its intentions; you don’t want her because she’s a damn psycho! But dude, you can’t resist her. She knows how to play you. And dammit…guys everywhere tune in because, well, we’ve been there.

You’ll be saying, “No, no”
Then saying, “Yes, yes, yes”
‘Cause she messin’ with your head

It’s no surprise it was written by a committee, as so much pop music is, but Ava is among the writers, showing she had some input (TIX, Henry Walter, Madison Love, and William Lobban-Bean are also credited). In an interview, Max described the song , saying “it’s basically about a girl who’s not afraid to show all of her sides and her dualities, and about a guy loving all those sides.” I suppose that fits.

And really, it’s the lyrics that put this track over the top for most listeners. Had the song been about something sweeter or cuddlier, it would’ve sounded too happy and, while still a good dancefloor track, it would’ve been discarded to the pop trash heap much sooner. Instead, we’re talking about sweet girls who also PSYCHOS! The “Grab a cop, gun kinda crazy” kind of psycho (as the lyrics say)! That’s what makes it fun–that’s what’s relateable to men and women alike!

For my money, from that opening scream, to the electro-infused breakdown at the midpoint, to the end of the track, it’s those driving synths straight out of 1980s dance pop that steer the ship. Coupled with Max‘s strong delivery and those edgy lyrics, “Sweet But Psycho” has legs, and should be enough to propel her to the mid-tier pop level where she’ll look to continue her forward momentum.

The song hit No. 1 in many countries and also topped Billboard’s US Dance Club Songs chart. Her followup single (“So Am I,” released March 7, 2019) isn’t as instantly catchy as “Sweet and Psycho,” but it’s a good, mid-tempo next step for Max, and should keep her on the charts.

Online commenters will undoubtedly compare her to Lady Gaga and Madonna (she’s blonde! She does similar dance pop! She sounds like Gaga!), but so what? She has a long way to go before being considered the next blonde dance-pop queen, but it’s not bad company to be in–both Madge and Gaga have proven adept at renventing themselves and carving out long careers…long after their contemporaries have petered out.

If Ava Max keeps that psycho edge, she has a shot. “I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind.”