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va Max likes to keep her fans fed. “They never go without me for a year,” the 32-year-old pop singer says. She’s right: Since releasing her third album, Don’t Click Play, last year, Max has dropped two singles — the Freddie Mercury-inspired “Kill it Queen” and “Out of Your Mind” — plus “Fate,” with Alan Walker, and “Energy,” a thrilling pop smash included on the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album. “I’m always going to put out music, because I’m crazy,” she says. “I don’t want to hold onto it.”

As she says this, Max is attending the opening night of FIFA House in New York, celebrating World Cup Finals Week in collaboration with Rolling Stone, the Grammys, and Def Jam Recordings. (Besides Max,FIFA House brings together FIFA legends, creators, industry leaders and other guests — as well as the World Cup trophy, which visitors get to glimpse.) Max spoke to Rolling Stone about who she’s rooting for, a recent scare involving an elevator, and a productive year that’s just getting started.

You just performed an awesome, stripped-down version of “Energy,” your song that was included on the World Cup album. Tell me about making that one. I made that with a few of my friends, who I’ve worked with on a couple albums. “Energy” really came from a place of being in this industry for a while. I’ve tried making it in this industry since I was 14 years old. I went to L.A. with my mom, my dad, and my brother. So the lyrics were easy to write, because I’m in a place where I really don’t care what anyone thinks about me. The internet is really fun if you read the comments [Laughs.]