Oct 29, 2019 at 11:48 am

Get to Know 'Sensory Overload' Singer Mapei With These 10 Fun Facts! (Exclusive)

After going viral years ago, Mapei is returning to take over the music scene once again, and we’re giving you a chance to get to know her a little better!

The 35-year-old singer was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and split her time between America and Sweden after her Liberian mother and Swedish stepfather moved to Stockholm, Sweden. She moved to Brooklyn at 18 – and lived with Lykke Li before returning back to Sweden!

After making waves with her hit 2013 single “Don’t Wait,” including a Billboard Hot Dance Club-charting remix with Chance The Rapper, Mapei later dropped an album called Hey Hey in 2014, and performed on Late Show With David Letterman.

She is now planning to release her upcoming studio album, Sensory Overload, on November 8.

Ahead of the album’s release, she’s already dropped two singles: “Sensory Overload,” which was used in a global H&M campaign, and “Rise Up,” an inspirational anthem adapted from a slogan used by her activist father.

Check out her music, and 10 Fun Facts about Mapei inside…

1. I once had a paintball team and competed. The funny thing is that I don’t even remember the name of the team. All I know is that my best friend Mona was a professional and one of the best paintballers in the world. I think I just wanted to impress some guy. It was fun even though it hurt.
2. I was pretty good at waterskiing. From the age of 4 – 13, I went to a camp. We would sing songs around the campfire and the days were filled with activities. I was never the sporty type, but I got hooked on this watersport. I tried once again in Canne, France, it didn’t go so well. I loved it though and will watch a tutorial on how to get back into it.
3. I understood Swedish in one month. I really believe that it is possible to learn a language in two weeks. On the other hand sometimes it is easier to understand a new language then to speak it. I did not speak to anyone for a few months but I was persistent to know what was spoken about around me. So I watched as much television as possible. Here I am, a rare Swedish breed.

Read the rest of Mapei’s 10 Fun Facts inside…

4. I performed on one of the last David Letterman shows. Which was so surreal. I’ve watched that show since I was a kid. All of a sudden the host of the show David Letterman takes my hand and asks me questions. The guest of the day was Whoopi Goldberg and Jimmy Page. I was the entertainer. My career really skyrocketed in my eyes. I was given so many opportunities. I even toured with John Legend as a special guest. I had fun.
5. I have studied Computer Science. The experiment as I call it lasted for 6 months. It was definitely the future. In a lecture they said that most jobs will be automated in 5 years. I think everyone should study a bit of CS because technology is a huge part of society. I hope to become better at javascript so that I can code and make apps come to life. Fingers crossed.
6. I have a godson by the name of Amandus. He is getting bigger and bigger before my eyes. He just learned how to type his name. He loves trains and cartoons. I hope the world becomes a better place for him and all children to grow.
7. I have a renewed self-confidence when it comes to love. I have learned how to manifest the right people to be in my life. I would always fall for d–bags, but now I refuse to be in a codependent relationship where I am not being treated right. I rather love myself than to feel lonely with someone else.
8. I am a great painter. Self-taught. One day I might show some paintings in a gallery. But for now I just surprise my friends with art here and there!
9. I have done multiple workshops in Senegal, Ethiopia, Liberia and more places. Liberia is my motherland and I even met the president at the time Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She has even won a Nobel prize. People came from different countries to Liberia, and had a peace conference. It was a super important trip.
10. I’ve written and produced and acted in my own play. It was called Ratking. It was about mental illness, and how it feels to go through a depression. It was very dark, however it was a catharsis for me to express myself. It played for a month and after that I was exhausted. However, it was important to spread the message. Every show was sold out.