Just 18 years old and already capturing the hearts and attention of tens of thousands of listeners, Makaio Huizar has achieved a uniquely introspective and ambient original style with his music. That style appears to culminate for the end of a busy year, with the release of his honest and heart-breaking alternative Christmas song Merry Xmas I Guess.
I caught an interview with Makaio, to find out more about the driving force behind the music, the story of this song, and what the artist has planned for 2026. Here’s the conversation in full.
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Hi Makaio, great to connect with you – interesting and distinct, emotive style as an artist. Who or what first inspired you to write songs?
Hi! I have no clue what first inspired me to be totally honest, I wrote songs when I was 12 or so, I’ve just always felt so connected to music.
I found out at an early age that music was a way for me to escape and a coping mechanism, so I started writing about my own problems and it quickly became a hobby, turning something that hurts into something beautiful was my goal, and to hopefully help others in similar situations feel less alone.
Are you musically trained, do you play multiple instruments, and do you producer your own music or collaborate?
I’m not musically trained, and I can play basic piano. I sorta play by ear what sounds good to me, and I can quickly build on it. Thankfully in today’s world anyone can make music from anywhere, it’s just a matter of finding your sound and experimenting. I’ve produced all of my songs, some are completely by myself and others I’ve had help with. With my Christmas song “Merry Xmas I Guess” I had the joy of working with Vinicius Faina, and he’s great and helps me a lot!
You’re releasing a Christmas single this year, tell us about the creative process for making that?
It will be my first holiday single so I’m pretty excited. The idea came to me pretty late actually, mid September I randomly thought “I should have a Christmas song”. It was an idea I had in 2024 but didn’t actually do it, so I thought why not. I had a few unrecorded song lyrics that I pieced together, my creative direction with this song was to be more holiday themed but have a unique twist in its meaning.
It’s not the classic jolly song you’ll hear but it’s a song that talks about how rough years can be, and how many things can change within a year. When writing the song I first came up with the chorus, “The Snows Gonna Fall But It Will All Be Gone By The Summer” was the first line I had and I built off of that.
Why the vintage inspiration, what do you like about that style?
I wanted this song to have a vintage feel because I wanted this to feel a little nostalgic but also timeless. When I think of Christmas songs I think of songs before the 2000s so I wanted this to have that type of feel but with a little modern touch. I also wanted this to be a song for years to come, not just for one Christmas, but a sign you can come to in March or mid summer, and for many more Christmases.
You mention that the song captures ‘a full year’s weight’ – it’s a heavy time for reflecting on what you’ve been through each year and realising what you’ve gained and/or lost. What prompted you to choose this theme and style for the song?
This theme for me fit naturally. It’s how I really felt through this year. It’s a feeling of going through so much and when your at the end and looking back it can give you a weird but satisfying feeling. I was inspired by “Cindy Lou Who” by Sabrina Carpenter and “Holidays” by Conan Gray for this song. These songs are christmas songs but are following a theme that is more than just christmas, and it really struck my creativity to do something similar with my own twist.
What’s your favourite lyric from the new song, and why?
My favorite lyric would have to be from the second verse. “I’ve been chasing the stars, Didn’t get so far, Maybe next year” I think this line can be used for anyone in any situation. I use it as a reference to my last single “Stars”. People who follow my music will know “Stars” is about yearning to achieve a dream of being star but not always feeling worthy or good enough, so this is a reference to that song. But I like this line because it can be used for anyone feeling like they didn’t achieve a “New Years Goal”.
You’re still just 18 years old, already with an impressive repertoire of releases. What’s your plan for 2026, and how will you make sure to stay focused on your goals as an artist when things get difficult?
Coming into 2026 I have pretty big plans. I’m working on my debut project, I’m coming with a concept and a well thought out project. I’m very close to having it finished and I’m teasing some songs on my social media accounts. And when things get difficult is when my creativity sparks the most. I write songs when I’m down or stressed. It’s my way of making it through so it will be no problem. I have big plans for 2026 and I’m super excited to releasing more this year!!
What are the main values you hope to bring to the modern music scene?
I hope to bring Mental Health Awareness to the forefront of the public media. I will never stop advocating for Mental Health and doing my best to help support people and organizations who are willing to stand up for it. It is such an important topic, every year we lose so many beautiful people to mental health struggles.
I like to say my personal motto is “Advocating Through Music” when it comes to mental health. I have it on my website, I have “Mental Health Matters” shirts where profits are donated to Mental Health Of America Foundation, and I donate annually from music royalties to the Mental Health Of America Foundation. This is one thing that I hope I can be the face of, and it’s one thing I’m very passionate about and I hope becomes a more talked about subject and taken more seriously.
You’ve amassed hundreds of thousands of streams already; how will you keep your authenticity as your audience continues to grow and ultimately has certain expectations from you?
I’m hoping people don’t just love my music, but they love me too. Anyone who knows me I’m very shy and introverted so I think I cater more to that audience. I try to stay in touch with my small but mighty fan base but messaging and doing Instagram lives and interacting and we have a great time. I’m trying to make sure that my base following is a healthy one for both me and them. And I hope new people who fall in love with my music will fall in love with the base I’ve created for us.
For future releases I’ll stay true to myself and my sound. When I create something I’m very set on my artistic direction and to me the streams in my songs don’t matter, I’m very appreciative of the numbers I have but it’s not my main goal. I know someone in this world needs to hear the song and to me that’s all that matters. Making others feel less alone. I’ll try not to lean into the expectations and stay true to myself.
Will you be performing live in the coming months, and if so, what can fans expect from that?
I truly hope so! I’ve never performed live yet! I really want to, I’m a super small artist on a budget so traveling can be hard so I’ll have to do a local show, as of right now there is no plan to perform live anywhere but I truly hope I can bring my music on the road someday. It really is a dream of mine.
Is there anything else we should know?
I’m extremely grateful to have done this interview and the great questions that were asked, and I’m grateful for anyone reading and wanting to know more about me and my music! I have so much planned for 2026 so following my social media accounts are the best ways to stay up to date and I’m excited to share you my heartfelt Christmas single “Merry Xmas I Guess” on December 19th!
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Download or stream Merry Xmas I Guess. Find all things Makaio Huizar via his Website or Instagram.
