Tokyo releases first official single ‘Maria’

Italian artist Tokyo has released her first official single, ‘Maria’, through Oyster Music and Universal Music. Produced by Shablo, the track marks a departure from the street-style rap that initially gained her popularity on social media, offering a more intimate and personal sound.

The song and its cover art are deeply connected to the artist’s family history. The single is named after her great-grandmother, Maria Speekenbrink. The cover features Tokyo in Indonesia, where she is pictured placing flowers on Speekenbrink’s grave in a war cemetery. Speekenbrink lived in Asia during the era of the Dutch East Indies and passed away in a Japanese concentration camp.

Born Maria Fatima Balestrini in Milan in 2005, the Italo-Dutch artist rose to prominence via TikTok before establishing herself in the Milanese rap scene. ‘Maria’ serves as the first extract from her upcoming EP.