Photo: Keven Bahena Velazquez
Maria Zardoya performs live at The Marias concert in Atlanta in Jul5 2024.
As the sun set on a cold December night, a chill in the air made experiencing the natural world near impossible. Instead, I turned my overhead light off, flicked on a warm-toned lamp and sat on my uncomfortably stiff futon to study for my media law final.
In preparation for the thrilling night ahead, I opened Spotify and put in my AirPods. Anything to further disconnect from all outside factors.
In the middle of my feed sat a woman I surely had seen before, donned in all black with a silver belt buckle, black hair flowing in the wind to obstruct her face. Behind her, a sea of green leaves covered every inch of the ground, reminding me of what the landscape beyond my apartment once was.
I gazed upon the title of the album.
“Melt,” by Not for Radio.
An unfamiliar piece of work by an unfamiliar name. Yet something drew me in, forcing me to click play, starting the first song, “Puddles.”
The instrumental began.
Her voice slowly crawled into my ears. Then sank into my brain.
This was no new artist.
It was María Zardoya, lead singer of The Marías.
***
Now, I won’t claim to be a fan of The Marías from the beginning of their career. Not even the middle. I first listened to “Submarine,” their 2024 album, in August of the following year. But on that car ride from Charlotte to Chapel Hill, I was transported.
Below the sea, into a field, across the world. Anywhere but my cluttered Honda Civic, on a highway jammed with traffic.
Since then, I have listened to songs like “No One Noticed” and “Sienna” on a regular basis, discovering older works, like “Heavy,” along the way. So how did I miss Zardoya’s solo debut?
For two months after its release in October 2025, I was blissfully unaware, relishing in her prior works with the group.
So I researched.
In an interview with Elle from May of 2024, Zardoya revealed uncomfortable emotions after a breakup with bandmate Josh Conway almost led to the end of The Marías. Now, with Interview Magazine, she said he was one of the first to hear her solo music prior to its release.
Zardoya said this project is one made away from the music industry and outside of her comfort zone according to an interview with Billboard. She also said it is made to be experienced how she enjoys music– in the solitude of nature.
In August 2025, an Instagram profile called @NotForRadio began a nearly-two month progression with evocative images of a duochrome black and white wardrobe, a spinning moss-filled vinyl and sneak-peeks of songs. All leading up to the album’s release, and its ten-track storyline.
***
The entire album is filled with scenic instrumentals, but no song better exemplifies this than the opener, “Puddles.” Cascading notes trail up and down the scale, evoking a feeling of standing under a tree as it rains.
A reflection on a prior relationship, Zardoya effectively gazes into a puddle and asks herself the question, “Is love worth the pain?” As if she is speaking into a void, she ponders what loss will feel like after she “dares,” talking about heartbreak as a consequence of vulnerability.
A key part of Zardoya’s music, both with The Marías and alone, is her Puerto Rican heritage. This shows in her art through the use of Spanish. Words, phrases, even entire songs.
“Vueltas” is the only song that is delivered in Spanish. The only mention of Spanish in the entire album. Translated to “Spins,” this song tells the story of a lover who stays in Zardoya’s mind and her heart. To proceed forward, she must dispel the presence that looms over her.
The lyrics “Corazon, corazon, coraza,” translated to “Heart, heart, breastplate,” show how in pursuing a life free from his memory, she must protect herself. Its Spanish delivery makes it seem as though Zardoya holds this song closer to her chest, elevating it from the rest of the tracks as she reaches the realization of craving emotional separation.
The rest of the album navigates Zardoya’s journey answering the question posed in “Puddles,” wondering if love is worth the inevitable costs. No clear answer is reached across the ten tracks. Instead, they feel to gain separation from Zardoya’s past relationship, as the musicality reflects her reconnection with the natural world.
***
After my first listen, I felt conflicted. Every song seemed to be a continuation of “Submarine,” The Marías’ sophomore album. Originally, this repelled me.
I wanted to hear a new side to Zardoya. One that showed her heart, while exploring a new style of music unique to her, not the band. Yet, something about the project pulled me back in.
The allusions to nature, the hauntingly intimate lyrics, everything felt like Zardoya at her purest form. “Puddles” and “Vueltas” kept me enraptured by their production, as they seemed the most distinct from any song Zardoya created with the band. The rest needed to grow, but each played a pivotal role in portraying her thoughts and emotions.
At its core, “Melt” seems reminiscent of a diary in which Zardoya hastily scrawled her deepest truths, then threw under her bed. This was meant to be released, but as the name suggests, not for radio. Not for the average listener. Only for those determined to find it.
I did not search for Not for Radio. I didn’t know I needed to. But it came searching for me. And the heartbreaking melodies entered my brain and never left. Not for anything groundbreaking “Melt” did for the music industry. But for the story it narrated, the one of most palpable depictions of loss in modern music.