"Stay Sparkly" is the true belief and optimistic mantra of a young woman who has once seen incredibly dark days. Maya Jenkins - also known professionally as Maya J in the music industry - is the actor, singer and songwriter born and bred in the entertainment capital of the world, who coined the expression.

The multi-hyphenate was born with the gift of music, and did that & only that for years. "Music has always been with me. It's always been in my family. I could sing before I could even speak, and I took my first ever music lesson when I was 5." Growing up in a performing arts community, she began playing the violin, which still remains her top instrument to date.

Maya longed to include acting in her life of arts, and began her professional career in the acting arena. Jenkins scored her first role in the short film masterpiece "MUTED" (HBO) starring Chandra Wilson and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, beginning her consistent presence in more than one area of the entertainment industry. Maya has been seen in films and shows, most notably on Freeform (Formerly ABC Family), comedy segments with AwesomenessTV, Nickelodeon, and a handful of popular streaming networks.

Maya is on the judging panel in the film and music categories with the ARPA International Film Festival, where she was also a presenter for the 25th anniversary ARPA Awards Gala. Other judges, presenters and honorees include fellow actors such as Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Pooch Hall (CW's The Game), and Angela Sarafyan (Westworld, Law & Order SVU).

Maya J believes in putting the highest level of work into her craft, and music is no exception. Her debut single "Symptoms of You" was released in 2016 and ever since then she has seen success with her follow-up releases as an independent artist.

The single "Come Find Me" saw her first major radio play as a solo artist in 2018. The official music video for the record premiered on VEVO worldwide in December 2017, and received on-air recognition throughout the following year, including inside many trendy young adult shopping destinations across North America & parts of Europe.

After releasing "Like You" and its accompanying music video, Maya wrote her song "Tell Me" for television by commission, and it was chosen by ABC Television Group to carry the season 2 promotional trailer of the hit series, "Famous in Love". In the years that followed, Maya went on to release the R&B gem "Hurricane" - which was featured by LA Weekly and placed on their "must" listen playlist via Spotify - followed by a soft ballad titled "Unconditional".

Maya's later musical endeavors include the Pop-R&B smooth jam "Trouble" and the accompanying music video, which made "Trouble" one of Maya's most successful singles to date. The cinematic-pop track entitled "Home" was originally written & composed for a major television project, and when the series didn't come to fruition, she moved forward with releasing the recording as a commercial single distributed under her label's banner.

Flash forward to today, Maya J's underground influence on the music industry's Indie R&B-Pop landscape has helped push forth more melodic pieces to the mainstream.

Still, Maya leads the way with humility and grace. "I am grateful, and I hope that I keep inspiring people everyday. Of course, sometimes it's natural to want some credit, even ONE flower or even a high-five for your ideas that people love and have made trendy, I get that. But personally, it's the actual art that keeps me happy. I'm not chasing popularity, that was never a goal. I don't judge those that are, I am just doing ME."

Recently, the song "Chills" was brought into the world; her new sensual-soulful-R&B-pop effort with a jazz fusion that has already garnered positive reviews from both fans and critics.

Within hours of its release, "Chills" landed on Shazam/Apple Music's "Best New Music" list, which placed Maya J on a short list of veteran artists including pop icon Justin Timberlake. "I will save the screenshots of that playlist for the rest of my life." Maya joked. "That is crazy and beautiful."

Being a lifetime music study and a violinist has greatly contributed to her harmonious compositions, and her eloquence by nature has led to her unique lyricism, which audiences can hear in all of her music. Maya J music is a staple of many curator's playlists, and her colorful story-driven music videos are a must-have for her music fans around the globe. She has recently gained a following overseas, which has resulted in Maya having features with digital French magazines Iggy and License, as well as her lyrics being transcribed by different French language interpreters.

Maya has received praise for being the sole writer of the music and lyrics from each of her releases so far, as well as the executive producer & creative director of her single releases & visual products. Confidence, vulnerability, lyrical depth, sultriness, inner strength, memorable melodies, and unforgettable aesthetics are key elements that listeners can agree are impeccable features of Maya J music and music videos.

Maya Jenkins is a champion of music, filmmaking, storytelling, and all works of art; she continues to set trends and break barriers in all of these areas with her songbook, trademarks and sparkly ideas in tow. Her current lane in the pop world is constantly expanding as she shares more creations from her personal music catalog, as well as the songs she writes for music industry peers -- all of which show off her passionate, sensual, heartfelt, & moody tendencies within the delivery of every note and lyric. She breathes new musical life into the music-verse with her newest creation -- the sassy pop track "Princess". This is the first recording that has featured Maya's own violin playing as a major part of the track. Her violin prowess carries the vamp and hook along with the infectious beats, leaving an R&B-pop-trap fusion with a classical twist to shake up the streaming platforms. "Princess" saw a new Maya J music Milestone: the single peaked at number 11 on the Pop charts of iTunes during the week of May 7th, 2024.

Expect to hear more original music from Maya J to hit our speakers in the months to come. Maya will continue her acting career as the craft remains one of her passions; stay tuned for more TV/Film projects announced through IMDb (Movie database), her official website and social media pages.

"In addition to entertaining people & enjoying my passions throughout life, one of my goals is to give people the courage to be authentically themselves. It's okay to march to the beat of your own drum - I hope to always live by that example."

- Maya J