Maddie Zahm was watching Meryl Streep deliver "that is all" in The Devil Wears Prada when she had a realisation: "that's gay."
On this episode of The Hardest Part with Kieron Banerji, she opens up "Meryl," a flirty, joyful, proudly queer song about loving older women.
It's a conversation about honesty as a superpower: how she came out through a song she accidentally sent to her mom, why she writes hyper-specifically, as though no one will ever hear it, and why the songs that scare her most always resonate most.
At the end of the interview, Maddie performs an exclusive stripped back version of the track.
00:00 "That's gay": the Meryl Streep moment
01:14 Introducing "Meryl"
01:57 Coming out through a song (by accident)
02:55 Writing literally — & the eyelash story
05:00 Writing like throwing up
05:45 Editing on gut instinct
07:39 Griffin, Summer & turning the car around
10:21 Does Meryl know?
11:40 "I've never done a thing that I'm told"
12:20 Live Session: Meryl
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The Hardest Part dives deep into the most emotionally complex songs ever written. Every two weeks, host Kieron Banerji sits down with artists to unpack the creative process behind their hardest songs—exploring songwriting breakdowns, emotional storytelling, cultural influences, and moments of personal growth. Each episode ends with an intimate, stripped-back performance—raw, real, and sometimes heard this way for the first time.
Produced by Palm Tree Island, a London-based creative studio known for standout music documentaries and original voices.
Kieron Banerji is a seasoned producer and engineer based in London with extensive experience in music, media, and entertainment. He’s worked with Grammy and Academy Award winners, and has recorded sessions with Portugal. The Man, Jason Isbell, Katie Melua, Rae Morris, Jason Mraz, BROODS, Baio (Vampire Weekend), and more.
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