While attending a concert of her father's band Musik-Express at the Sonnenhof in Aspach, Mai was enlisted as a singer by Wolkenfrei member Marc Fischer.

[7] It was followed by their début studio album Endlos verliebt ("Endlessly in Love") in February 2014, which charted in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

She promoted it through an ad as well as with the song "Mein Herz schlägt Schlager", which was released on a sampler album belonging to the project.

[10] Her first single under the name Vanessa Mai, titled "Ich sterb für dich" ("I Die For You"), was released on 19 February.

On 3 April 2017, Mai announced her second solo studio album and fourth overall with the single "Und wenn ich träum" (And when I dream").

On 18 July 2017, she released a special acoustic version of her first studio album, titled Für Dich - Akustik Best of, available only as a download through Tchibo's homepage as well as in all their shops in Germany.

In November 2017, Mai and Bohlen announced the end of their professional relationship [13] and she started working on her third studio album in her solo career, Schlager.

In 20 August 2020, Mai, together with Essen-based DJ Picco, took part in the second episode in the German version of I Can See Your Voice as a guest artist.