The LA based artist- who was born in Manila, the Philippines, has been surrounded by music from a young age. With her first single ‘Circles’ released in 2017 and her first full length album See Me in 2019, Kiana V’s unique sound has been un-surprisingly well received. Kiana V has surpassed over 20 million streams on Spotify and the music video to her track ‘Does she Know’ exceeded 1 million views on YouTube. After making the big move to LA during the pandemic, Kiana V took complete control of her own creativity, and the sound of her tracks totally transformed. In this unprecedented time of lockdowns and loneliness, the artist took the time to create a soulful and introspective sound accompanied by intimate lyrics, in her 2021 EP Dazed. Her most recent release ‘Heartbeat on Me’ explores the experience of falling in love and the all-consuming emotions that come with it. It speaks on the fear of being hurt and the dread of a possible unrequited love that we can all relate to when opening our heart to someone new.

Kiana V speaks to Voir, covering all things culture, fashion, and the creative process behind her amazing new single ‘Heartbeat On Me.’

Can you talk us through a typical day in your life?

I usually get up at around 7am and my morning routine consists of morning meditations, making myself a cup of coffee, walking my dog, and doing my vocal exercises. I then go into a quick workout to set my mood for the day before diving into work. Work can either mean meetings, editing photos, answering interviews, or recording tiny-desk style sets for online shows. If it’s an errand day, I get up earlier, but if it’s a studio day I let myself sleep in, just so I’m relaxed and well-rested. I also make sure to write or journal at least one hour a day as well as read for at least an hour in the evening, just trying to keep my soul alive.

When did you realise you wanted to pursue a career in the music industry?

I spent a summer in London after college and while I was there, I experienced writing and recording with a few new friends, all just for fun. The freedom to express myself without any pressure really sparked something in me. I had always wondered if I would find my way to music, I guess I just had to leave my comfort zone to make the decision for myself.

We love your style, and we noticed your design sketches on your Instagram highlights, have you got a background in fashion?

Thank you! Yes, actually. I studied fashion design in college and took some short courses at Central Saint Martin’s afterwards. One of my biggest dreams is to start my own label. Every once in a while, I’ll make something for myself though. I draped and sewed the dress I was wearing on the cover of my Dazed EP right before we shot it.

That’s so cool, we loved that dress! How would you describe your fashion style? Do you have any style icons?

I’d say my style changes depending on my mood. I really do love marrying feminine and masculine silhouettes though! My list of style icons includes Zoe Kravitz, Rihanna, and Bella Hadid.

Having been born and raised in the Philippines, how has the culture influenced your creative choices?

When I’ve been back to Manila for the holidays, I had to quarantine in a hotel for 5 days. From up in my hotel room, all I could really do was observe our culture from afar. I admired the drum parade that took place every day at around four pm, the outdoor dance classes leading into the evening, the vibrant colours in the form of streamers and jeeps and tricycles. It hit me then that all these seemingly ordinary, everyday occurrences are so much livelier and striking to a foreign eye. I think that aspect of the Filipino spirit, the yearning for community and celebration, and the balance between traditional and modern really drive my choices, from the accessories I wear to the music I’m drawn to.

You’ve collaborated with artists, including Jesse Barrera for your EP Dazed. What’s been the biggest take- away from working with other creatives?

There’s just so much to learn! Everyone has a different way of doing and viewing things and it’s just fascinating to witness how one person’s creative process can impact another’s.

In ‘How Do I?’ we were invited to delve deep into your mind. The lyrics, ‘I need to be mine. If I can’t love myself, how do I love you?’ spoke to us about the importance of self-love within a relationship. Can you talk us through your personal journey with self-love and acceptance?

For a long time, I didn’t know how to set boundaries and I was just this very adaptable person. It was normal for me to transform myself drastically depending on who I was around. This can sometimes be an advantage, but I did it so often that I lost my true self trying to please everyone else. When I wrote How Do I, it was during a time that I had become aware of the toxic behaviours I had been perpetuating and the struggle to remember my own identity. What I’ve come to realize is you really can’t rush self-love and acceptance. You can actively and intentionally work on it, but ultimately everyone’s timeline is different. Some days seem hopeless, and some seem limitless, but I really am falling in love with this journey of meeting and bettering myself.

Which of your songs means the most to you and why?

How Do I! When I wrote it, I just felt so honest and so vulnerable. It’s a true reflection of what I was dealing with at the time, insecurity, uncertainty and yet self-awareness and growth as well

Your new single, ‘Heartbeat on Me’ delves into the emotions that a new relationship can bring, what inspired this?

When I arrived at the studio, we really didn’t know what we were going to come up with that night. I have this habit of sending Jesse voice notes of verses that I write and so we had a couple options. I think being in the room together, Jesse, Albert Posis and I just wanted to have fun and our excitement to be working on something new manifested itself into this song.

What was your creative process for ‘Heartbeat on Me’ and has it changed over the years?

I wrote the chorus first, which isn’t something I always do. I usually start with the first verse and then see where that takes me, but my dear friend Marcus Davis gave me the advice to try building a hook or chorus first. When I was set on the chorus, I sent over a voice note to Jesse Barrera and we zoned in on it when we got in the studio. It all happened so fast really, as he and Albert started building the track, I dove into the melody and the lyrics. It’s all so new to me since in the past I’ve gone over to Jesse’s with a finished acapella song for him to interpret. I was definitely more confident in the studio this time around and spoke up about where I wanted to take the production, I guess that says a lot about how my collaborators’ energies impacted me.

And finally, what can we except to see next from Kiana V?

Every time I release something new, I feel like I’m only just getting started. So, one thing I can promise is a whole lot of music. In March I’ll be playing at SxSW in Austin and I’m so excited to be back on stage playing live music and meeting new people. For more updates you can check out my website and socials

Words by Lucy Rosenberg

_{Header Image: Kiana V}

The post An Interview with Kiana V: The Music Artist Who Speaks To Your Soul appeared first on Voir Fashion.

London-based Chloe Bodur is the 23-year old soulful singer-songwriter you need to have on your radar. Taking inspiration from a diverse array of musical figures, her eclectic style blends together elements of neo-soul, jazz and pop, forming the distinctive sound that listeners all over the country are falling in love with. Bodur has hit the ground running with new party hit ‘Watch Me’, featuring vocals and guitar from Bubba Janko. Created as an “ode to the attention seekers in the club” the musician describes the joyous experience that was making the track. With groovy disco undertones and a repetition of seductive vocals, ‘Watch Me’ will have you letting loose and dancing the night away right through until morning. We caught up with the artist to find out more about her unique style, the inspirations behind her latest track and what the future has in store.

The past year has been quite challenging for many of those in the creative industry, in what way has it effected you?

Making my last EP ‘Panties & Loafers’ on Zoom was really difficult and I never want to do that again lol. The time-out from doing shows, releasing music etc though really gave me time to think about who I am as an artist. I feel like a completely different person/artist than I did before the pandemic. A more evolved version of myself. I’ve gone from being a girl to a woman it feels, if that makes sense? I feel braver now!

Could you tell us a little bit about how you first got into music and what has kept you there?

I loved singing as a kid, making up poems and songs. I think a lot of people are like that as children but they’re not lucky enough to have parents that encourage their creative endeavours. It went from that to writing songs with my guitar as a teenager, to studying music technology at college and learning how to produce, to forming my band at uni and then getting to do music professionally after I graduated. I think my Mum always encouraging me to do what I love is one of the main things that’s kept me at it all these years. That childhood creative spark was never stepped on it was just nurtured. So thanks Mum!

How would you describe your musical style?

Sometimes psychedelic soul, sometimes alternative RnB, RnBossa, sometimes UK jazz. It’s a mixture really. I always like to surprise people with what I put out rather than ever doing the same thing twice.

Who are some of your musical heroes and how have they influenced your sound?

The Neptunes – general amazing and innovative production, influenced by their use of guitar and vocal adlibs. All the 90s/00s RnB legends have influenced the layered backing vocals & harmonies I always have in my tunes. Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Brandy, SWV etc. Then old soul legends like Stevie Wonder, Quincey Jones, D’angelo, Anita Baker for that classic songwriting and band instrumentation side.

Congratulations on your new single ‘Watch Me’ — what were the inspirations behind the track?

Thank you! I’d wanted to make an uptempo track for ages because I love dancing and it was annoying me that I couldn’t dance to any of my music. Because soul is what a lot of my music is rooted in it made sense that if I was going to do an uptempo track that disco is where I would head for that so we tried to make a modern disco tune. We were trying to make a love child between Donna Summers ‘I feel love’ and The Internet’s ‘Roll’.

What was it like working with your boyfriend, Bubba Janko?

It’s interesting making music with your boyfriend because there isn’t that professional boundary that’s there with other people. There’s no politeness which can lead to us being quite savage to each other sometimes. With someone else you might say ‘hmm I’m not sure about that idea’ but to each other we’ll just be like ‘nah are you mad? that sounds shit’ which can either be a great thing in the sense that we push the best out in each other or we can just end up annoyed with each other lol. It totally depends how sensitive we’re feeling that day. Luckily with ‘Watch Me’ we both loved everything the other person was doing so the vibes were immaculate the whole session.

There’s a positive energy about the song that really makes you want to get moving, what do you hope listeners will take from ‘Watch Me’ and your music in general?

The main thing I wanted from Watch Me was exactly that, to get people dancing and smiling and feeling themselves! For the rest of my music I hope people feel like they get to know me a bit better but I’m happy for people to take whatever they need to from my music and interpret it whichever way they want.

Which artists are you listening to at the moment?

Right now I’m listening to Little Simz’s new album. I love ‘sun, mood & herbs’ off Venna’s new project too featuring Jvck James. Sault is always a go-to for me as well. I think Sault are making some of the best music in the world right now.

Have you got any advice for young musicians trying to break into the industry?

Prepare yourself for the long ride! Connect with the creative young people in your local community and build a team from that to get started. Your mate that’s doing photography a-level, your mate that’s really good at makeup, your friend that makes clothes etc start by working with them to build your brand and take it from there. Make music that you like for YOU, don’t try and impress anyone else – that way it’ll sound authentic and unique to you.

What’s next for you? Any potential collaborations or exciting projects coming up in the near future?

Yes me and my cousin JD. Reid have been recording together so I’m excited to share the songs that we’ve been working on. Lots of music I’ve recorded with my band is coming soon too. I’m working on storyboarding my next 2 music videos as well. I’m really excited for the next 12 months. I’m knackered but it’s worth it.

We can’t wait to see what you do next! Listen to Chloe Bodur’s latest single ‘Watch Me’

Words by Ella Citron-Thompkins

The post Meet Chloe Bodur: The Soulful Singer-Songwriter Giving Us The Groove appeared first on Voir Fashion.

From Los Angeles, California, ROE drops a brand new video for ‘I like’ with seductive lyrics and her personal touch of glamour.

Under the Universal Music Publishing Group label, we have seen her talent as a songwriter for great artists such as Mary J. Blige, Usher, Normani, Kiana Ledé, Teyana Taylor, and Kash Doll with singles about love and heartbreak or her recent participation with Tiesto and The Kid Daytona in Ride, making her way to be recognized as one of the great musical authors of the moment.

This time, for the first time, ROE is in the limelight and thrills us with a sensual and glamorous video clip directed by Damien Sandoval in the luscious Santa Monica County, California. ́I Like ́ is a single with airs of RNBass, the new cutting edge genre infused with heavy ’80s, melodic sounds, and real / tone singing, which surrounds us with touches of the 90s and gives a twist to the theme ́I Like the Way ́ by Hi.Five.

́I Like ́ is a bridge of connection between the artist and her audience, it is a single of seduction and desire that awakens the senses. As she said for Refinery29, “I just want people to feel really good when they listen to this song. We’re in a time right now where we need to flirt and love more than ever amidst all the craziness going on. I want to provide a moment for people to feel good. That’s what I want to share with the world: a chance for people to feel themselves again.”

Roe – I like

Between sensual sets of animal print, with transparencies, mesh bodycon, and diamonds under the white light of the sun, ROE highlights her figure and beauty, with straight or wavy hair, glossy lips, and big eyelashes and adds a touch of sensuality with her attractive voice and delicate vocal tones. Her style is glamorous and confident, because who else has given the power to a big fur white coat with touches of diamonds and a bright green dress with a neckline and scorpion hook? Very daring under the UglyGold styling and with the sensual stamp of ROE.

But it is not only her musical talent that stands out but also her support for other black singers and her encouragement to propel them to success. We can see this in his video clip shot in a luxurious Bel-Air mansion and under her statements for Refinery29, “I’m really big on Black women living and existing in luxury, and the more that that’s seen, the better it is for the culture. I’ve always said that when I have my opportunity to do it big, I want to be just like that. So I found the most beautiful house that I could find in Bel-Air, and that was it”.

This recording artist has marked the industry this year also in her participation as a panelist in the initiative by Universal Music Publishing Group and She is the Music – Women Making Waves- acting as an agent of positive change and empowering new talents and women in the music industry.

Daring and committed, ́I Like ́ is a sign of the great future in the music industry that ROE has as one of the imposing forts of the new R&B sound.

Words by Cami Martinez

Graphics by Frances Scott

The post Under the Spotlight: ROE Drops a Sensual and Glamourous Video for ‘I Like’ appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Pop icon Madonna has revealed she is set to direct a film about her own life and career. The superstar is also co-writing the movie with Diablo Cody, who is the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Juno and Young Adult.

“I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer – a human being, trying to make her way in this world,” Madonna said in a press statement.

This news comes shortly after Madonna shared a behind the scenes look at the writing process for the upcoming film in an hour-long Instagram Live session last week. She explained in the video that the movie will be about the “happy, sad, mad, crazy, good, bad and ugly” journey of her career while also being about her “struggle as an artist trying to survive in a man’s world”.

This will be Madonna’s third film as director after 2008’s Filth and Wisdom and 2011’s WE. Rock and pop biopics are in demand at the moment after the huge successes of Elton John’s Rocketman and the Freddie Mercury film Bohemian Rhapsody, for which Rami Malek earned an Oscar.

The yet-to-be-titled film will be produced by Amy Pascal, who worked on The Post and 2019’s Little Women, alongside Madonna, with Madonna’s associate Sara Zambreno and manager Guy Oseary on track to executive produce.

Words by Chris Saunders

The post Get Prepared: Madonna Is Set to Direct and Co-Write Her Own Biopic appeared first on Voir Fashion.

It was recently announced that at just 18, Billie Eilish will be performing at the DNC. Alongside the likes of John Legend, Common and Jennifer Hudson, who are only a select few of exciting performances, it will also feature speeches from many notable political figures.

This performance will arguably be one of Billie’s most important performances to date in her short but incredible career. The DNC program executive stated that “These artists are committed to engaging with, registering, and mobilizing voters to get us over the finish line in November”.

Young voters are expected to be a key component if the Democrats are to win the election and unseat Donald Trump. Having huge young artists as influential as Billie, showing her support for the party on such a large national stage, could be key in terms of engaging with young voters and getting them out and voting when the time comes.

Billie hasn’t been shy in addressing her disdain for Donald Trump as seen after the riots in Minneapolis in support of the Black Lives Matter movement where she publicly criticized the current President on social media. It’s, therefore, no surprise she’s doing all she can to support the Democratic party.

At the convention, former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. It was also recently revealed that Joe Biden had selected Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice-Presidential running mate. Many well-known celebrities have shown their support for Joe Biden’s campaign including Cardi B, Anna Wintour, and Diplo.

Billie recently released her latest single “My Future” which debuted at number six on the Billboard hot 100 and you can expect to see her perform via live stream on Demconvention.com on August 19th.

Words by Chris Saunders

Graphics by Georgia Walters

The post Billie is a Force For Change as She’s Set To Play The Democratic National Convention appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Born in Hackney, 2000 ́s artists like Lil’Kim, Missy Elliott, or Lady Gaga gave her confidence to do what she does, she is Bree Runway. She is right at the top and is pushing boundaries creating her sound.

We have been delighted with her talent in songs and video clips such as ‘Damn Daniel’ with Yung Baby Tate or `APESHIT`, where the artist has reflected her great creative capacity and her versatility vocal level to handle different musical genres like pop, rap, and hip hop.

Without a doubt, Bree has conveyed to us her objective idea that women singers should not be pigeonholed into one music gender as they can be chameleonic and stand out in each style.

In her new single `Gucci`, the artist hypnotizes us with her dance, her charisma, and her incredible and lustful exquisite taste, with a futuristic background and unreal images that blow our minds!

Bree Runway, Maliibu Miitch- Gucci (official video)

Her Londoner pop style with hip hop touches and rap set by the American rapper Maliibu made this catchy piece that transmits complicity, strength, and security. It is a glamorous and empowered single, with which Bree reminds us that black women are special diamonds, unique, strong, and beautiful, “Black skin, j’adore”.

Its beauty: fine, brilliant, and sculpted like a diamond. Its interior, glittering and valuable. Runway admitted to NYLON, “it’s just less about the vanity and more about the purpose, 100%” – she looks after Gucci to re-emphasize “her black and excellent self” celebrating blackness in response to the traumas that she experienced in her childhood due to her skin tone and the abuse and protests in which the black community has been affected.

An expensive locker room to love and envy. Luxury artistic items with metallic touches in short dresses with plumed gloves, diamond jewels, and big tear hoops that make her beauty shine, pearls, large glasses and very Gucci socks, leather touches with padded shoulder straps- very trendy- style mask as the way of Lady Gaga and Alexander McQueen and high boots that give strength to each of her movements.

Her makeup, flawless and clear as a diamond, glossy lips, drama eyelashes, sparkling contours and eyeliner wings paired with a braided ponytail, very S / S 20, baby hairs in the front and an elegant updo with a sexy and dominating outfit of leather with which she celebrates her body and reminds us of her security and confidence.

We cannot deny that each of her videos is as its name implies, a runway of authentic and exclusive pieces. Gucci, Fendi, Prada… pick up the phone folks! because Bree already have text popping her phone from great women like Missy Elliot, Doja cat, Rina Sawayama or Michael Obama and surely more will come!

We know how you do what you did Bree! Setting rules and breaking laws- leading a path with no one filling your spot, you can rule the world by yourself girl!

Words by Maria Martinez

Graphics by Georgia Walters

The post Breaking Barriers with Bree Runway: Everything about ‘Gucci’ the Fashion Futurist Video appeared first on Voir Fashion.

After many speculations, Nicki Minaj has finally revealed her pregnancy. The rapper announced that she is expecting her first child with husband Kenneth Petty via a set of sassy Instagram maternity snaps, wearing colourful and eccentric looks made for the occasion.

Showing off her baby bump, in the first picture Nicki simply wrote ‘’ with a yellow heart, matching her blonde curly wig and letting her extravagant attire exalt her body. “Love. Marriage. Baby carriage,” she captioned another. “Overflowing with excitement & gratitude. Thank you all for the well wishes.”

But the picture that really broke the internet was shared moments later by the rapper: photographed by the acclaimed David La Chapelle, Nicki appeared like a vision in the middle of a bright green forest. Drawing on religious iconography of the Virgin Mary, the rapper shined in a white, gauzy dress by Greek designer Dipesta paired with a crystal-adorned, floor-length veil that was custom-made by Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika. The picture is similar to Beyonce’s maternity photoshoot and Katy Perry’s music video revelation.

Among the people congratulating the rapper, many celebrities expressed their happiness for Nicki, and some even proposed to exchange their babies’ clothes. In fact, in terms of celebrity pregnancies, 2020 has been a bumper year: from Gigi Hadid and Sophie Turner to Katy Perry and Ciara, all of them have announced their pregnancies this year.

Words by Gennaro Costanzo

Graphics by Clare Stephenson

The post Nicki Minaj Announces Her Pregnancy With A Mini Minaj On The Way appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Dolly Parton’s most popular songs are set to come alive through unique characters and storylines on November 22nd in a new Netflix series entitled ‘Heartstrings.’ With their enthralling narratives and themes, Parton’s songs indeed appear ideal for an anthology series. Each episode will tell a stand-alone story based on a hit; from a return to the 1970s with the infamous ‘Jolene’ to a western-like story in ‘These Old Bones’.

Judging from the trailer, we can also expect appearances by Parton in her typical flamboyant style. Indeed, to this day, the country singer continues to turn heads with bold, daring outfits that burst with colours and sparkles. While a distinctive sense of fashion makes up a significant part of Parton’s image, her uniqueness lies nonetheless in the inspiring elements of her ballads.

With her career kickstarting in the late 1960s, Dolly Parton made a name for herself at a time where country music was heavily dominated by men, and is now a worldwide country legend. Not only that, but back she wrote the music and lyrics for ‘9 to 5: The Musical’ which is currently in theatres and follows a female office worker getting revenge on her disrespectful, sexist boss. Parton is therefore widely regarded as an advocate of female empowerment, yet the singer, rather controversially, does not consider herself as a feminist. While this may initially sound surprising, she has explained the reasons behind her unpopular opinion on feminism: she views the word ‘feminist’ as meaning “I hate all men.” Perhaps this is quite an unfair generalisation of the movement, however Parton is not wrong regarding the existence of such man-haters—individuals that unfortunately harm the feminist movement and instead spread what is referred to as ‘white feminism’.

The world’s admiration for the singer is not only due the inspiration she represents for women, but also for her openness regarding personal yet universal issues such as depression. Looking at the beginning of her career; Parton’s music indeed used to tell tragic stories of unrequited love, loneliness, domestic violence—which she now jokingly refers to as ‘sad-ass songs’. There is something beyond impressive behind Parton’s music evolving from rather bleak themes to happier, more uplifting lyrics: she overcame her struggles. Spanning the rough period of Parton’s career from the old ‘Down From Dover’ to the 2014 hit ‘If I Had Wings’, the show will hopefully capture this inspiring sense of growth.

From feminist singer to fashion icon, it seems then that Dolly Parton gets labelled with titles that she has little regard for, something which is highly characteristic of her as a down-to-earth musician: music is all that matters to her. She possesses an incredible ability to mirror the emotions of her lyrics with her heavenly yet firm voice, and these emotions will now be rendered through fictional characters and stories.

Words by Carla Pelosoff

Graphics by Aamir Potrick

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The post ‘Heartstrings’: The Untold Stories Behind Dolly Parton’s Hits appeared first on Voir Fashion.

From pole dancing to singing, songwriting and, most recently, acting—FKA Twigs never ceases to impress the world with the extent of her talents. Already known as the trip-hop star with a unique look, the 30-year-old is now making her film debut in Shia LaBeouf’s Honey Boy. While Twigs delves into multiple art forms, one thing that seems to transcend all of her projects is fashion. Not only is the British-Jamaican singer a style icon, but her outfits are carefully picked out to deepen her art.

FKA Twigs first caught the public eye’s attention back in 2013 with the music video for ‘Water Me’. Her digitally enhanced wide eyes and buck teeth give her an overly youthful and innocent look that mesmerised us all. In real life, however, she walks in high wedges, sporting thick gold chains, colourful prints and bold hairstyles. There is a beautiful contrast between the softness of her voice and delicate features, and the confidence exuding from her wardrobe. Twigs represents a new generation: one whose clothes, hair and accessories speak louder than words.

Following the success of her full-length debut LP1 in 2014, Twigs takes over stages with her enchanting voice and inspirational lyrics. High-cut long skirts and bralettes; there is a dual meaning to her revealing outfits. The singer captures the sensuality of her music in body and soul; she bares her body the way that she bares her heart in her songs. We can’t help but also notice a pattern of sparkles on Twigs’ stage outfits; it only highlights her brilliance more.

Amid her feminist lyrics and unconventional style, it is no wonder that Twigs would also be an advocate for black representation. That’s why, in 2017, the singer-songwriter launched her Instagram zine Avantgarden. True to its title, the zine was created with the intent to celebrate black hair through avant-garde photography. In the fourth issue, Twigs pulled some Vivienne Westwood pieces from her old collection to embrace the unpopular combination of black braids with vintage clothing. Her statement: black hair is beautiful with any material, no matter what.

Just when you think FKA Twigs is done leaving you in awe, she proves you wrong. Earlier this year, the dancer toured for her Baroque-inspired ‘Magdalene’ show, and the costumes consisted of heavenly silk dresses and 18th century-style ensembles. The lightness with which she moves her body and carries her voice is accentuated in the thin material of the costumes and the way it flutters during a dance. Through the Baroque style of ‘Magdalene’, Twigs also exploits two of her previously hidden talents—tap and sword dance.

Just like her music genre, FKA Twig’s fashion style is too complex to define. Her ability to use fashion as an art tool is all the more inspiring, and we can’t wait to see what kind of extravagant outfits she’s going to surprise us with next.

Words by Carla Pelosoff

Graphics by Sasha Green

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The post FKA Twigs: Artistic Expression Through Fashion appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Laura Pergolizzi is not one to conform, and if you haven’t heard of her – that’s probably why. There’s an element of pushiness amongst many artists in the music industry today that just doesn’t seem to resonate with her, with many of her fans stumbling across her music as organically as she has produced it. And if you didn’t know she was a writer, the poetic tenor of her raspy American accent would give it away in a second.

So, what exactly (besides music itself, obviously) drives a singer-songwriter who not only has five albums behind her, but has written for a roster containing the likes of Cher, Rihanna and Christina Aguilera? Laura, better known by the stage name LP, answers the above with a sagacious “The human heart is my biggest inspiration. I read a lot of biographies and I’m fascinated by the arch of someone’s life – how they come into their art, the triumph and the tragedy.” This particular line seems to unequivocally articulate LP’s journey as a musician, having grown up as part of a largely academic family that was ‘blowing up’ around the time that she decided that music was the path she wanted to take.

The added strain of an alcoholic father and a tragically sick mother meant life for a young LP wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. “But I wasn’t being looked at too closely, so I did whatever the fuck I wanted,” and by this, she means music. “I think my extended family were like, ‘at least she’s not homeless’” she explains. “I just kept doing it, I never really ask permission from anybody to do anything, ever.”

This weekend sees LP play the BBC Sounds Stage at Latitude festival, and she professes that the UK is actually one of her favourite places in the world. “I could live in London; I feel very at home here. I love English people; I’ve dated English people… I’m a fan of how they are and [how they] think” (a flattering, if slightly hyperbolic credit to the brainpower of Her Majesty’s people). Playing festivals, LP tells us, requires a different level of energy than playing her own shows: “It’s nice to get introduced to people that might have never seen you, mixed with your old crowd. They get to see why [your fans] are into you, sometimes having never heard of you. [Her own shows] are more of a finesse game, festivals are wilder.” Incidentally, LP champions the ‘rock ‘n’ roll vibe’ of London, counting us brits as her favourite crowd to play for.

Having established that LP is very much her own person and that her art is, essentially, stimulated by other art, she tells me that Kahlo, Mozart and Hemingway are amongst the creators acting as inspiration for the work that she has and continues to create: “We’re all constantly busy, in the place of feeling like we’re going to make it/we’re not going to make it, we love everybody/we want to fucking kill ourselves. I’m constantly aware of myself, and that constant tornado of emotion that we all have.” She nods towards the idea of the illusion of appearances; how for many people, an internal struggle can be well-disguised by a strong exterior.

“I’m constantly aware of myself, and that constant tornado of emotion that we all have.”

One thing LP has mastered is the art of connecting with her loyal listeners through her music in a way that evokes buzzwords like ‘pure’, ‘sweet’ and ‘emotional’ (alongside an abundance of heart-eyed emojis) in her YouTube comments: ‘I love her soul’, ‘I wish I could listen to this song for the first time again’ and (a personal favourite) ‘she know how to hit the ear G-spot’. LP’s latest track, ‘Shaken’, which tells the story of seeing an ex-lover with somebody new, was released alongside a fan-made animation music video. “This woman [Maayan Priva] was making little cartoons of the band, in these scenarios that were really funny. She’s very astute, she picked up on certain peculiarities, things that I do. I thought she was really interesting… such an artist.” Team LP encouraged Maayan to draw up some more of the album, and with non-stop touring and no time to produce a music video herself; LP put the job in the hands of her trusted devotee.

LP believes that social media is “a really cool way to stay close [to fans], and for fans to be close to artists” but admits that this ease of contact is “kind of funny” to her, unable to imagine an exchange of DM’s with an idol of her own, Jeff Buckley. “I have fun with it [social media]. It’s fun to be privy to other artists as well, see what they’re up to and how they’re rocking it. It’s interesting to see how we’re affected by other artists and other people now; it continues to manifest in all these ways. We’ve just got to remain aware that everything can be manufactured at times.”

I’m curious as to what obstacles LP has faced as a queer woman in the music industry. Sadly, she opens with: “How much time do you have?” There’s something of a ‘token’ system when it comes to queer artists, particularly women, and LP is very much a casualty of this. Over the years, she’s had seven record deals in the States and the most common label-artist-breakup line has been “we just don’t know how to market this” – the musical equivalent of “it’s not you, it’s me” (in short, a cop-out). LP, along with the masses, longs for a time in which labels don’t have to think about how many queer artists they’re signing: “There’s always discrimination for women as far as being queer; there are quotas. I’ve seen that so many times, ‘we have one rock-pop lesbian artist, so we can’t have another one.’” Thankfully for LP, she’s not one to be too phased by the nature of a cruel industry, and despite being ‘hard to market’, she continues to be her absolute self. Style-wise, LP has what she calls her “own brand of androgyny”, compiled of “some rock ‘n’ roll stuff, some old, some new,” She compares her morning routine to that of a child: “they just put on whatever the fuck they want. I like to look and feel like that, just wearing whatever makes me happy on that day.”

“There’s always discrimination for women as far as being queer; there are quotas.”

She’s often asked what advice she’d give to young artists, and the answer is always “Keep writing songs.” For LP, there’s no stopping, and she’s all too familiar with writing in bulk because “when you have a hit, everybody wants another one,” she says. “You’re only a song away. When ‘Lost on You’ was out there, people were like ‘you must have known that was going to be a hit’, but I didn’t know shit.” In fact, when she first played ‘Lost on You’ to the label she was with, they dropped her. “Songs are currency,” she explains. “and it’s your job to keep cranking them out if that’s what you’re in to.” A final word of advice on existing within the music industry: “Trust no one.”

Artwork by Sasha Green

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