Sitting in the lineage of the likes of Florence + The Machine and AURORA, the British singer-songwriter is not one to shy away in her music. She rose to prominence in the past few years with her dark-pop-indie-folk musings, all woven with a candor that is both personal and universal.

Layered with lush instrumentations, powerful vocals and striking lyricism, her music blends vulnerability with conviction, often through the lens of mythological storytelling - all while seeking to dismantle the patriarchal systems under which we live.

This energy crystallized in 2023’s “Labour” - a thumping, gorgeous piece of feminine rage that calls into question the myriad unremunerated work placed on the shoulders of women. The track found itself viral on TikTok and quickly snowballed into an outlet for women to share their experiences and struggles with sexism. It became her first chart hit in both her native UK - where it neared the top 20 - and the US.

Paloma’s debut studio album, Cacophony, followed in 2024 to critical praise and was supported by a European tour. Two years later, she is expanding her world with her sophomore record The Fatal Flaw - due out September 4th.

Pop Crave sat down with the star after her set at Syd For Solen in Copenhagen to discuss the new album, the aftermath of “Labour,” her experience on the road and more.

Your new album, The Fatal Flaw, is coming out next month. What were your main inspirations behind the record?

I knew that I wanted to make something that engaged really deeply with my background in fine art and history of art. So that’s why it feels so historical because the different inspirations for different songs are taken from artists or certain art movements or things that have inspired me to make art: from some really mundane things to Greek mythology. I was immensely inspired by human-made art. The first album felt archeological in a way and this one feels like an art gallery, it’s kind of nice to feel like they’re different kinds of museums.

Was the approach to making this album different to that of your first?

It really was. I am so impatient and my first album, like many people’s first albums, was an absolute learning curve. The songs had a less tight relationship to each other because they were written not really intended to be for an album. Then when I realized I could do an album, I curated them and then continued writing and made it what it was. With this album, from the first song I wrote it knowing that it was going to be an album so all the songs are tied very tightly to each other conceptually. Certain songs have sister songs and continuations of certain themes. It feels like a really tightly-woven tapestry, which I set out to do and I was really fixed on doing.

The title is taken from The Secret History. Did you set out creating the album with that title in mind?

I didn’t. It’s so funny knowing something so intimately but not having a name for it, and that’s how I felt with this album. I had the images of what it looked like in my head. The Fatal Flaw was such a landing arrival, like, ‘Oh my God - that’s that title of this.’ There are these themes on the album that feel like you’re digging into yourself and I have this motif of the red tree that I imagine as something that has taken root in my heart and runs through all my veins and emotions and my mind and the art that I make, making it what’s mine.

I named it ‘The Fatal Flaw’ for two reasons. The line that it’s taken from is ‘Does such a thing as the fatal flaw, that showy, dark crack running through a life, exist outside literature?’ I was really seduced by that idea that we could boil down our lives to something as profound and simple as that. That’s the question, right, because I’m not sure you can. These songs are all endeavouring to try and do that in a way and try and find an importance and profoundness of these emotions.

Why it seems so fitting to name it after a line in The Secret History is because of one of the main themes in that book. They talk so much about the things you find beautiful and the things that you long for and love are also the things that you are terrified by and in awe of. This album, I was so tightly-woven to the idea of the sublime and that exact idea. These are songs about love and some of the imagery in them is really grotesque. Toxic love is spoken about in a very gory, bleeding way. It really reminded me of the book.

Has the continued success of “Labour” guided you in any way when making this album?

“Labour” is a presence of its own and I’m so glad it’s there in my life. I wouldn’t know if it’s guided - it’s definitely prompted the next thoughts in what I would think that dialogue is between me and the audience. It was written at a time when I had a less solidly captive audience and then [it went viral] and after that I wrote songs like “Good Boy“ because I thought, ‘I have a captive audience. I don’t want to continue writing about the same thing when it comes to feminism and being a female writer.

“Labour” is a song for me that is incredibly layered and carries a lot of nuance, but what happens when songs get that big and seen by so many people is they inevitably get reduced somewhat. I didn’t want to continue writing songs that people expect of me. I wanted to write with nuance and write with like, ‘OK, what’s the next productive point in this conversation?’ Songs like “Good Boy” came out of that and a lot of the songs on this album are intrinsically linked to masculinity.

Songs like “Pyrrhus” and “Beautiful Birds” engage with what it is to be a woman and love men but witness the male loneliness epidemic and violence at the hands of men. So a lot of songs of this album are endeavouring to take the next step in that dialogue.

Something quite powerful about “Good Boy” is that it’s not necessarily a takedown of men themselves, but trying to make them aware of the system that is failing them, too. How important was it for you to get that nuance into the song?

It was really important and really difficult. I think we’re witnessing mass allergy to nuance in media at the moment. Two things can be true: men can immensely suffer under patriarchy and a lot of men also perpetuate immense violence through it. I can try as much as I can to reconcile all of that nuance in one song. Because this album is all about love, and I love men and have men in my life that are loving. I've had many relationships very much tainted by patriarchy.

There’s this theme on the album of unpacking masculinity. I was really inspired by bell hooks’ while writing these songs because she writes about men in her books All About Love and The Will to Change with such love while also being so uncompromising and with such clarity when it comes to the patriarchy.

On ‘Miyazaki’ you sing about your love for human art, and on stage just now you spoke out against generative AI. What is it like navigating the music industry as it seems to be increasingly embracing AI technologies?

Honestly, I have a wonderful team around me. They know my values and I stick to my guns in terms of where AI would be normalized to use for certain things in my project. When it comes to streaming and AI streaming, I’ve been really chuffed the last few days with some of the wins, like Spotify now having AI artists badged and taking them off the algorithmic playlists.

That’s why it’s really important to use your voice for that, even if you’re not a musician. Before us, it was animators who were some of the people whose jobs were so threatened by AI. I think as artists we have to talk about it as a whole problem, and not just like, ‘Oh, now it’s affecting artists, now it’s affecting musicians, now it’s affecting coders.’ It’s something that everybody I work with knows that I don’t really budge on.

Do you find live music to be a sacred space free from AI, especially with the aspect of human connection?

That’s a really nice way of putting it. It’s the most immediate part of what we do and the part that can’t be replicated by AI.

You’ve been on the road all summer. What have been some of your highlights from festival season?

I love going down to barrier to all the fans at festivals. It’s different every time and you try and find a way to make it work to be really close to them. I love seeing people backstage who I don’t always get to see. My friend Sofia Isella, we did a few festivals on the same days so I had her come and join me on stage twice. That’s the kind of thing that’s difficult to make happen when you’re on tour sometimes, and festivals feel like this massive melting pot. I hung out with the CMAT gang a little bit, they were so delightful.

It’s nice during festival season to not feel like you’re all artists who are racehorses in your own lane and just have a bit of fun.

Is it less isolating perhaps than a tour?

Kind of. You know everyone’s on the circuit so you’re looking around being like, ‘Oh, who’s here today? Anybody that I know?’ Yesterday, I saw all of the Florence + The Machine band and crew and got to catch up with her as well which was lovely cause I hadn’t seen her in person since I opened for her back in February. You see everybody at the airport and it’s like summer camp cause everybody knows each other.

What was the experience of opening for Florence like? How was it performing “Labour” together?

That was her idea, she offered to join me. She’s so iconic that she can be the special guest at her own show! It was the most brilliant time, it was so busy but I grew so much. It was such a formative experience. Just the stages that we were playing. I’m very lucky to have been put on a tour as an opener where it felt like such a good match of my listeners and her listeners. People were so engaged and excited. It was so wonderful for the community of my fans to grow that way. And watching her every night was like a field trip. You get so inspired seeing artists like that, who are so incredible at they do.

Did she give you any advice?

She told me to get off social media. She told me that yesterday. I’m already very much planning on doing that. It’s hard, there’s a push and pull. I don’t enjoy spending time on social media but it’s some of the only spaces, apart from live shows, that I get to be totally up-to-date with what my fans are doing and saying and thinking. It’s connection but I'm definitely looking to extricate myself from the digital world.

What do you hope is the main feeling or message that fans take from your album or seeing you on tour?

I hope they feel seen. Watching them sing, looking at the things that they’re saying on line. I make music for a reason and they listen to music for a reason, but I think that reason is the same. I went a really long time feeling very unheard and like I had no voice and like my feelings weren’t important, and I would really reduce them. I think the fans feel like their feelings are suddenly seen for what they are. Massive and heavy and disastrous sometimes and beautiful some other times. It allows them to take up the space that they should take up.

To end on a fun note, what have been three songs that have defined your summer?

“Pass Out” by Tinie Tempah. I made myself a playlist the other day titled ‘Getting Through the Motherf**king Album’ and it’s all British pop and 2010s pop.

An amazing song that I’ve been talking about so much is “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?” by Paula Cole. I’ve been listening to it so much and it was definitely soundtracking a lot of my summer.

How do I tie these together? “4 Minutes” by Madonna and Justin Timberlake. That’s most of what I’ve been listening to this summer.

Paris Paloma’s new album The Fatal Flaw is out September 4th.

Rachel Chinouriri is one to watch. And thousands are every night.

The London-born indie-pop singer-songwriter signed to Parlophone Records in 2018 after releasing a slew of singles independently to streaming platforms. Her first release under the label, the heartwarming “So My Darling,” gained traction in 2022 after becoming a popular sound on TikTok.

Her output since has been met with both critical acclaim and slow-burn success - see 2022’s breezy “All I Ever Asked,” currently enjoying a resurgence online and vying to be one of the songs of the summer; it just cracked 50 million streams on Spotify. She boosted her profile further in 2023 through her opening slots for Lewis Capaldi and Louis Tomlinson on their respective tours.

2024 saw new heights for the indie-pop darling. In January, she dropped the Florence Pugh-starring music video for “Never Need Me” (which recursively goes viral every month on X). February gifted her with a shoutout from Adele. The infectious “It Is What It Is” was released in April, and her debut studio album, ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events,’ followed in May. A stunning record spanning love, identity, and trauma, it was lauded by critics and fans alike, and landed at #17 on the Official UK Albums Chart. She toured the album in the UK - a beautiful show lined with excellent musicality and sincere audience connection.

And yet, 2025 is poised to be an even bigger year for Chinouriri. She kicked off the year with two BRIT nominations (Best New Artist and Artist of the Year) and is now touring with none other than Sabrina Carpenter on the forever trending ‘Short n’ Sweet’ tour.

Her latest single, “Can we talk about Isaac?” is a giddy open love letter about her boyfriend that sees her hone in on her craft even more. Taken from her forthcoming EP ‘Little House’ - out April 4th - the track has seen her biggest start on streaming yet, raking in a million Spotify plays in just over a week.

Pop Crave caught up with Rachel before her opening set in Manchester to discuss all things ‘WADTOE,’ touring with Sabrina, new music, and plans for the future (and to make her rank her own songs).

It’s coming up to the one-year anniversary of ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events’. How has your life changed since putting out the album?

My life as a musician has definitely changed. I think for the last 8/9 years I know what to expect, but it increases every year. This year, things like the BRIT Awards, Sabrina Carpenter, so many exciting things that have been happening - Graham Norton - I feel like I’m at the next level of my career and I feel quite ready for it. I can feel quite a big shift - or maybe it feels really new, which is really different, but I’m loving learning how to deal with it.

How do you feel about the album now compared to a year ago?

By the time I released the album, I think I was mentally ready for a different one, even though I don’t know how to mentally write a different one currently. But I think that because it takes so long to even release, by the time releases come, the fact that they’re brand new songs to people is weird to me because they’re so old to me. I’m glad I stood my ground on my creative choices, musical choices - I didn’t cut any songs, didn’t change too much of the music - and I think it really perfectly encapsulates who I am as a person at the time of my life that I wrote it. So I feel very proud of it, it’s like a tie capsule.

“All I Ever Asked” was originally put out in 2022 and has seen a resurgence recently. How do you feel about a song growing slowly over time, and are you past that song now?

I don’t think I’m past the song, I think I’m very excited that people are discovering it now. I think that it makes me feel happy because I want to be someone who makes timeless music that no matter what year you hear it, it either feels nostalgic or it feels new, which I really like. I think ‘All I Ever Asked’ - not gonna lie, I thought she was a little vibe - and I’m glad everyone is starting to vibe with her now, so I’m like, ‘OK, she’s getting her moment,’ and it’s really fun and cutesy. It’s things like when I see Chappell Roan getting a number one six years after she’s released a song, I’m like, ‘OK, these things sometimes take a bit of time.’ I’m glad it’s a song that I really love and cherish, I think she deserves her time.

It wasn’t originally intended to be on the album. Are you glad that it’s on there now?

Well, my manager’s looking at me so I’m gonna say yes. But I did fight it very, very, very hard but I understand why it was put onto the album and I think it marries well with how it’s been put onto the album with hindsight, at the time I didn’t really understand. I agree with it now, but at the time I was being a little bit - I don’t wanna say w*nky musician - I was definitely being like, ‘For the art it doesn’t make sense with the timescale and the aesthetic!’ But now I’m like, for the story of what it is and what it’s currently doing, and the discovery to my album, I agree with my team. I trusted my team and I agree with them.

How did the remix with sombr come about?

Sombr is from LA, he’s really cool and has a lot of stuff which I’d seen on TikTok. I think his aesthetic, it’s quite dark and moody. I really like his tone, his writing, and at first someone was like, ‘Do you think sombr would be a good fit for the song?’ I was like, ‘OK, let’s try.’ Once we got his verse back, it felt like the song had always had that verse. I think before, maybe, I was worried about it being too detached. But he added so many beautiful harmonies and his perspective of where he wrote it from in comparison to how I was feeling in the song, I think it married so well. It makes me feel like I’m in a car in LA singing along. And I think he’s adding to that element, an extra little pizazz of fun to the song which I really, really liked.

Are there any other artists that you’d like to work with on a song or a remix?

I said Sabrina Carpenter at the BRITs, so I’m gonna say Sabrina again. I’m sticking to my guns. I think it’s cause she fits this cutesy, fun vibe and I think I can match the vibe. Then I’m gonna say Fontaines DC. Cause one, I think they’re really f**king cool, and two, I love the whole boyband, indie band sort of thing, and I think they’re smashing it. Maybe I’ll be inspired by their world and I think I could bring quite a nice vibe and aesthetic to their world.

The album touches on a lot of heavy subjects and you’ve said you often write from a place of trauma. But with “Can we talk about Isaac?”, you said it came from a place of love. Is that a place that you’ve written the whole ‘Little House’ EP from?

Yep. The entire EP is about him and how much I love him. God! It sounds awful! This is bad. I love him very, very dearly. People are like, ‘This is risky’, but I’m like, ‘No, I love him and that’s all that matters!’ And I think that is all that matters and makes my quote-unquote job fun is the fact that I can encapsulate what I feel at certain points in my life. No matter what happens in the future, people will be like, ‘Oh, this is when she met that boy that made her feel like this’ and stuff like that. I think I’m just in a very positive place and I needed to get that out because I don’t want that on the next album so I needed to get it out now.

Do you think the sound of this EP is tied in any way to future music and a new album, or is it something completely separate?

It’s fifty-fifty. I made it with a guy called apob, who I really love. I’m quite close with him and work with him quite a bit. I think the last album, we really made it super cohesive with Rich Turvey but apob is very experimental and I’m kind of like, ‘OK, is the next album kind of the same as the first but more experimental?’ I think I’m in a bit more of an experimental phase and while writing the EP I made some quite experimental songs separately. I think I’m trying to figure out which sound I want to teeter on. But I think it gives a hint to the new world I’m trying to enter.

As your career grows, are you feeling any increased pressure when making music?

Funnily enough, I feel less pressure with music in the sense of my identity because I think the identity I have is quite clear and luckily I’ve not changed my identity to try to flick back to anything. I think the pressure comes from trying to keep up with everything around. When I write music, I want to be able to have time to explore and live my life, and then write about what I’ve been inspired by. But then you also don’t want to miss out on opportunities, and this album has given me a lot of opportunities. So it’s trying to find that work-life balance, because without life I can’t work because I can’t write the songs, but if I don’t work, I can’t then go and do all of the stuff I need to do. It’s finding that balance between the two.

Do you feel nervous putting out a song now with a bigger audience waiting?

I don’t know. The Darlings, my fanbase, have now hit the point of anything I put out, they’re like, ‘Oh my God!’ So now, I’m quite excited to put out stuff because whenever I release something, they’re like, ‘OK, so when’s the next one?’ Which is great is one way, but “Can we talk about Isaac?” has done mental on streaming. It’s probably blown what I thought it was gonna do to begin with at all. So, I think being able to know that now what I put out, the Darlings are like, ‘OK, that’s what she’s doing. Let’s see what’s going on.’ I’m loving it, it makes me excited to put out stuff for them because I love seeing how relatable it is for them.

How did opening for Sabrina Carpenter come about? Did you send her a DM?

I did send her a DM, but, actually, it’s this leading lady [my manager] who has a friend. He loves my music, and Sabrina’s management knew about my music but I think he definitely made it - he was like, ‘This is the girl.’ But when I spoke to Sabrina she said that she got shown my music by her friends as well. So I think it all perfectly aligned because they all started discovering my music around the same time. They were planning the European tour, and found out I was from Europe, and then they were like, ‘OK, so how do we get this girl on the tour?’ The universe definitely aligned. Hope, my day-to-day manager, she be sending my music out to as many people as possible! It was that, and then also I was like, ‘Let me send her a DM being like, ‘Heyyyy, can I come on the tour?’ She did not open it before I was confirmed. But you never know, she might have seen it.

What was your first reaction when you found out you were opening for her?

Gagged. Gagged and gooped. Can I say that? I’m saying it. I was gagged and gooped. I was shocked. But also, I felt that I had the chance to prove myself. And with how the tour has gone and the amount of prep that has gone in before, it’s quite surreal. I think I’ve mentally prepared because I’m like, ‘I’m ready for this. And I’m ready to get more Darlings,’ and she’s been super supportive as well. So yeah, gagged and gooped, but grateful. The three Gs.

Did you have to be more selective when planning the setlist than you did for your own tour?

100%. My MD Mike is amazing. We have a general setlist but it’s always like, ‘What’s the right vibe for the girls?’ We want the girls to be excited, we don’t want them to be bored cause you’ve gotta convince people. I have a lot of slow, sad songs, which are great, but I’m like, ‘These girls are here for fun and jokes and a kii-kii.’ It was a lot of planning. I’ve got the songs from my new EP - “Can we talk about Isaac?” and one called “23:42” which is not released. It was just trying to bring fun to the crowd and do songs that everyone can get involved in. For ‘It Is What It Is’ we’ve got a two-step going. My new song - I get everyone to wave and sing ‘La la la la.’ ‘All I Ever Asked’ - the whole crowd sings it. ‘Never Need Me’ - I get people to jump. It’s trying to find ways to - I would say warm them up - but I’m hoping that they’re quite tired by the end of my set.

Do you have a different pre-show ritual for an arena show compared to a more intimate one?

I think I have so far got quite a different routine. I think for my own fans, it sounds awful to say, but I know that they’re probably going to be singing louder than me so a couple of vocal warmups don’t happen for my own shows. Emma (my singing teacher) won’t like that, I’m sorry! But for this arena tour, I’m like, ‘No one’s going to be singing along with me,’ so I got Emma to get me a whole routine. I’ve got vocal steamers and the whole shebang. I’ve got to make sure I’m in the right headspace for an hour and a half before the show.

Do you feel more nervous before a bigger show?

I think a bigger show is actually a bit better to be honest. When it’s smaller, you can see everyone’s faces a lot closer and that is actually kind of scary because if someone’s talking, you’re looking at someone talking right in front of you. But the arenas, apart from the front row, it’s just like a wall of faces and you have no expectation because you’re like, ‘It might be the person at the front that’s listening, but if they’re not listening, there’s another 20,000 people at the back who might be listening.’ So it feels a lot better, to be honest. It’s quite fun.

You earned two nominations at this year’s BRITs - including Artist of the Year. What was your reaction when you found out?

I cried for four hours. I called [my photographer] Lauren and I cried to Lauren first after speaking to Hope. I said that it was traumatic because I was actually going through a lot - meaning crying a lot because I was in so much shock. It was very surreal. I kind of don’t really believe it happened - it feels like a fever dream. Funnily enough, on the day I was quite calm. But all the anxiety was hitting me in one way because my brain was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’ve worked enough to get nominated.’ Very, very grateful. Especially as a BRIT school student.

Did going to the show make it feel more real or had you come to terms with acknowledging it at that point?

I don’t think I acknowledged it until they started reading the names on the screen. When they were like, ‘Best New Artist!’, that’s when I was like, ‘Oh! This is not just a fun thing I’m just dabbling about doing, I’m actually in the mix of whatever’s going on.’ I’ve gone to a lot of red carpet things and events, and when you’re not nominated it’s not really that big of a deal, I guess you’re just there for vibes. But when I saw the nominations on the screen and when I saw myself, my brain was like, ‘Woah! That’s mental.’ It was a dream come true. And then we were on tour the next day. No rest.

Speaking of no rest, you’ve already had a busy year. Can you tease any exciting plans for the coming months?

My EP ‘Little House’ comes out on April 4th. After my US tour, my plan is to write a second album. That’s my plan. I can’t confirm if it will be done completely, but my plan is to get my head down and write the next album. I’m feeling very ready for it.

Have you got anything written already or are you starting completely from scratch?

From scratch. The pop girlies last year were just inspiring. The girls were girling. Even at the BRITs, seeing all the girls nominated, RAYE, Chappell Roan, Sabrina, Charli xcx. I was just like, ‘Oh my God. This is amazing.’ I think I’ve just been watching them all, not necessarily studying, but just being inspired by them and their campaigns and what they want to achieve and what I can do differently in my campaign. I have rough ideas and I’m very inspired by a lot of campaigns from last year.

Rachel Chinouriri’s new single “Can we talk about Isaac?’ is out now.

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Ask yourself: when was the last time you saw a human horse on stage at a festival? Climbing the charts? Chances are, you never have. And horsegiirL is here to change that.

horsegiirL is one of the most distinctive and exciting acts on the rise in 2026. Stella Stallion - as she is also known - is a German musician and DJ who has steadily built a cult following over the past few years. The human horse gained prominence in the electronic scene through a slew of club-ready singles rooted in euphoric house, turning heads along the way, of course, thanks to her unique identity.

The rising star is now based out of Berlin, but that hasn’t always been the case. Her lore dictates that she grew up on a farm, concocting melodies in her head before being discovered and signed by Whitney Horseton - a famous horse and heavy hitter in the animal kingdom’s music industry - at a harvest feast festival. And her career has only been looking up since then.

In 2025, she released her first EP, v.i.p. - very important pony, to critical acclaim. The six-song collection found influences in the hedonistic lifestyle she took on in Berlin, featuring tracks like “materiaL hor$e” and “eat, sleep, slay, 🔁.” Now boasting 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, horsegiirL is fresh off the release of her debut studio album, NATURE IS HEALING. As the title hints at, the record sees Stella return to farmland roots, blending her signature electronic sonic palette with a sense of rurality and a firm connection to our planet.

This summer, she has been making the rounds on the European festival circuit before heading to the US for a headline tour. Pop Crave caught up with her backstage before her set at Bilbao BBK Live to discuss the album, possible collaborations and navigating the music industry as a human horse.

You grew up on a farm and were discovered by Whitney Horseton. How did you get into electronic music? It seems quite far from the rural life.

That’s a good question. I actually started making more country music in the beginning, so very analog and not very electronic and produced. And once I got signed with Whitney Horseton, I got introduced to this breadth of new sounds. I guess starting with understanding that some of my childhood idols like Hampton Hamster and Crazy Frog are big icons of electronic music, I started to dissect it more. I got really into wanting to make sounds from scratch rather than the usual picking up a guitar - which I still love. It was a little bit later on, I guess.

We’re now a month removed from the release of your debut album, NATURE IS HEALING. How does it feel having it out in the world? How are you living with it now that it’s out?

It’s really freeing and amazing that it’s out there for people to listen to. Every day, I get people texting me that they’ve listened to the album and what it means to them or what songs stick out. It’s my first album ever so it feels really beautiful to have this piece of myself out there in the world. I guess the work really continues now. It’s really fun.

A big theme of the album is this connection to the natural world. How do you stay connected to nature while on the road?

Different things. When I’m on the road, one of the main things is letting go of the expectation that you have to do anything else but rest and perform. I used to always pressure myself into, ‘OK, I have to go on a hike if I’m somewhere beautiful,’ or, ‘I have to see all the sights and I have to make the most of my time here.’ Now I’ve realized that to stay grounded when you’re touring, the most important thing is to get sleep and to eat good food. It sounds boring but it really is the thing to do.

How have you found navigating the music industry as a human horse? Have there been any challenges?

So far so good, you know. Right now, a big challenge that I’m facing is that I can tell that a lot of algorithms think I’m AI, so either my videos get shadow banned or they get flagged. That’s been kind of tough because there’s just no representation of us in the industry. But other than that I feel like everyone has been really accepting. I have a great team of humans around me and, overall, it’s been very nice.

Touching on AI, you talk about “organic intelligence” on your album. Do you think it’s important for artists to stand up against AI now that it’s being pushed in creative fields too?

It’s hard because I don’t want to tell an artist what to do or what not to do. A lot of software uses AI already in production and AI is not per se a bad thing as a tool; I think AI can be really helpful and is making things a lot easier. It shouldn’t replace the main part that makes humans and animals beings, which is the creative part and expressing your inside to the world. That’s the scary thing - those AI artists. I don’t have the answers.

That connection with real artists is so important. One artist that you have a connection with is Kim Petras, she was at your album launch party. What does it mean to have that support from other people in the genre?

It means everything. I think the scene is so small, every bubble in the end is made up of a few artists and people and everyone knows each other. It’s beautiful to witness nowadays in pop culture that people are so sweet and supportive, especially women in the industry. In the 2000s, there was a lot more competition and now it feels like we’re all just girlies expressing ourselves, making music. I love Kim; she’s so talented and her album is amazing. It’s been really fun to have her support. The German girlies!

Are there any artists that you’re looking to collaborate with?

I’d love to collaborate with Kim. I would love to make some music with Zara [Larsson]. I really think it would be fun to branch out a little bit and make some music with, I don’t know, a rock band or a rapper - someone like Sexy Redd or something.

horsegiirL’s debut album NATURE IS HEALING is out now.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock was a self-assured teenager, never one to shy away from voicing her truth or standing up for those around her. An X-Factor audition at the age of 19 found her placed in Little Mix: a quartet of young women with whom she would win the competition and spend the next decade of her career.

The group went on to become one of the UK’s most-successful acts, shifting 50 million records worldwide, scoring five No. 1 singles and touring arenas across the globe. Leigh-Anne adored being in Little Mix, though her time on The X-Factor and the industry pressures that followed dampened her fire slightly. And she had a craving for more: to do something that was fully hers.

She kicked off her solo career in 2023, simply under the mononym Leigh-Anne, following the band’s hiatus announcement 18 months prior. Her first two singles, “Don’t Say Love” and “My Love” (with Ayra Starr), showed both artistic and commercial promise and reached the top 40 on the Official UK Singles Chart - the former charting as high as No. 11. The industry pressures, however, continued to loom over Leigh-Anne and she felt a divide growing between her vision as a solo artist and what her label wanted from her. Knowing that she would not be able to remain true to herself in the machine, nor would her album see the light of day, she made the decision to go independent.

Now, in 2025, she has released her debut solo album, ‘My Ego Told Me To.’ A reunion with her younger, fearless self, the record is a gorgeous exploration of her Caribbean roots with her signature pop stamp.

Pop Crave caught up with Leigh-Anne to discuss all things solo career, the album, her upcoming tour and how she uses her voice now.

How have your first few as a solo artist been compared to your expectations of what they might be like?

Definitely some ups and downs! It’s been a journey. I was probably naive to think that it was going to be easier than what it was, does that make sense? I felt like being in the group — biggest girl band in the world, we had come off such a high — going into my solo journey I didn’t think I would be independent now and here, but I believe that everything has happened for a reason. I’m meant to be here. I don’t think I would have put an album out, that I’m so proud of and that really represents who I am, in the situation that I was in a year ago. It just wouldn’t have happened. Everything has happened the way it should.

With the changes that you’ve gone through, have there been any goals that you had to change on the way?

Maybe when I first went solo, I was like, ‘I want No. 1s! I want to top the charts!’ But actually, this is a new journey. This is me on my own. This is me doing music that is very different to what the group did - it’s very unique to me. It’s something different and new for me as well, having to change my idea of success and what that looks like. When I think about it, we’ve done it. We’ve literally done it! I have to remember that sometimes and take comfort in that and trust myself in what I want to do and not feel like I have to do something that’s marketable or that’s going to please people. This is about doing me and putting my art out there.

JADE said that it felt like a bonus round. Is that something that resonates with you?

100%. Definitely. When I think about this journey and what I’m doing, I wasn’t the one that was putting expectations and pressure on myself. I feel like it was what was going on around me: my first label and being in the public eye in general. People compare you and people have so much to say, but really that noise just needs to be blocked out. I had to think about why I’m doing this, and that is because I love to make music.

We’re now on the brink of the album’s release. What emotions are you feeling?

Just excited, to be honest. It’s been such a journey to get here so at this point I just can’t wait for it to be out. I think the fact that I’ve managed to do this on my own, independently, that in itself I’m just gassed about to be honest. It’s been a long road to get to this moment, it just feels sweeter knowing that I’m doing it on my own, and I’m doing it my way.

The title is inspired by your ego — your younger self who you describe as fearless. What was it like to reconnect with that part of yourself through the creation of the record?

So empowering. I think about her and I’m like, ‘Damn, she really was that determined, fierce girl.’ She just knew who she was. I just think about, ‘Where did she go?’ I think now more than ever, she needed to come back. Even thinking about it mentally, when you say something to yourself all the time, you believe it, right? The more you say something to yourself everyday. The more I talk about her and the more I think about her, I can feel her taking over. I can feel that other side of me that is that people pleaser, that more vulnerable, softer side. I think within this industry, my younger self is someone who needs to come to the forefront because it can be really toxic. And she is like my protection in it.

You can see that dichotomy in the album. There is both the self-assured, fearless side and the more vulnerable side. How did you find that balance? Did it come naturally or was it an intentional choice?

Both, I would say. I do think it does come naturally because when I had the idea to do the whole era about the ego, she was actually reborn again when I wrote “Dead & Gone,” “Revival” and “Look Into My Eyes.” Those tracks have this attitude about them and they sound more sure than any of my other songs. That, to me, felt like the ego coming through. That’s where I felt like she needed to come out. Then you have songs like “Me Minus U,” “Sunrise” and “Heaven” that are this softer side, and that is natural to me as well. It’s almost like I need both sides to function and to exist.

One of my personal favorites on the album is “Best Version of Me,” which almost feels like a thesis statement: it has both ferocity and brutal honesty. Can you talk about where you were when you made that song? What was your head space?

I wrote that at my New York camp with Elijah Ross - he’s an amazing producer. We wrote it about when I first came out as solo and I felt like I had all these expectations on me, this pressure — from the label and whatever else — to be just as successful as Little Mix. That in itself is just stupid. It took so many years for us to do that! That really affected my mental health. I remember going into the Warner offices and feeling like a failure. It’s crazy! I was doing well! It’s so frustrating because I should never have been made to feel like that. I wanted to do a track that was all about how I felt in that moment. I had all these people telling me how I should sound and who I should be but really I just needed to be the best version of me, and that is my authentic self.

I also love the inclusion of your grandparents on “You ARE a star,” it’s a really heartwarming moment. Where did the idea come from to have them on the album?

We as a family have this saying, ‘You’re a Pinnock, you’re strong. You’re strong like a Pinnock.’ Like, ‘If you’re ever going through something, you can do this. You’ve got this.’ I wanted to know from my grandad where did that come from? Why do we say that? I asked my grandma to ask him to do a voice note and she just started saying all this stuff. I’m like, ‘Grandma, you’re so amazing! This is so perfect!’ I didn’t tell them anything to say. When she was saying, ‘When you told me you were going into The X Factor and you said, ‘I am a star.’’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, that is literally who I was before Little Mix.’ That was the ego talking. She was so determined. The interlude is basically the blueprint for the album. That is the story. That is the meaning of the whole album for me. It’s such a perfect moment, it makes me tear up every time.

You said your latest single “Most Wanted” saw many versions due to desires from the label to make it a certain way. Did you feel that a lot of the music you were making was stripped of your personality?

I love the music that I’ve made so far. Especially my EP [No Hard Feelings], it was a great opportunity to talk about things that were happening in my relationship and be really honest with that. I feel like maybe my first single, “Don’t Say Love,” absolute banger, but it wouldn’t have been my first choice for my first single. It’s interesting because I did a camp in Jamaica and the music that I made there was more R&B-leaning and reggae, and it was so amazing that camp and it felt like a clear direction. And then all of a sudden, they want me to do “Don’t Say Love” as my first single. It was like, ‘This is not really where I’m going!’ But they were like, ‘You need a hit!’ I think that pressure- I didn’t know what to do at that point. I needed to listen to them but now looking back I probably shouldn’t have.

That being said, I still did very well with “Don’t Say Love” and “My Love” - I was in a very good place and they made me feel like it was good enough. I love all the tracks I’ve done and I love what I’ve been putting out, but now I fully have the creative control to do whatever I want to do. There is no compromise. With certain songs, it was like, ‘I think it should sound a bit more like this.’ Well no! Just let me do what I’m doing!

I don’t know if you know this, but “My Love” ended up out-streaming “Don’t Say Love.” Is that somewhat gratifying because it’s more aligned with your sound now?

Well, that’s what I wanted for my first single. I wanted “My Love.”

Does it feel good to know you were right?

You know what, I knew that was going to be the case! I just knew! People see through things. As much as “Don’t Say Love” is an amazing song, I think people probably thought, ‘Oh? That’s where she’s going.’ They can see when an artist comes alive. I remember when I would perform them and people would be like, ‘You look so comfortable in ‘My Love!’ And I’m thinking, ‘Yeah!’

How did you go about picking the singles for this record, now that you’ve got full control?

“Been A Minute” for me had to be first. It was summer, it felt like a really good reintroduction to the industry again. And with the video I got to tease the ego and start the storyline. “Dead & Gone” is all about killing off this version of myself that was no longer serving me in this industry. The softer side that I needed to push down a little bit to make room for the ego. The singles have been in this world that I’m building and this reggae sound but stamped with my pop as well.

That’s why I’m so excited for people to hear the album. There’s so much versatility in this album and so many different layers to it and I think people can see who I am as an artist and what I can do.

You didn’t overthink the decision to go independent. Was there an element of nervousness when it came to releasing your first songs by yourself?

When I first made the decision to do it, it was pretty much instant because I knew I had no choice - I had to just go. In that moment, my ego was like, ‘Boom. You’re getting out of here.’ She kind of took that leap to be honest, there was no hesitation. Then, of course, there’s an element of being scared. It’s obviously very different. You don’t have a label throwing money at you. I am my own bank: I’m funding most of it. It’s so different.

Even in terms of expectations as well, being independent, like numbers and streaming, everything is so different. I have to give myself grace and be positive in all of this. I own my masters. That’s an amazing thing. I’m more just so proud than anything.

Did any artists reach out to offer advice after you went independent?

I had a really lovely album dinner the other night and I was speaking to Cat Burns and Bree Runway and we were just chatting about loads of stuff. It’s so nice when you can meet other people in music and share and be able to relate to each other. It’s so powerful to be able to do that because you don’t get many opportunities to, I guess. I’m not in a girl band anymore so I can’t just talk to my sisters.

If you could give advice to artists in a similar situation, thinking about going independent. What would it be?

I would say: You just need to trust in yourself. Believe in yourself. Also, find your tribe. Even if that’s one person. My sister is my ride or die. I have such an amazing team, but with her, she’ll be there forever. Just have someone around you that gets it, that sees your vision, knows where you want to go and you just get there together. Don’t stop believing in yourself.

You’re in Brazil at the moment. You said before that when you were in Little Mix, it was a special place because of the fan reaction. How has it been going back?

I did my listening party here. It was absolutely incredible to have a room full of my Brazilian Legion, playing them the music for the first time. I literally sobbed like a baby. I broke down. All of the memories of when I first went hit me again. I don’t know what it is. They’re so open here and they receive me so well and it’s always been something that I’m so touched by. I will come back every year. I love it here.

You have been unafraid to stand up for what you believe, in both your Race, Pop and Power documentary and more recently in your support for Palestine. How crucial is it for you as a public figure, and as a human being, to be vocal?

I’m always going to lead with compassion. And with the state of the world - there’s so much evil and it’s so fucked up, it’s horrible at the minute. I just think, how can anyone not? How can anyone not use their platform and say something, even if it’s a f**king repost. Just something. You can’t ignore what’s happening in the world.

Have you ever had pushback from it?

Not that I know of really. Maybe there has been but I haven’t really noticed - and I don’t really care, to be honest.

@notion@nicolacoughlan made a surprise appearance alongside @Leigh-Anne, who wore an outfit inspired by the keffiyeh, at last night’s charity gig to introduce @Celeste 𐦍༘ to the stage. The Derry Girl has consistently used her platform to call out the horrific scenes in Gaza. Free Palestine 🇵🇸. #NicolaCoughlan #LeighAnne #TogetherforPalestine #NOTION #fyp

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Have you noticed any changes in the industry since making your documentary?

I do feel like at the time there were some changes. But now when I think about it, so many people were talking about race and so many companies and businesses were putting things in place: more diversity and really listening to their Black workers. But now I’m like, ‘Where has that gone?”

What can we expect from the My Ego Told Me To tour?

I’m really excited to bring the story of the album to life. I want to do something out of the box. I just want to bring this to stage. There’s so much that I can do, it’s going to be amazing. The songs as well, like “Goodbye Goodmorning,” the live element of that. The instrumentation, it’s going to be so incredible and I can’t wait!

How are you arranging the setlist? Will there be any Little Mix moments or is it just purely Leigh-Anne?

I’m working it out right now, in terms of the setlist. With Little Mix moments, you’ll have to wait and see! I have so many songs now, so we will see.

Which are you most excited to perform?

“Goodbye Goodmorning.” I can’t wait. I just want to hear that guitar live.

How is it performing solo?

It was quite a natural transition because I love to be on stage, I love what I do. The idea of going into the studio and writing about all the things that I want to say and being able to make my own music, I was so excited about. At the same time, I miss them so much. We’d belly laugh every day. Even that in itself, we were just so silly and we had so much fun. And I do miss that. It took the pressure off because we were just enjoying each other and having the time of our lives.

Are there any artists you look up to when it comes to live performance?

Doja Cat. My God. Wow. Unreal. Also, there’s a Brazilian artist called Ivete and she’s massive in Brazil. I went to her Bloco the other day and it was absolutely incredible. The amount of energy that she has! She does seven-hour shows. She does that for seven hours. It’s like it’s not spoken about. She’s superhuman! She says she trains every day and I’m like, ‘Wow!’ I don’t know any artist in the world that can do that.

To finish: your younger self has helped to guide you through this process, but if you could tell Leigh-Anne at 16 one thing, what would it be?

Keep the fire. Keep the determination because there’s going to be a lot that happens over the years that’s going to try and take it away. You’ve got to keep believing in yourself, and keep walking into those rooms knowing who you are. Whenever I get asked this question, I flip it and thank her. She is literally the fire in me that has kept me going and she has always been a part of me no matter what hurdle or what struggle. She’s always getting me through everything and adding to my resilience. So I would like to thank her.

Leigh-Anne’s debut solo album, My Ego Told Me To, is out now.

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