- 11 hours ago
Slayyyter talks about the success of her 2026 album 'WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA' and songs breaking through like "DANCE" and "BRITTANY MURPHY!," her pop inspirations like Britney Spears and Beyoncé, her top 3 pop albums, what her fans can expect from her tour, how she feels about receiving love from PinkPantheress and other fellow female artists.
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MusicTranscript
00:00I'm like used to seeing, you know, pop start out, and then you're just coming in here all natural and
00:03gorgeous and shit.
00:04Thank you! Oh my god.
00:06Hi, it's Slater, and you're watching Billboard News.
00:14You must be in a really good mood, because your album just hit number one on our top dance electronics
00:19chart.
00:19It's your first big debut there.
00:22Yeah.
00:22So how are you feeling about that and your journey to this point?
00:25I am pretty shocked.
00:26It's great. I never expected this album to have the response it's had, but I'm very honored.
00:32I love that everyone's connecting with it so much and like responding well to it.
00:36Yeah.
00:37I mean, you described the album as kind of like a portrait of a Midwest girl, right?
00:40Yeah.
00:40But who is the worst girl in America? Like what is the descriptor of that title alone?
00:46She's me in a lot of ways, but it also can just be a small town girl or guy, just
00:54like a suburban.
00:55Being from like a small place, a small town or like, you know, a mundane area of the Midwest or
01:01wherever.
01:02It doesn't even have to be the Midwest.
01:04And just being like a little too much.
01:06I think being a little too loud, a little too drunk at things, a little too crazy, a little too
01:11tacky.
01:12Maybe not the most stylish, but, you know, you have your friends and you like put on your jean shorts
01:20that you like picked up off the floor and you just kind of live your life and dream about other
01:25things, I guess.
01:25That's kind of like what the worst, that's like the ethos of everything.
01:28I feel like now I get why people connect with you so much because you were saying that and I
01:33was like, yes, that.
01:34Yeah.
01:34I feel that.
01:35We're all that.
01:36We're all that.
01:37I kind of hate your part.
01:39It doesn't matter, let me stay.
01:42Let's talk about taking that to your creative journey.
01:45I love that you've actually directed a lot of your music videos.
01:47Yeah.
01:47So talk to me about your creative process.
01:49Like, do you start thinking about visuals like when you're creating music?
01:52Where does that come in?
01:53I see shot ideas in my head as soon as the song is being made in the studio.
01:58I feel like certain songs dance particularly right when we made the drop of after the intro.
02:06I saw the shot of me like shooting my dad through the door with like a shotgun and just right
02:11at that drop.
02:11It's such a like a bang.
02:12It feels like a gunshot.
02:13You know, I there's a lot of visuals like cannibalism to where we're making the music and I'm seeing in
02:20my head like burlesque dancers and kind of a like grindhouse, like creepy, filmy universe with like teal green, like
02:30the mint teal green.
02:31Like immediately I was like the song feels like a very like sterile room and like blood and gore, but
02:36also like kind of like a glittery, sparkly, like dark, like black velvet backdrop with like dancers in the forefront.
02:44You know, I just kind of see it in my head, you know, and I'm like, no, my brain is
02:47not that creative, but that's awesome.
02:49Yeah, but like, you know, I feel like the visuals just they come to my mind so immediately and then
02:53sometimes visuals are more on the fly where I'll just kind of want to get a shot in my head.
02:59And maybe I don't like know it yet, but like the fireworks were very loose and more run and gun.
03:04But that's such a I feel like all of those shots, like the fireworks scenes and beat up Chanel's that
03:10represents, I feel like the music a lot, just like those big fireworks moments.
03:14It's kind of sad.
03:14Each visual I approach a little differently.
03:17Well, now we were talking about the success that you've reached now.
03:20Do you look back at any of your old music videos and you're like, I would probably redo that now
03:24that I'm at this point.
03:25Maybe Daddy AF I heard you were talking about.
03:28Oh my gosh.
03:29I hate that video.
03:30I hate that video.
03:31But I, you know.
03:33What would you do now?
03:33What would Curren Slater do with that song Treatment right now?
03:35I feel like the treatment could even maybe remain the same.
03:38It's just having a bit more of an artistic perspective or a bit more like better shot composition, better like
03:47coloring on the video, better.
03:48I feel like the styling and my hair looked really crazy, too.
03:51That was like an era of my life where I was like plucking my eyebrows until they were basically gone.
03:57And I just looked fucking crazy.
03:58I looked like a crazy person.
04:00And that's okay.
04:01I think that the music, I needed to look a little crazy for that era of music, you know.
04:05Well, I mean, listen.
04:06Everybody's resonating with all the things that you're doing.
04:08Let's talk about the songs that are hitting.
04:09I feel like I've seen a lot of Brittany Murphy on my timeline for some reason.
04:13So talk to me about that song and like what was the inspiration and why you wanted to make it.
04:24Brittany Murphy is such an inspiration for me.
04:27I feel like the movie Uptown Girls specifically was my favorite movie in my childhood.
04:32My comfort movie, if I was sick or if I was, you know, bored or whatever, I would just watch
04:37that movie over and over again.
04:38And I feel like the messaging in it, when you see it as a little girl and then you grow
04:41up and you watch it as an adult, it has two different meanings, truly.
04:45Like you kind of take away something different from it.
04:48And as an adult watching it, it really made me so emotional, especially that scene where she's like on the
04:53teacups.
04:53And it's almost like she's looking at like this like little girl, like her younger self.
04:58And they're both sad and they both have, you know, like feeling like a loss of like father in their
05:04life.
05:05And it really is an emotional movie.
05:06The song itself is more about me and my own depression or my own more like suicidal ideation of feeling
05:13like a failure and being like a failed artist, if you will.
05:16But I think just Brittany Murphy being someone who's so talented and who passed away so young, it just resonated
05:23with me, especially tied into my favorite movie being something that's about kind of like growing up in adulthood
05:28and feeling like you're still a little girl on the inside or that you haven't really gotten it all figured
05:33out yet.
05:34It just really resonated with me.
05:35And so I kind of wanted the title to feel like an homage to her.
05:38I mean, I think that's so interesting that you're able to like be that honest, be that vulnerable and have
05:43this track that resonates like Brittany Murphy.
05:45Then on the flip side, have dance.
05:47That's like everybody's also connecting to that side of you.
05:50So what do you think it is about that song that's really popping off for you?
05:54Everyone can relate to having like maybe like a one sided beef or feeling like angsty towards someone or something
06:02when you're like in a party setting or seeing someone out that you might not want to see out.
06:05Or like the fakery of like running into someone that you don't really like and them being like, oh, like,
06:10hey, like, like you're doing great.
06:13And you're kind of like, all right, you know, I think that everyone can relate to that.
06:18But also the song is very electric.
06:20I feel like it evokes, even if you're not relating to the lyrics, it evokes like an emotional response right
06:27at that drop point.
06:29You talk about emotional response.
06:30Have you seen the video of Kiki Palmer?
06:39She's so funny and she's so charming.
06:42That really that was really crazy.
06:44I think that she was like, that's the first time I think a celebrity has ever made a TikTok to
06:47one of my songs.
06:48Like, I don't know.
06:49The Internet can like correct me if I'm wrong.
06:51But yeah, that was like really crazy.
06:53I was like, whoa, you saw that.
06:55But then you have a lot of great relationships as well.
06:57I feel like the girlies are like riding for you.
06:59Like Pink Panthers.
07:00I love seeing y'all's interview.
07:01And like she was like, I just love you so much.
07:03And how she was hyping you up.
07:04And also, how is it to kind of have that feminine energy kind of embracing you in the industry right
07:08now?
07:08It feels really good.
07:09I love her so much.
07:11I feel like there's so many artists that I love and respect who have kind of been connecting with my
07:16music or showing love to my album.
07:18And it's really crazy.
07:18I feel like for a long time, and this is not because of any other reason than maybe just my
07:23music being a bit like smaller or more like underground in the past.
07:26But I never felt like I had much kinship with other female artists or I felt like a little more
07:31on the back burner or like not in like the cool girl club.
07:36So it not that I ever like want or need to be in that.
07:38Like that's like so like not what I make music for.
07:42But having people kind of reach out to me, it feels really nice.
07:45It feels very comforting.
07:46Like I always feel like I'm kind of like a weird loser or something.
07:49And people being like, hey, like I love your music or it just it's really nice.
07:53I mean, so now I want to think about I want to get into your head about like, you know,
07:57so many people are looking up to us like this pop girly that's killing it.
08:00Who was your pop girly like growing up?
08:02Who is the one that like you latched on to at a young age?
08:05Lady Gaga.
08:06For sure.
08:08Lady Gaga and Beyonce and like I feel like they're tour DVDs I would watch religiously.
08:14Like I Am World Tour DVD and then the Lady Gaga HBO Monster Ball special.
08:19Those were two things that like, oh my God, I would watch those every single day.
08:22I would get up on my coffee table.
08:24I knew the single ladies choreo.
08:25I knew the Judas choreo.
08:27So I feel like that was, I don't know, pop music just felt so like massive to me being from
08:33St. Louis, Missouri, watching like the like telephone video.
08:38Like it was just such iconic pieces of music and pop culture with like such big visuals married to it
08:46too.
08:47Wasn't just the song.
08:47Wasn't just the artist.
08:48It was like all all of it.
08:50And I don't know, very life changing.
08:53I mean, you talk about I feel like we all have that experience because as soon as you start saying
08:56that, I'm like,
08:57Oh yeah, I remember my favorite DVDs.
08:59Like the Beyonce experience was mine.
09:00I wore that.
09:01I had that too.
09:01Oh my God.
09:02Such a good show to watch.
09:03Such a crazy thing to watch now considering that those were like smaller venues too.
09:06It's like an interesting like point of her career to like reflect on, you know?
09:11Absolutely.
09:11So I hope you haven't been asked this question, but now I want to know this.
09:14What's your like holy trinity of pop albums?
09:17Ooh, probably the fame, blackout, Britney and probably B-Day.
09:26I feel like that is like solid list.
09:29Yeah.
09:29Yeah.
09:29I feel like that.
09:31I feel like those when I was growing up, particularly those were very formative for me in my life.
09:38And I feel like those were also formative in like those were just massive in culture.
09:42That was back when there was still like, what do they call it?
09:44Like a monoculture.
09:45That was it still felt like everyone was tuning into the same thing.
09:49So it's like now I feel like people can kind of digest what they want specifically.
09:53But like B-Day or like Irreplaceable was on the radio for everyone.
09:57Or like the fame, Gaga's trajectory was happening.
10:00Whether you were into pop music or not, we all saw it.
10:03We were all there.
10:04Like it, I just, I like will never forget watching those videos and watching like live performances,
10:09you know, for any of those albums.
10:11That was perfect because blackout needs to be on everybody's list.
10:13Yeah.
10:13But I feel like B-Day doesn't get the love in the Beyonce discography as it should.
10:18Like when to me B-Day is, it's right there, man.
10:21Yeah.
10:21I feel like go-go beat type of that kind of music.
10:23I feel like that's been, I feel like that'll have a comeback.
10:26People do a lot of trend resurgence and they pull from different things.
10:28I feel like Ray kind of does that.
10:31But I feel like the, like B-Day with like the horns and everything, like the samples,
10:35I feel like sampling in that way needs to come back.
10:38Yes.
10:38Amen to that.
10:39Yeah.
10:39And I have to talk to you about this tour.
10:41So congratulations.
10:42Sold out tour.
10:44Yeah.
10:44That's wild.
10:45How are you feeling?
10:46What can we expect from production?
10:48I am really excited to plan the staging of the show.
10:52I feel like with tours, I like to make it feel like people are walking into a music video
10:57or a visual set and watching that happen live.
11:00So I definitely, I'm excited to tour with the band.
11:03The band is, you know, I'm, that's, feels so in line with this album and everything.
11:07But I really just want people to walk in and kind of like, I want it to feel like they're
11:10watching a music video and they're like a part of a visual almost.
11:13Like I want it to look like the Midwest on stage or like one of my music videos on stage.
11:19And then what do you feel like you will see when you look out at your crowd at your concert?
11:25I hope bunny ears and I hope costumes that are like recreations of stuff.
11:29And I hope everyone like dresses up and dresses fun or wears their like Realtree hats or whatever.
11:34I'm, I'm really excited to see everybody.
11:36And I feel like a lot more people are kind of engaged this time around.
11:39So it'll be interesting.
11:41I just hope people come to have a good time.
11:43No boring crowds.
11:44No boring crowds.
11:44No, not allowed.
11:45Well, you talk about the bunny ears and the costumes and stuff.
11:46I think you'll get that because in my head, you're just going to see a sea of gay men, obviously.
11:50Yeah.
11:50So I'm like, oh yeah, people will commit.
11:52We will come with the fence on.
11:53Yeah, yeah.
11:53I saw your interview the other day kind of talking about that.
11:56Like, how do you feel like your fan base has grown as your career has grown?
11:59And how, how do you feel about this?
12:01Like kind of thing that you've become a gay icon in a way.
12:04I, I love it.
12:05I feel like we've all kind of grown up together.
12:07You know, every, there's people who've been engaging with my music since the beginning
12:11where it's like, I know their name and their Twitter.
12:12And like, I feel like I know them and they know me, you know, and they're still here.
12:16And there's new people who are engaged now too.
12:18And it's, it's interesting seeing everything open up a bit.
12:22Like I've, I've been like laughing with my sister about how like, like I see like sorority
12:26girls, like making TikToks or like older dads that are metal heads, like being into it.
12:31Like it's so, I feel like it's starting to hit in places where it hasn't before.
12:34And my sister keeps being like, oh, if the sorority girls like it, like, you know,
12:37you've made it, you know what I mean?
12:38You got them now.
12:39Because it's been kind of like our little like queer space for so long.
12:42And yeah, but I feel like that's kind of where, like, that's the music I grew up listening
12:47to was like music, like big, powerful pop girls that like were mostly championed in like
12:53gay spaces.
12:55So I feel like that it feels very close to home that that's where my music has landed,
12:59I guess, always, you know?
13:00And I think it's so interesting that you said about the relationship you have with fans
13:03when like you don't know their handle or like have those personal relationships.
13:07And then I think about like even Gaga, you brought up something she said, like getting
13:10used to social media was so new to her because, you know, the people you named, Beyonce, Gaga,
13:14they were all mysterious back in the art time when we were growing up.
13:17But now everybody's on social media.
13:19So how do you kind of balance that?
13:20Like maybe wanting to be a mysterious artist and keep to yourself, but also being like,
13:24I'm in it with you guys.
13:25I don't know.
13:26I'm not, I never try too hard with being mysterious or trying to like keep a certain
13:32coolness.
13:33I'm never trying to be cool.
13:34I'm never trying to like be like pretentious with anything I do.
13:37So I feel like the people who listen to my music were like, we're all like internet kids
13:41and we all speak the same like stand Twitter language and we all like get the same memes
13:45and the same references and the same like, like the Peloton lady who's like, get them banned.
13:49Like we all, we all like, you know, I feel like we all love and laugh at the same things.
13:54So I don't really feel like there's much of a separation between me and them.
13:57Like we all like love the same shit.
13:58And like, I, I don't ever want to be like too cool or mysterious or pretentious about
14:02what I make.
14:03I love the art that I make, but I feel like it's for everyone.
14:05And it's, it's meant to inspire and it's meant to be part of me as much as, as it is
14:12a part of them, you know?
14:13Hell yeah.
14:14That's beautiful.
14:14I love that.
14:15And then let's talk about style a little bit.
14:17I heard you made your women in music outfit, right?
14:19Oh yeah.
14:20The skirt was actually Rachel.
14:22The skirt was Rachel.
14:23And that was, I wore that in cannibalism, but then the top and the hat, like the little
14:26lace, like little like baby hat that I made those.
14:29Yeah.
14:29I made those like the night before.
14:31That's insane.
14:31That's so cool.
14:33It's like, that's something you're looking to maybe do down the road, like style clothing.
14:37For sure.
14:37I love clothing.
14:38I feel like I treat my, I don't even like to call it merch, but like I treat my, all
14:42of like the, like clothing, you know, pieces or t-shirts, anything I like make or do.
14:46Like I really have a lot of care and love for it all.
14:48Like the samples, the blanks, everything that we like choose, the designs I make, some
14:52of them I like hand draw myself.
14:54I would love to like get into like the fashion and clothing world a little bit more, but I
14:59love being DIY about stuff.
15:01I feel like for my tour, it'll be a mix of like kind of small independent designers that
15:05I work with as well as like handmade hands rhinestone, everything that I like, you know, or maybe
15:10just like old vintage pieces.
15:11I like that kind of thing.
15:12Amazing.
15:13Can't wait to see.
15:13And I feel like another thing that obviously people connect with you about is girl, you'd
15:17just be saying shit.
15:18You're so honest, right?
15:19You're like so real online.
15:21Yeah.
15:21And I feel like like even like when PETA called you out and then you were like, you pulled
15:24out receipts.
15:25And it's like, how important is it for you to stick up for yourself and be honest in the
15:30culture today?
15:31It's so important.
15:32I, I really feel that people, artists, celebrities alike, whether you're an actress, whether you're
15:41making music, I, people just need to be people.
15:44I feel like my opinions and how I present myself or how I talk shouldn't sway just because
15:50I like, I don't know, get a little clout.
15:53I feel like people, I don't know.
15:56I always appreciate when an artist that I like isn't so buttoned up and isn't so calculated
16:01with what they say, isn't so pretentious about the way they explain their music.
16:05I just want to be a person.
16:06Like, I'm just a person.
16:08I'm like, you know, I'm from St. Louis.
16:09I was a hair salon receptionist.
16:10Like, who am I to come in and be all like, oh, like, you know, planned and like curated
16:15about every little thing.
16:16I feel like it's just better to just, you know, be yourself.
16:18It's like the, the tale is old as time.
16:21Just be yourself.
16:21People say it because it's true.
16:23Yeah.
16:23It's true.
16:24Well, before we get out of here, I want to just play a little quick game with you that we've
16:26called Slay or Nay.
16:29Okay?
16:29And you just pick which one.
16:31All right.
16:31So, DIY outfits or vintage couture?
16:36Vintage couture.
16:37Ooh.
16:38They're fashion.
16:38It's like their fashion history, you know?
16:40Like, I can never, me hot gluing feathers on something is never going to beat like a vintage
16:44Galliano dress, you know?
16:45True, true.
16:46I got you.
16:47I got you.
16:47Okay.
16:47Midwest Dive Bars or Big City Nightclub?
16:50Midwest Dive Bars.
16:51Oh, my gosh.
16:52Hell, yeah.
16:53Yeah.
16:53What's your drink of choice?
16:55Either like Budweiser, like bottle of Budweiser.
16:58I feel like as I've gotten older, like just like a beer, classic beer and a shot will get
17:02me right where I need to go for the night.
17:04Beer and a shot, girly.
17:04That keeps me out of trouble or if it's going to be a really crazy night, like tequila soda.
17:08But like, if you see a tequila soda in my hand, run away.
17:12First of all, in my head now, you don't play games.
17:14Both of those choices are as a girl that don't play games.
17:17Yeah.
17:17So, I got you.
17:19All right.
17:19Bunny suits or Playboy Bunny uniform?
17:22Bunny suits, maybe now, I guess.
17:25Okay.
17:25Worst girl in America for a night or star fucker forever?
17:29Worst girl in America forever.
17:31I'm going to like combine the two.
17:33Okay.
17:34Digital cameras or film cameras?
17:35Film cameras.
17:37I love film.
17:37Yeah.
17:38Crank at 3 a.m. or crank at 9 a.m.?
17:41Crank at 9 a.m., honestly.
17:43Start your day with a little jolt to the system.
17:45I'm the same way.
17:46I freak people out on the 405.
17:48All right.
17:48Public Twitter beef or petty DMs?
17:54Maybe public Twitter beef.
17:56People need to beef more.
17:57My favorite thing in the world in like 2012 is like watching my idols fight each other on Twitter.
18:03Oh, my God.
18:04So good.
18:04Everyone fight more.
18:05You know what my favorite one was?
18:06I don't know why this just came in my head.
18:08Do you remember the Rihanna-Ciarra moment?
18:10Oh, my God.
18:11Yeah.
18:11And she was like, good luck booking that stage.
18:13It was like, that's classic.
18:14It's classic.
18:15It's classic, you know?
18:16Love both artists, but I feel like me and my friends quote that quite a bit.
18:19It's true.
18:19Like, my friends would say that to me.
18:20I'd be like, oh, yeah, we're planning the tour.
18:21And they'd be like, good luck booking that stage you speak of.
18:23And I'd be like, look at me now.
18:26Look, I'm booking the stages, girl.
18:27They're booked.
18:28I love it.
18:29Well, what do you want people to like that are just joining the train, that are watching this interview maybe?
18:33What do you want them to think about you?
18:35What is your pitch?
18:36I don't even want to pitch anything.
18:38Whatever they think, whatever your immediate reaction to me would be, that's totally fine.
18:43I feel like everyone's takeaway is theirs to have.
18:46I don't, at this age or point in my career, I don't need to sell myself or talk myself up.
18:51If people don't like me or hate me, I actually kind of love that.
18:54Or if people love me and feel something from my music, then that's great, too.
18:58I just hope people think something about it at all.
19:01I would never want, I don't ever want to be kind of like, I like being like more polarizing.
19:05I feel like if people are just kind of like, eh, that's more disappointing, I think.
19:10Oh, well, I love that take.
19:12And now, thanks for hanging out and chatting with us here.
19:14And I can't wait.
19:15I'm coming to this tour, and I'm wearing bunny ears.
19:16Hell yeah.
19:17I'll see you there.
19:17You have to come.
19:18Come through.
19:19Thanks so much.
19:20Oh my gosh, that was so fun.
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