Pop singer Remi Wolf says the one “Cinderella” describes temper swings and a transient life-style on the time she wrote it. NPR’s Leila Fadel asks Wolf about her sophomore album “Massive Concepts.”
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Remi Wolf shouldn’t be completely new to NPR audiences. Final 12 months, she confirmed up in a Tiny Desk live performance by hip-hop producer Kenny Beats.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
REMI WOLF: (Singing) You stole my coronary heart. Itchy-gitchy airplane. I say goodbye simply to overlook you.
FADEL: Some may also keep in mind Remi Wolf from her run on “American Idol” in 2014 – and she or he’s come a great distance since then. She’s now a longtime solo artist who describes her sound as funky soul pop with a streak of magical realism. And in the present day, her second album is out. It is referred to as “Massive Concepts.”
WOLF: I type of name this my selection present album.
FADEL: I spoke to Remi Wolf about her new album and began with the track “Cinderella.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “CINDERELLA”)
WOLF: (Singing) I may be yellow. I can rearrange by the afternoon and I am purple, so fast after I swap it up – hurtful to mellow. I may be something I wish to do, any coloration of the rainbow. Yeah.
FADEL: There’s one thing actually relatable concerning the phrases right here. And perhaps I am injecting my very own fatigue about having to be all the colours of the rainbow. Is that one thing you end up having to do, morph into totally different folks?
WOLF: Undoubtedly. I imply, extra so than even that, I feel I am type of flip-flopping between all these feelings and all these…
FADEL: Yeah.
WOLF: …Variations of myself type of always, particularly after I’m on tour.
FADEL: So is that this track “Cinderella” type of you working that out for your self somewhat bit?
WOLF: Yeah. I feel whereas I used to be penning this track, the place I used to be at in my life, I used to be within the throes of tour. And it was getting up to now the place I actually felt like I wanted somebody to inform me I used to be doing an important job and to, like, hold going. And I did not actually have anyone pulling me up in that approach. And this track type of was an exploration in me determining if that was one thing that I might do for myself.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “CINDERELLA”)
WOLF: (Singing) Child woman, will not you dry your eyes? Dont stress since you’re doing it proper
I used to be imagining the voice that got here down within the second a part of the bridge as type of my fairy godmother, who was telling me, like, you needn’t cry. It is OK. You are doing every part good, and you’ll hold going, and also you’re speculated to be doing this.
FADEL: In that very same vein, I do wish to discuss “Motorbike.”
WOLF: Yeah.
FADEL: As a result of it will get at somewhat little bit of that on-the-road curler coaster, however then this want to type of sit residence with the folks or individual you’re keen on. Let’s play a little bit of that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “MOTORCYCLE”)
WOLF: (Singing) After we’re waking up within the early morning, I might kiss your brow, ship you down the doorstep. Say goodbye and get proper on my bike.
FADEL: This one is so soulful. Nevertheless it’s, like, two variations of you once more. Are you craving domesticity right here? After which on the finish, you are like, after which I am going to get on my bike.
WOLF: Yeah. I feel after I wrote this track, I used to be actually exploring these two sides of myself, one aspect being the a part of me that wishes to be at residence and, like, have a canine, clear the storage, simply do regular home stuff. After which the opposite a part of me type of desires to expertise the world on my own, and simply, like, be free and do reckless stuff, or don’t reckless stuff, however simply type of do it alone. And after I was penning this track, I used to be coming into into a brand new relationship. So I feel I type of put all these emotions into the track.
FADEL: That is your second album. Your first album was referred to as “Juno,” and that got here out in 2021. How has your music modified since then?
WOLF: I really feel like I have been pulling again, like, a variety of emotional screens and type of letting myself be seen somewhat bit extra in my music. Like, I am making an attempt to be extra weak and direct inside my lyrics and with my viewers.
FADEL: I imply, I feel there was one thing that drew me to a variety of the songs ‘trigger it was virtually like I used to be listening to the ideas in my head that I do not say out loud about myself, like a few of the damaging discuss that I feel all of us have in our heads. And you then’re writing them down to those actually enjoyable beats. And I consider “Pitiful” right here.
WOLF: Yeah.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PITIFUL”)
WOLF: (Singing) Why do I really feel so yuck? Yuck.. And I am so pi-pi-pi-pi-pitiful. Yuck.
FADEL: What had been you considering whenever you wrote this track down?
WOLF: Oh, man. Properly, this track was actually impressed by this one expertise I had in faculty, truly, and seeing this individual that I preferred or was type of perhaps seeing on the time and seeing them making out with this different woman. And I felt embarrassment, and I felt like I simply needed to doc it and being like, OK, I’m being pitiful proper now. Like, get a grip, type of, I feel, actually helped.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PITIFUL”)
WOLF: (Singing) I am going to go residence. I am pi-pi-pi-pi-pitiful.
Additionally, I feel the monitor is simply so enjoyable.
FADEL: Yeah.
WOLF: I like juxtaposing type of darkish lyrics with actually funsounding music.
FADEL: Which is actually this album. It is so enjoyable. And you then hear, and you are like, oh. However that is additionally fairly intense.
WOLF: I feel it is one in every of my favourite instruments to discover in writing and manufacturing.
FADEL: There was a track, “Simply The Begin.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JUST THE START”)
WOLF: (Singing) Yeah, I name myself an artist and typically I feel it is true, however I stroll heavy throughout the water. I debunk myself to blue.
FADEL: The place it is like, I believed I used to be on the highest, however now there’s extra issues I’ve to do, and there is much more issues I’ve to do.
WOLF: Yeah (laughter).
FADEL: Inform me about writing that track. I imply, ‘trigger I used to be listening to it, and I’ve had that feeling the place I am like, oh, I believed this was the highest. Oh, I’ve to do extra issues. No, I’ve to do this.
WOLF: I feel I used to be simply type of making an attempt to course of what my life was. After which simply, like, observing my conduct and all of my insecurities type of from this chook’s-eye view and the top being, like, the factor concerning the chase is…
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “JUST THE START”)
WOLF: (Singing) Is it plagues the human race. And the factor a few web is it solely works when it is moist with the fishes or with the price of a verify. And the factor about getting caught is you assume it is the top, however that it is not. It is simply the beginning.
We’re all out right here chasing one thing that we expect we wish. And as quickly as we get it, there’s extra.
FADEL: There’s extra.
WOLF: Such as you stated.
FADEL: Remi, thanks a lot. And congratulations in your album.
WOLF: Thanks a lot.
FADEL: Remi Wolf’s album, “Massive Concepts,” is out now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “KANGAROO”)
WOLF: (Singing) I am talkin’ my massive concepts. Oh, please, keep, name me honey. We might go upstate and make some cash. I’ll run away…
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional info.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This textual content is probably not in its closing kind and could also be up to date or revised sooner or later. Accuracy and availability might differ. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.
