Empress Of is Entering Her SexyPop Era

lorely rodriguez empress of pop music interview polyester 2024 — Make it stand out

Lorely Rodriguez, known professionally as Empress Of, has carved out a unique space, transcending generic boundaries. Over the past decade, the Los Angeles-born artist has dedicated herself to refining her artistic skills - she has contributed her talents to various projects, collaborating with artists such as KITO, Khalid, MØ, and Lewis Ofman, all while continuing to develop her own take on pop.
In 2022, her EP *Save Me* left fans eagerly anticipating new music. To satify them, last September, Rodriguez returned with single *Kiss Me* featuring Rina Sawayama. Shortly after, Rodriguez released *Femenine*, a dynamic burst of adrenaline that showcases her exceptional talents. The first Spanish-language track on her upcoming album *For Your Consideration*, the track signifies a notable evolution in Rodriguez's artistry. Amid pulsating beats and synths, she explores new sensations of dominance and power through bold lyrics, with a captivating video to match.

Femenine and Save Me serve as lead cuts for a new era of Empress Of. Rodriguez, serving as the executive producer on her new album, guides it towards a more introspective direction, revealing a more vulnerable aspect of her music, yet steering clear of traditional themes surrounding heartbreak.

The album delves into Rodriguez's personal experiences as a single woman, offering a nuanced exploration of the yearning for connection while simultaneously celebrating the joy that comes with being single. For Your Consideration provides a thoughtful and multifaceted perspective on relationships, showcasing Rodriguez's artistic depth and versatility. Dialling in from Los Angeles, Empress Of takes Polyester through the creative process of her new record.

Happy new year Lorely! How are you settling into 2024?

I feel like 2024 has started in such an abrupt way, which is awesome! I did a huge photo shoot for the record on the 5th and have since been working on things like promo, video and artistic stuff which has been really exciting. We’re announcing the record next week as well, so it really does feel like a crazy but exciting start to the year. It’s a good chaos.

If it’s okay with you, I’d love to reflect on 2023 where we saw you return with music. I’ll touch on your two beautiful new singles shortly but I was wondering, what has it been like returning to music after a couple years away?

You know it’s so weird because I was reading today that I was one of Pitchfork’s most anticipated albums of 2024 and when I was reading the article it hit me that it had been four years since I last released an album. I was like “What! That sounds like such a long time ago!”

Especially how music is consumed today, in theory it does sound like a long time ago, but I guess I’m just one of those artists where I need to stew over my work. I can’t be one of those artists who releases a record every year. Maybe I will become that one day but, like with this record, it took some time to make, which is why it has such a personality and why it feels like its own world.

Yeah, and I suppose four years is a lot of time to develop as a person as well.

Right! Like when I listen to my last record [I’m Your Empress Of], I feel like I have grown so much, not in a bad way but, I’m not dealing with any of those problems that I’m talking about in that record anymore.

Your previous work seems to touch on heartbreak and the pain that comes with a breakup, whereas Femenine, and much of the new record, seems to discuss something different. Talk to us about the new themes on this album?

A lot of the songs on the record really are so different, thematically, to my previous work. The tracks are like, flirty and horny and sexy. I think it’s been good for me to explore that side of my music because my previous songs were like “crying on the dancefloor” songs.

I’ve had a lot of people come and tell me that my songs helped get them through breakups, which is amazing, but it’s been good to see a different side and different perceptions following Femenine.

I saw someone write, I mean I can’t even say it, but someone wrote that they can’t wait to hook up with someone to Femenine - but they said in a much more explicit way! I was like “oh this is so fun, I love being that girl, the girl that’s writing sexy music”.

I can imagine that being a different feeling! It must be fun to hear people are feeling sexually liberated through your music.

Totally! I mean, Femenine is hot. I was in Miami when I wrote that song and this new alter ego came over me. I rented out a convertible and was going to strip clubs and finding myself in night clubs till 3 in the morning. I became really consumed with that energy, like the Miami energy.

I think it’s certainly reflected in the song like, it’s in Spanish which I love. I guess at its core, it’s about wanting to be the dominant one in a relationship. To go from singing about heartbreak to singing in Spanish “I wanna ride you like a cowboy” and “I’ve got my hand on your neck” and “I want a guy who cooks, cleans and dances for me”. I’m like who is she? Oh, she’s me!

What does it feel like to release music in Spanish? How does it work differently in the studio and in production?

For me, the biggest difference is how it affects the song rhythmically because there are more syllables. I’ve made music in Spanish for years now and I’m always pleasantly surprised by where it lands in my voice. I find myself wanting to sing differently and try different melodies when I’m writing in Spanish.

It’s great to be able to sing in two languages. I want to sing in more languages!

Previous to Femenine came Kiss Me featuring Rina Sawayama. What was it like working with Rina? How did that collaboration come to be?

So I went on tour with Rina last February. She is so incredible, like she is amazing. Being on tour with her was like “pop star boot camp”. She is so dedicated to her show and her art.

The collab happened because I was working on the record at the same time and when I wrote Kiss Me, I heard only a few voices who could work on this song and she was one of them, voices who could do this like “nostalgic pop”. I sent it to Rina and she loved it. When she sent me vocals back, I was like wow. I was listening to them in the car and like screaming because it was so good.

For our readers who are new to your music, where did your passions for songwriting develop? What were your origins in writing music?

We had a piano in the living room. My dad was a pianist. I started tinkering on it when I was like six. When I began discovering artists like Bjork and Imogen Heap, that’s when a real love for songwriting began. Those artists really opened my mind to other levels of songwriting. I was like 13 when I wrote my first song and I just carried on from there.

Do you remember what that first song was?

No, but I feel like when you’re that young you write really good songs because you’re so dramatic you know? Like, you’re singing about something you’ve never experienced in your life. I think it was strangely good, but I can't remember.

How would you say your sound, songwriting and artistry has changed over the last few years?

I worked with other songwriters as well on this album. I really feel like this record has the best parts of me, like fully realised. The songwriting is so good, the production is great and that is a hard thing to get right with 11 songs. I really feel like this is me in my Empress Of bag. The sounds are all super cohesive and forward. It’s me in my element.

What does being in the studio with Empress Of look like?

There's always a lot of beverages, I’m a girl with my cups. There’s always like, matcha and a coffee and a sparkling water on the go. I like to have movies playing in the background, anything from Mission Impossible or Alice in Wonderland. It’s kinda anything goes.

We spoke earlier about how Femenine is already bringing out new emotions within your fans. What else do you hope people take from this record?

Well I hope they take it home! Like I hope they download it! I guess, I just know this record is great because I feel confident and sexy when I listen to it, so I hope other people feel that when they listen, you know?