IN CONVERSATION WITH SLAYYYTER

interview by MAREK BARTEK

Singer and songwriter Slayyyter started her career independently by releasing her songs through SoundCloud. Numero Netherlands sat down with her to discuss her musical identity and what to expect next.

Just like all the big stars, you too only got one name. Can you tell us how you came around to it? 

I got it from the movie dazed and confused. There was a character named Slater and I added some Y’s since the username Slater was taken.

Since last year, you’ve been on your ‘Club Valentine Tour’ tour. How has it been, and what are some key moment you’ve had over the course of this period ?

It’s been incredible. I feel like the album ‘Starfucker’ and the era as a whole brought a new life to me as a performer. I had a lot of fun designing what the show would be and I think it was a step up from anything I’ve done in the past.

Before headlining your own tour, you supported Tove Lo’s ‘Dirt Femme’. What was that experience like, and what did you learn from touring with such an established artist?

It was amazing. She’s amazing and was so kind to me and my team. Being an opener for anyone can be scary sometimes, but her fans were so welcoming and the whole experience was really cool.

Your music often explores themes of fame, vanity, and celebrity obsession. How do you navigate these themes in your personal life?

I’m pretty tapped out of those things to be honest. I’m not famous and I dislike most celebrities. I find a lot of people in Hollywood to be majorly full of it, but that’s what’s so enjoyable about poking fun at it. I think anytime I touch on those themes, it’s met to be ironic with a touch of real glamour. I love pop culture, but it has become less exciting to me. I think celebrity obsession is a waste of a person’s time.

Your debut album ‘Troubled Paradise’ received a lot of praise. Looking back, what are some of your favourite memories or standout moments from that era?

To be honest, that project is not my favorite thing. It was Covid times and I feel like the visual elements were bad and got kind of lost due to my own personal lost-ness. It was hard to navigate a debut album rollout during that time. I wasn’t even allowed to do proper photoshoots for half of it. I think I learned a lot from the whole process though and learned that it’s okay to say no, and that you hate stuff or to re-do things that aren’t the vision.

What would you say has changed since your first album in terms of creative approach to music?

I think I have become more inclined to just make what feels natural to me about how I feel and things I want to talk about. I used to put on more of a baby voice, used to hide a lot behind dumb lyrics and not take myself seriously because I didn’t think anyone else did. I think my next project I’m currently working on feels very true to myself and true to my life rather than hiding behind characters and fantasies.

Your latest album ‘Starfucker’ was influenced by various themes like Hollywood starlets, retro futurism, and 80s interior design. How did you incorporate these elements into your music and overall aesthetic?

I think these are all things I’m naturally obsessed with so it made sense to mix them into my album era. I have been collecting that sleek cocaine interior 80s and 90s furniture since I moved to LA, and have been obsessed with old Hollywood for as long as I can remember. I refuse to live in any building built after 1935. I love glamour and curls and martinis. It felt like a heightened version of myself and my real life.

The album touches on themes of dreams and delusions, while being a “pop dream sequence about losing love and chasing fame.”. Can you elaborate on the creative process and how these themes are explored in your lyrics and sound?

I moved to LA with some minor internet success in music and really big ambitions. Then you get here and get a few years along and its like “Oh, is that it?” During this time I also got into a relationship and felt always torn between career and grinding at what I wanted or having a personal life. I feel like I was making this album while my relationship started falling apart in real time, so I had a lot of things inspiring me at once.

Growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis and idolising pop icons like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, how have these influences shaped your career and musical style?

I think I have always loved strong women in music. I definitely listen to many things other than just female pop, but that’s always my number 1. It helped me get through the boring days of school and whatever other things to dream about being a star.

With hundreds of millions of global streams and a massive social following, how do you stay grounded and connected with your fans?

Like I said before, I’m not a famous person. It’s not hard to stay grounded at all, no one knows who I am. I am lucky to have a dedicated fanbase that cares about my music and art, and I feel like with social media I always can chat with people and don’t mind saying hi when anyone approaches me. I don’t consider them fans, I think that word puts a weird barrier between artists and people who enjoy their art. I think they are just like me, grew up loving the same things as me, kind of like peers. My oomfs.

I think everyone wants to know, what other projects are you working on that you can share with us already, another album perhaps?

Definitely working on another album. Was going to do a mixtape anniversary project, but decided to scrap it. I’ve moved onto new sounds and new things. I feel so insanely inspired right now. I feel like my origin story and things I have pushed to the back and hid from people are driving me a lot while writing at the moment. I realized this many years into making music that people don’t know a lot about me. I feel so angry all the time and over everything in life and it’s fueling some interesting songs and sounds I haven’t touched on before. I’m excited to see what people think.

cover look

bodysuit WHITAKER MALEM

shoes CASADEI

earrings ALEXIS BITTAR

talent SLAYYYTER

photography TOM J. JOHNSON

styling THOMAS GEORGE WULBERN

hair LAUREN BELL using BABYLISS PRO, KEVIN MURPHY and HAIR BY SAM MCKNIGHTBaByliss

makeup DASHA TAIVAS using MAKE UP FOREVER and ISAMAYA BEAUTY

set design HANNAH KNOWLES

movement direction LIAM JOHN

styling assistant LUCY PROCTOR

editor TIMI LETONJA