Princess Nokia has reached her ‘final form’. Following the recent release of her album “Girls,” we spoke to Destiny aka Princess Nokia backstage at her show at Koko in London, finding out her current music inspirations, how her music style’s evolved, and who her favourite final girl is. Keep reading to find out what went down backstage at Princess Nokia’s show.
What vibe did you want to portray with your latest album, “Girls”?
“I wanted [“Girls”] to have a sassy, bitchy, country, mean girl vibe that’s completely unapologetic, and that makes men feel very uncomfortable. I hope that I am spreading mean girl propaganda across the world.”
What’s your personal favourite track on “Girls”?
“My favourite track on “Girls” is “Pink Bronco,” featuring Lindsay Sterling. I love that song so much. It’s my favourite song because it exists in an atmosphere musically that [feels] just like heaven. It’s paradise. I love the violin. The violin is my favourite instrument, and I’ve been a fan of [violinist] Lindsay Sterling since 2010. I think that [“Pink Bronco”] encapsulates what it is to completely de-centre men and truly be the caretaker and the leader of your life.”
You referenced a lot of ‘creepy girl’ movies in this album. What do you think it is that draws us to this aesthetic?
“I think girls are just naturally weird. We’re inherently dark, grotesque, and a little macabre. Girls usually have good taste, and you’ve got to have a big stomach to have such a taste. It’s like the reason girls like to take hot showers: we know pain, we know violence, we know rigidness. We just want something a little off, to take the edge off.”
What would you say it takes to be a ‘creepy girl’?
“You have to be odd. You have to be a little strange. You certainly have to be counterculture, and a bit assuming so you can get away with things. And you have to just be monstrous, you know, you have to have a taste for blood.”
What would you say is your favourite final girl?
“My favourite final girl has to be just Jamie Lee Curtis, because… just leave it to a man to keep coming back after you throw him in a lake, chop him up, tell him to go to hell, and yet he’s still appearing. I think Jamie Lee Curtis is a metaphor for women today.”
I read a comment on your Instagram that said, “this album is so healing.” Was that your intention with “Girls”?
“Certainly, but I think before I could heal anyone, my intention was that I needed this album to heal myself. I needed it to heal my mind, my body, my spirit. I needed it to connect me to source into God, into my most internal self. I needed to feel safe and secure, and this album certainly made me feel all of those things. My life is just so much more better and happier [as a result of creating “Girls”] and now, because of that, that intentionality to help myself first, I have been able to help other people and heal other people now.”
Who’s your biggest inspiration musically?
“I think my I think my biggest inspirations musically right now are Nicki Minaj and Lana Del Rey. Both are the most fabulous divas. Both inspire me philosophically, energetically, musically. Both women are fascinating [to me] because they’re so smart, they are so talented. You know, I would say like near genius talent.”
I read an interview that said that “Girls” is your ‘final form’. Would you agree with that?
“”Girls” is my final form. If I’m a Pokemon, “Girls” is my final evolution. Like I said before, “Girls” touches upon every album and sound that I’ve done, but it polishes it and it knocks it out the park, and it outdoes all of it. I think that to reach your final form is to be [your] calmest, your most sure, your happiest – and I think that I am all of that. The music is so undeniably strong [because], you know, it’s me. It [feels] kind of like when a human becomes a wolf. Yeah, “Girls” is me becoming a wolf.”
Featured image via @princessnokia ©
