HARMONY IN CHAOS – An Interview with Genre-Defying Artist POPPY

PRESENTED BY WET N WILD @wetnwildbeauty
PHOTOGRAPHER VIKTORIJA PASHUTA @viktorija_pashuta
PRODUCER JACKSON CHONG @jacksonchong_
STYLIST CARA GORDON @cara_gordon
HAIR ANASTASIIA TEREBOVA @anastasiia.terebova
MAKEUP KSENYIA BERNKHARDT @kseniya_bern
NAILS JOLENE B @jolene.b.nails
RETOUCHER ALEX BROWN
PHOTO ASSISTANTS JATHAN CAMPBELL @jathancphoto & ANASTASIYA PANKOVA @grainyportraits_ana
ASSISTANT MARIA MANCHINII @laluna_mari
LIGHTS HOBOLITE @hobolite
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE AGENCY STUDIOS @agencystudios

Words by Kimberly Haddad

Moriah Rose Pereira, better known as Poppy, is a Boston-born, Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and multifaceted performer who became an internet sensation in 2014 when she captivated audiences with performances in a series of bizarre yet debatably fascinating videos on YouTube. Embracing a bewitching android-esque complex, Poppy critiqued and satirized elements of internet culture and our modern society, offering tongue-in-cheek commentary that left viewers intrigued. With a feat of randomness, Poppy’s ASMR-inspired video of her leisurely devouring cotton candy pushed her online stardom even further, accumulating a staggering four million views.

Since embarking on her journey as an artist, Poppy has earned a substantial cult-like fanbase with a range of peculiarly infectious singles like “Girls in Bikinis,” “Concrete,” and “Knockoff.” Her debut pop EP titled Bubblebath (2015) marked the starting point of her musical career and she has continued to dazzle crowds with her growth and eclectic talent. Evident in her five full-length studio albums, Poppy’s evolution shines through in each one. Serving as a follow-up to Flux (2021), Poppy’s most recent creation Zig, is a self-reflective fusion of tender vulnerability and raw power that explores themes of womanhood, relationships, major life changes, and yearning for that “real shit.” Drawing inspiration from legends such as Talking Heads, Blondie, Gary Numan, and David Bowie, Zig embodies audacious electronic beats intertwined with deep metal rock riffs that pay homage to the industrial sounds of the early 90s.

Despite her seemingly disconnected and indifferent demeanor, there is no denying that Poppy possesses an unparalleled originality that distinguishes her as a true and unapologetic creator. However, contrary to the artist’s confident claim that her music style “makes you want to rule the world,” it has the exact opposite effect on me. It makes me want to put an end to it all. It forces me into a sonic nightmare that I struggle to escape from.

The jarring soundscapes of her music, fused with a whirlwind of pop-induced pandemonium seeping through every track of the album provoke an unsettling sense of anxiety. From piercing emo screams and synthesized melodies to the incessant onslaught of digitalized sounds and distorted chords, my senses are often overwhelmed, leaving me feeling confined and suffocated. Instead of being uplifted and energized, I find myself becoming increasingly restless and unsettled. The breakneck tempo and unrelenting stimulation only leave me disoriented and adrift, as if I’m aimlessly wandering the nocturnal streets of Tokyo on an excessive dose of MDMA. The very elements of her genre that others find liberating only exacerbate my inner turmoil. But I imagine Poppy won’t give a damn about my perspective, and rightly so.

In the realm of music, each listener comes with their own set of experiences, emotions, and preferences. These unique qualities shape our perception and attraction to certain sounds. However, as any form of art, music taste is subjective. What deeply resonates with one person may completely miss the mark for another, yet this does not diminish the quality of the music or the talent of the artist. While Poppy may not be my cup of tea (I’m here for the new Drake album) I am absolutely convinced that within the vibrant, neon-drenched streets of Shibuya City or the underground clubs of Harajuku, there exists a clan of enigmatic bubble-pop unicorns, barbie goths, or a curious breed of metal heads reveling in her strange blend of multi-genre sounds. Whether you find her music intriguing or utterly confusing, Poppy has managed to suck in a niche audience that defies categorization.

What are your core values and how do they define you?

I try to be a kind person. That’s very significant to me. I lead with interest and walk towards things that I’m intrigued by, want more of, or want to investigate further. I also, believe in constant evolution and progress for yourself.

Can you share any pivotal moments or experiences from your childhood that played a significant role in cultivating your passion for music and unique style of genre?

I think every time that I was told “no” early on, it gave me a clearer picture of what I was after. There were times when I was still a teenager, living on my own and going after the music and the art world, when certain people were in the way. They were adults who were supposed to be trusted, but I never listened, obviously. Any time someone tried to say “no” I had to push past them. There was this one producer back in Tennessee who was supposed to work with me and instead, he told me that I should move back in with my family, knowing nothing about my home life. But I didn’t listen to him. I continued living in my car and somehow, made it to Los Angeles.

What was home life like for you? Did your family not support your desire to pursue music or were there other factors that led to you living in your car?

My life was very rocky. I was working a couple of different jobs and still wanted to pursue music, but I was too young to be hired by any companies. I was also trying to be emancipated so that I could be an independent person. I kind of had to navigate working different jobs and living in my truck. I was couch surfing a bit as well. I eventually saved up enough money and met a few people who were in the music industry and I signed a record deal. Because of that, I was able to get to LA, but it was all uncharted territory for me.

What inspired your decision to initially keep your identity private, and how did the anonymity influence your creativity and connection with your audience?

I never wanted it to be about anything too personal, but I realized that when doing this for as long as I have, it’s hard to not put yourself into your work. At the beginning I thought I could be entirely separate from it, but then I realized that I couldn’t and certain parts of myself continued to seep in. I think it’s just really about what you present and what you’re willing to present. In the beginning it was more fun, you know? I think the internet was more fun too, but now there’s so much clutter online and there’s too much information. When I first started uploading videos on the internet, it was still fun and you could play games. Everything now just feels so serious and people don’t want to play anymore. They always want to tear things apart. I think there’s less play in general now in our culture. There’s less light heartedness. Everybody is so serious.

Throughout your career, you have embraced a wide range of artistic mediums, including music, visual art, and performance. How do these different creative outlets influence and inspire each other, and what new dimensions do they bring to your overall expression?

I never think of myself as just a musician. I always say my craft is a multimedia project. Everything blends into each other and I just move towards the things that fascinate me. As long as I’m intrigued, I’ll be doing this.

With a new album set to release later this month, can you share your creative process when blending electronic elements with traditional rock instrumentation, and how it has shaped your unique sound?

The process for Zig was very different. Every record for me has been a different process. The only thing that remains consistent is that I’m the one who is making the decisions and writing lyrics. The process itself however, varies greatly from album to album. This time, I met Ali Payami and we walked around a lake together for the first time. Then I went to his house, he played me a bunch of music, I played him a bunch of music, and we found similarities with the things that were inspiring us at the time. Sometimes, I’ll go into a project with skeletons of ideas. Sometimes it’s chords, sometimes he’ll just play chords or start building with sounds, or I’ll have a concept and we’ll go from there. There isn’t one singular process. There’s one song that I wrote with Simon Wilcox and we brought it to Ali. Anything can happen.

Your music touches upon various emotions and themes. Tell us about a specific song or artistic creation that holds personal meaning to you, and how you hope it will inspire or provoke emotions in your listeners.

It’s hard to pick just one singular song but, I think the final track on the record entitled “Prove It” is special to me. At the time it was written there were a lot of intense feelings that both Ali and I were feeling. We were separately going through our own personal struggles and I remember in the session, Simon said, ‘Ali, play chords that are how you feel right now.’ And then we started humming over the piano part. I also think that lyrically, the song is genuine to how I feel, that I only want to prove myself to me. Sometimes you’re not competing with anyone but yourself, and I think that’s the best way to be.

As someone who has faced being bullied for reasons such as body image and temperament, how did these experiences impact your journey as a creative person, and what advice would you give to those facing similar challenges?

I think a lot of people struggle with this, but not many are willing to be open about it. I was pretty quiet about it until I released a song called “Eat” that was very obviously about body image stuff. It was about body image and things that I experienced. For me, things that have helped a lot are gratitude, trying to form better habits, and recognizing patterns in my thinking that are sometimes self-destructive. But I think everybody has their own version of that. I’m not the only one who goes through these things. I also think there’s a lot of guys who struggle with it too and it’s not spoken about often. As far as advice goes, I would just advise somebody to talk to people you trust about what you’re going through, only when you want to. There were many times when someone would try to talk to me about things and I would shy away from it. It actually kind of made it worse. If someone said they knew there was a problem, I would always say there wasn’t. I think this is really common too though when you’re dealing with something. People would try to empathize with me about certain things, but I wouldn’t be willing to talk about them. I had to do it on my own. I think writing about it helped me a lot as well. Writing down how you feel sometimes helps make it easier to talk about with someone.

Which aspects of your identity do you feel are most strongly intertwined with your artistry?

I think all of them are intertwined. It’s hard to separate where one ends and where one begins. I just feel I’m living inside of this body and I’m figuring it out every day. I think that in your life, if you’re not trying to figure yourself out, I don’t know what you’re doing. You should have a better understanding of yourself, even when it can be really uncomfortable, because it is at times.

When you perform on-stage, how do you aim to evoke specific emotions in your audience, and what experiences or sources of inspiration do you draw from to create such intense and visually captivating live performances?

When people come to a show, I hope they feel like they can just forget about everything, like the stickiness or the uncertainty of their lives or situations. I mean, just be in the moment with the music and with me for the time that we’re spending together. I feel like, when I look into the audience at a Poppy show, I see a lot of diversity. There are different people from all different walks of life and backgrounds and it’s really inspiring to me. I hope the shows and performances inspire them to want to give it their all every day, that they inspire them to not back down, and to do something that is memorable.

Can you give us a glimpse into your future plans as an artist?

I don’t talk much about other projects until they’re completed, but I do know what’s coming next and I am excited about it. I’ve been working on some longer form visual content as of late and it’s been really fun for me, so I’m excited for when that can be released. Until then, it’s just my new album Zig and more to follow.

If your music was a flavor of ice cream, what would it be called and why?

Poppy. I feel that the representation of sweet and sour and endless darkness are at play with myself and the project as a whole. So, I feel that it would be a crossroads of something sweet and savory.

If your music had the power to do one impossible thing, what would it be, and how would it change the world? I would say world peace, whatever that means.

It would be either world peace or the ultimate destruction button. I don’t think world peace is achievable at this point, so really, I would just burn it all down and start over.

If you were to compose a song based on the last text message you received, what would the title be, and would it be a hit or a flop?

Okay, the last text I received says, “Apparently not that farfetched from K-Pop”. I feel like that would definitely be a hit song.