Blu DeTiger: “You have to let go, otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy”

How does Blu DeTiger feel when she listens to her debut album ‘All I Ever Want Is Everything’? “Sometimes I listen to it, and I’m like, this shit is so dope,” the rising pop hero admits with a laugh. “That sounds so dumb, but sometimes you step away from [a project], and then I’ll listen to it in a different context like I’ll be on a walk or I’ll be in an Uber and put my headphones on, and I’ll listen to some of the songs, and I’m like: ‘You know what? This came out really good.’ You need that space sometimes to recognise that.”

Due out later this week, the gutsy-but-dreamy record is crammed full of slinky earworms, New York bite and DeTiger’s signature virtuosic bass lines. Influenced by pop heroes like Robyn, alongside dance-dons (Daft Punk, Justice), all-time legends (ESG, Talking Heads) and cult music scenes like indie sleaze, these sonic worlds fuse together to create something distinctly Blu DeTiger.

‘All I Ever Want Is Everything’ explores DeTiger’s own life, particularly the life lived over the past few years that’s seen her go viral for her impressive bass covers on TikTok during the pandemic, play with Bleachers on SNL, appear in Olivia Rodrigo’s Driving Home 2 U (A Sour Film), and soar in her own musical career. She reflects: “Before the album title was ‘…Everything’, it was called ‘Self Talk’, meaning talking to yourself, out of bad moments or [during] good moments.”

Calling in from her apartment in LA – DeTiger currently splits her time between the city of angels and her home in New York – she adds: “A lot of the album is about that – it’s about growing up [over] the past few years and the transition of becoming an artist, what that means and how that feels, and the rollercoaster of emotions. I guess the through line [of the record] is figuring out how to deal with that and figuring out how to talk yourself out of the low moments and also enjoy the high moments. [It’s about] learning how to have fun and learning how to be satisfied with where you’re at.”

Ahead of its release, DeTiger talks to NME about creating the record, being inspired by Robyn, working with Uffie, and touring with Sabrina Carpenter.

Hey Blu. Your debut album ‘All I Ever Want Is Everything’ is out later this week. Did you feel any pressure making it?

“When I was writing it, I definitely did. I wrote so many songs for it, and that’s why it took so long, because it was a lot of back and forth, and I was touring so much in between. It was just a lot of overthinking about every song and trying to make everything perfect. And then there was a time where I was like: ‘Alright, this is it, I’m committing, these are the songs, let’s go. I’m gonna be making music for my whole life. We gotta start somewhere.’ At one point, you just have to let go; otherwise, you’ll drive yourself crazy.”

How did Daft Punk and Robyn inspire this record?

“[With] the vocal sound on [recent single] ‘Kiss’, we were really trying to aim for the Daft Punk-y, auto-tune robotic sound, so there’s a lot of that [on the record]. The production is insane, [and] the basslines. With Robyn, a lot of what I like about the record ‘Honey’ is the production has seven elements, and they’re all so perfectly dialled and crisp, and just fit perfectly and make the whole song feel really full, no matter what it is. I really tried to do that with this project, too. Every song, everything that’s in there has to be there for a reason. It has to be taking up some sort of space that’s necessary. [With] a lot of the songs, that was kind of like the motto.”

You’ve said on this record that you actively set out to use the voice as an instrument. How did you do that?

“For me, bass was my first instrument, and it’s one of the main ways I communicate my feelings through playing. I treat my vocals the same as [I would] another instrument. It’s not only about what you’re singing in the melody but the character of your voice and the way you’re saying it; and the delivery is really important and how you’re processing your vocal too. There are songs where I wanted to process it really compressed and really crisp, so it feels like it’s whispering in your ear. And then [with] some, [I added] a little bit more tuning on it, so it’s more robotic. It’s different production techniques to make the vocal feel like it’s added even more than just like the lyrics and the melody, like you’re getting another sense of feeling out of it from the way it’s being processed.”

Uffie co-wrote ‘Expensive Money’ and ‘Latency’ on the record. What was working with her like?

“Uffie is a legend. She’s just so dope and iconic. We wrote my song ‘Blondes’ together, which is a single I put out a while ago, and I’ve just always loved her writing. There [have been]so many times I’ve gone to sessions in LA, and it’s very songwriter-y. You can tell that a professional songwriter came in and was like: ‘Oh, this word, this thing makes perfect sense.’ Very to the T.

“What I like about writing with Uffie is everything she says sounds fucking cool, you know? And I love that because it’s sometimes not about what you’re saying, but it’s about the energy of what you’re saying and how it makes you feel. You can be saying the most random thing, and if it’s been delivered in the right way, it makes you feel empowered or confident.”

There’s a song called ‘Imposter Syndrome’ on the album. Tell us about writing it.

“I think at that time I had just signed my label deal, had just gone through the whole pandemic situation, where I was just, you know, waking up with a bunch of new fans every day, which was incredible, but a fast transition from being in this new space. I was trying to figure out how to be an artist. I mean, I was obviously – you are to the core – but more so being able to fit in the landscape [and wondering], ‘Where do I fit in in LA? Where do I fit in among these other artists that are my contemporaries?’ [There was] just a lot of feelings, and it’s like: ‘Oh, why did I get started and not someone else?’ Or, ‘Why is this happening to me and not someone else?’ There’s just so much stuff that goes in your head, and you just feel crazy sometimes.

“That song was also born of the transition from learning how to settle into myself and what’s the next wave of my whole life, which was like, post-pandemic, how am I going to navigate everything?”

In navigating that, did you have contemporaries or other artists you could turn to for advice?

The Chromeo guys – I’ve become really close with them. They’re like mentors almost. I talk to Dave [1] about all of that stuff. I think that’s also the difficult thing – I’m very much in my own lane or trying to make my own lane, which can be a little bit lonely sometimes. There’s no one I can really look up to who’s doing exactly what I’m doing, like female singer, producer and bass player in the pop sphere. There’s no one that’s exactly the same. I think [that’s] good, but it’s just a little bit tough to navigate something where you don’t really have someone directly to look up to. But I have a bunch of like friends in music that are obviously the homies.”

You recently toured with Sabrina Carpenter. What was that experience like?

“I love her so much. She’s so cool and very talented. I opened for her for a month in the US, and it was awesome. First of all, it was really inspiring to see her show because she’s so good and such a performer and good singer. And then the fans really inspired me on that tour, because she has such loyal and dedicated fans who love her and really love the music, and it’s just awesome to be around that. They were so welcoming – I would walk on stage, and even if they didn’t know who I was, they were so kind.

“Sometimes you’ll be in a situation where you’re opening, and people don’t care; they’re there to see the headliner, of course, and this situation was the opposite. They were so nice and so kind and really welcoming and listened to the music. It was just really good energy – they love to be there, and they love music, and they’re waiting weeks and months to be there and get dressed up and line up at 9am. That’s just the dopest type of music fan to me. That’s just such a special experience and community that she’s built.”

How do you envision this album translating to the live stage?

“I’m so excited. I love musical direction, too. I’m such a nerd with everything, I already have an order for the set. I love making the whole show a real experience from start to finish. People are paying to be there; I want them to experience something new and feel connected to the music and feel connected to me and all that stuff. I think it’s just gonna be banger after banger. There’ll be some intimate moments and some crowd participation. I just like hitting all the marks and want it to feel like a real show.”

When fans hear this album, how do you want them to feel?

“With all my music and this album, I want them to feel like wherever they’re at in life, whatever they’re feeling, it’s OK. That’s one thing. Then I think [I want them] to be empowered, inspired, confident, and in touch with themselves. I think that’s what I’m just trying to get out with this project.”

Blu DeTiger’s ‘All I Ever Want Is Everything’ is out on March 29 via Capitol Records

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