Pop-rock singer Baby Queen has opened up about what she’s learned from her mentor, rock star Courtney Love, as she releases her new album, I Hope You Don’t Remember Me.
The South African-born British artist, real name Arabella Latham, wrote her latest project while going through the end of a relationship, as well as feeling dejected about the music industry as her label deal came to an end.
Appearing on The Independent’s Good Vibrations podcast with music editor Roisin O’Connor, Lathum said she and Love had spent time watching historic performances by formidable artists like Karen Carpenter, Patti Smith and Stevie Nicks, which inspired her.
Reflecting on Love’s impact on her life, Lathum said the Hole frontwoman had told her record labels “are not your daddy, so f*** them”. It was this advice that spurred her into creating her most honest music to date, after parting ways with her label Polydor and signing a new deal with Insanity Records, under Sony Music.
She and Love, 62, became acquainted after the “Celebrity Skin” singer messaged her on Instagram. They have since become close friends, with Love even making Lathum blueberry pancakes at her home in London after the younger star was going through a difficult breakup.
Lathum first rose to prominence with her mixtape The Yearbook in 2021, which delved into her experiences of transitioning into adulthood. The single “Raw Thoughts” gained particular attention after featuring in the hit teen drama Heartstopper.
She explained that a number of songs on the new album were influenced by the fallout from a difficult relationship, and how she had learned a lot about herself in that time. Her biggest realisation, though, was that “fear and love are very intertwined” and “when I feel one, I feel the other thing”.
“It is really important to me for a song to have a purpose,” she said. “I really struggle when I don’t know what a song is saying.”
Elsewhere during the wide-ranging conversation, Lathum and O’Connor discussed the perils of modern dating, Lathum’s experiences on the celebrity dating app Raya, parties in LA, and their issue with rom-coms.
Baby Queen’s new album, I Hope You Don’t Remember Me, is out now. You can listen to her Good Vibrations episode on all major streaming platforms.
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