- I always write my albums-- Sort of like,
how I put them together of
how would I like a live show to be.
I don't want only like, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"
And I also don't wanna cry throughout the whole thing.
- That's my entire show. That's just like,
that's just me in a (beep) nutshell.
- That is true to you though, like I love---
- Yeah, no, of course. I'm like,
I'm not offended by that at all.
I think that's literally me. I take full ownership
of that. Like, if you are not crying at my show,
then you're at the wrong (beep) show.
(laughing)
- [Julia] Miss Zara, do you wanna talk about
how we came up with "Love Me Land?"
Wasn't this our last session before like, (beep) hit the fan?
- It was the last session before everything shut down completely.
completely. - That's what I thought, yeah.
- I always think like, I know the universe does not revolve around me,
but it was like, the universe was like, "You're done."
- "You've got it."
(laughing)
- We're out, let's go.
- Right, right. But that's how it felt.
I remember walking away from the studio
after we wrote it and I was just like, "Wow!"
It was one of those sessions, I feel like, where
it was very smooth, very pain-free.
All of the sessions with you and Justin are very much like that.
Everybody knows who you are,
but talk to me a bit more about Justin.
Like, who is Justin? How did you guys meet?
Why do you think you guys collaborate so well?
- So, I met Justin almost six years ago.
I had been working with sort of like, the same people,
and I just wanted to switch it up
and I wanted to try something new.
And he was one of my first sessions that week
and we just, I don't know. I think because we're so different,
it works so well. - Yeah.
- I like to say that like, apart we're good,
but together we're great.
- Aw, that's so sweet.
- I don't know, we figured out a way
to just, sort of finish each other's sentences.
Actually how it started was,
I think I did the chorus of "Love Me Land."
So, I did "Love Me Land"
and then Justin--- Tell 'em girl.
(laughing)
- Justin did the, (singing) "How dare you?"
He was the one that started that verse.
- Right. - And then
we were like, "Holy (beep), that's really (beep) cool."
- The "How dare you?" Yeah.
- And then I was like,"OK, how do we do like,
a sort of like, an anti-chorus but make
it sound really like, anthemic and like, epic."
- Well, it works so good.
You guys are like a dream, match made in heaven.
- And, you know,
we don't have egos. We're not the kind of--
- Yeah. That's what I thought.
- Best, you know like, best idea wins.
You know, we're not like, fighting each other in the studio.
We want the best song, and we wanna work with the best people,
and you know, to just be fun and feel good, you know?
At the end of the day,
that's the whole point of our job. - 100 percent.
When did you start writing?
- I started professionally writing
around 16, 17. So, about 10 years now.
- Wow!
- I've been at the grind, girl! I've been grinding!
You've been holding that pen.
(laughing)
- That's so-- It's insane though because it feels like,
to me working with you, that, of course
you're a brilliant artist as well,
but you really started off writing.
When did you realize like, "I can really do this.
"I'm really good at it and it's kind of effortless?"
- I wouldn't say it's effortless.
I think it depends on the room and who you're with, you know.
- Yeah.
- Some days feel like a struggle
and you're like, "Just get me the (beep) out of here.
"I don't want to be here."
(laughing)
- But other days, youknow, it's like, you know,
we go in the studio, we have a good time,
we, you know, talk about all the things going on in our lives,
and we make "Love Me Land."
[Julia] I had no idea you could dance like that.
I was like, wowed.
Was that your original concept for the video?
- I've always wanted to do a video where it's just me like,
by myself, no background dancers, no distractions basically.
And I just wanted to dance.
Because, like you say, like, if you heard my music,
you know I like to sing.
- Yeah, of course.
- I like to write. But not that many people know
that I love to dance.
And to me, like, it's such a big part of my artistry
and what I do live. I don't like, crawl on the floor
when I perform live.
(laughing)
But, I want a little something.
I want a little something of that in my shows.
I just thought it was a really cool idea
because the song is so sexy and powerful.
So, I was like, I don't know if I want like, a guy to be like--
(laughing) You know what I mean?
- It's not necessary. And it's still very sexy.
I mean, the song is basically about
your attraction for someone else.
So, we wanted to keep that in and also just let
my, kind of, body like, tell the story of the song.
'Cause there's a lot of shots where I don't sing
Like, I just dance.
- Yeah.
- And let my movements express the song.
- Do the talking.
- And then, it just turned out to be a great concept
for like, the times we're in, too.
- Absolutely. - 'Cause it's very corona-friendly.
It's just me. It was directed by Viivi Huuska,
who's an amazing director from Finland.
And I really wanted to work with her,
and I was just devastated when I was told
that she can't come over because of the traveling ban.
And I was just like, "No!"
And then we said, "Let's just do it like this."
Like, on a live link.
And it was so good. Like, we did it.
And I'm really happy about it
because I felt like I did have something to prove.
- Yeah, you did. - And I was like,
"Hey!"
(laughing) - Yeah you did.
I remember when Joey sent me the video.
- Uh-huh.
- He sent it to me and Justin on a group text.
- Yeah.
- And I-- It was like, early in the morning.
It was like, I don't know, 8 AM or something.
I'm still in bed and I watched that thing like, 15 times.
(laughing)
- I was like, "Damn, Zara!" Like, it's so powerful.
Just, you know, you're right, just you by yourself,
not needing anybody.
And I think it's just such
a cool and powerful statement,
you know? It's like, "Here I am. I can dance my ass off.
"I am supposed to (beep) be here.
"I am (beep) iconic." - Right.
(laughing)
- It was beautiful. It's awesome.
- Thank you.
- This is the first song from your album, right?
- Yeah.
- When you haven't put out something
and you put out something, you have to make a statement.
And that like, for sure, 100 percent, hands down was a statement.
- Yeah.
- I like, applaud you and your whole team for that.
So, you're putting out your third album.
That's incredible. What's the overall theme
and how is it different from previous albums?
- The red-thread when it comes to the topics is,
I would say love.
Ta-da. Yeah. Surprise. (laughing)
- What it's usually about.
But, it's just such a universal feeling
and it's the best feeling in the world.
When I write songs for some reason,
I always tend to write about like,
being very attracted-- Basically like, "Are you down to (beep)?"
- Yeah.
(laughing)
- Like, that's what my songs are about if I like, write 'em.
But, it's just so many layers to love.
And it's so relatable.
How would I say I've grown from my last album?
I have just grown up a bit, like I'm not a teenager anymore.
I'm a young woman.
And, you know, I think I was like 15, 16
when I released a song called like, "She's Not Me."
And it was all about like, this girl stealing my boyfriend
and I was like, (singing) "She is not--" Like, I couldn't relate to that
because I have never experienced it.
And then, boom, it happened, you know?
And I've just been through stuff,
and now I feel like I can say with my chest.
Like, I can back it up.
And I can just be honest with it in a different way.
It's really hard watching yourself like, grow up
in the mirror. You don't see yourself like, getting taller.
And I feel like it's the same when you write an album
'cause it's ultimately your little baby.
And then I might be able to look back at it
in a few years and be like,
"Oh, like, it's very clear how this is different from that."
It's very pop-y, which I think is super fun.
I didn't really plan on it to be that way, 'cause
I love pop--
- Yeah.
But, I'm also like,
I like to dip my toe a bit in the R&B pool.
Just a little like--
(laughing)
- But, it's very fun and I think if you like
my previous album, you will probably
be into this one, as well.
I have read online
that, you know, you're working on 'Inner Monologue Part 3.'
- Mhm.
- Is that so? Is that true?
(laughing)
- Do you have any other plans?
- No, I'm doing a full album now.
Last year I was gonna do like,an 'Inner Monologue Part 3'
to complete, sort of, all of the 'IMs'
and just make an album. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But, you know, I think the reason why you and I clicked so well,
so fast is because we are both in love.
We are both feeling the same sort of feelings.
So it was easy for us to like, conjure those emotions.
And we were doing it right at the same time,
like falling in love with people
right at the same time. - Yup.
- Things were very newand fresh for both of us.
- Yeah, absolutely.
So, I have a lot of those new feelings that I'm--
- Yeah.
- That I'm feeling, and this is my first time
really talking about love.
- Yeah.
- I mean, when I wrote that I was cynical,
I was bitter about love, I'd been (beep) over
by lots of people, and I was like, "Screw this,
I don't give a (beep) about nobody."
And then you fall in love and it changes
your perception of love, and it changes-- - Right.
- You know, just your whole chemistry and your makeup.
And I just-- I wanna make an album talking about,
you know, all kinds of things. And, you know,
coming back from that kind of love, and figuring out
this kind of love, and being in this kinda love, and--
- That's so nice, how true you are to your feelings
and like, what you're going through in the moment.
You wouldn't say like, you're a person who just like,
"Oh, let me say this story. Like, it's not really how I feel
but it's a good song. Let me put it on the album."
- No, no. I wish I could be that person sometimes.
(laughing)
I would get out of my way. - Why?
- You know?
But yeah, I'm working on it now.
I think we're gonna put out a song sometime
soon-ish. - I can't wait.
- And yeah, I'm excited. - I'm very excited to hear it,
I'm excited to hear happy Julia, OK.
(laughing)
- Yeah, it's so weird. I don't know.
I don't understand this person yet, but we'll get there.
(laughing)
- Amazing.
- 'Inner Monologue' is alwaysgonna be a part of me.
- It will always be thething that I feel, you know,
super attached to when I sing at my shows
because I know that my fans are attached
to those songs. You know, it's like--
- I get goosebumps when you talk, I don't know why.
It's just really beautiful to hear.
- But yeah, I'm excited for this new chapter.
It'll always be a part of me, I think.