HEY YOU! RANDY BETH
We had a chat with NYC queer pop artist Randy Beth about the release of her latest track, ‘classy’.
You describe the song as a love letter to yourself. Did writing it change the way you viewed the experience, or was it more about documenting where you already were emotionally?
I think it did change the way I viewed the experience a bit. I think there was a lot of shame I had carried that started to feel lighter after sharing this story. That’s what I love about making art, it sets me free.
Your music consistently centres queer stories. You’ve said you’re making the music you wished you’d had growing up—what did you feel was missing from queer representation in pop music when you were younger?
When I was younger I never really had access to queer stories. The first time I remember seeing two women kiss in the media was actually on an episode of Degrassi when I was maybe 14 / 15 years old. At the time I didn’t have a full understanding of what that moment truly meant for me. Witnessing how many pop artists we have now who are openly queer really holds that younger version of me in ways I could never fully express. I’m honored to be part of that.
Hi Randy, how are you today and what's it been like since the release of 'classy' ?
Hi! I’m doing great today, thank you for asking. The response to releasing “classy” has truly blown me away. I’m so glad that people enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed creating it. The entire process was dreamy and I’m just so delighted to see how many people it has reached.
‘classy’ explores betrayal, shame and rebuilding your sense of self. At what point did you realise this experience had become something you needed to write about, rather than simply move on from?
This is a great question! I sat with the experience for a long time before writing about it. The day I wrote it, I didn’t really contemplate or question it, it happened so naturally, and I felt really safe and confident in what I wanted to say and knew it was time to really lean into the complicated emotions the story evoked. I knew that so many people would identify with the core themes of what I was writing.
Many listeners will connect with ‘classy’ through experiences of heartbreak, regardless of their identity. How do you balance writing from a specifically queer perspective while creating songs that feel universally relatable?
Since the moment I started making music it was very important to me to be very vocal about my queerness. I’m writing from my personal experiences but the core themes I write about are incredibly universal!
What's next for you?
I’m making lots more music for you and I can’t wait to share it all! I hope you will continue to follow along. This is just the beginning.
