Empress Of Has Never Been More Sure of Herself

In the age of situationships, ghosting, attachment types, and hard boundaries, writing a love song has never been so complicated. For Lorely Rodriguez—who has spent her musical career as Empress Of writing alt pop that catchily encompasses modern romance’s intricacies—now’s the time to use songs as manifestation tools for something better.

For a decade, Empress Of has been releasing coolly affecting masterworks in pop and experimental R&B, claiming a “your favorites’ favorite” status, remaining under the radar while helping shape the spirit and genre agnosticism of future-leaning pop music.

Her first three albums are self-investigative and introspective, shored up from the ruins of failed relationships and heartache, which often led her to new revelations about herself. They’ve been a go-to for fans (particularly during breakups), who turn to them when they need to heal alongside her.

Now, Empress Of is done with heartache and the necessary lessons it has entailed. She is a low-key pop star, dancing past her pain and leaning into a lighter side of her personality. The new single “Femenine,” a taste of her upcoming career-best album, is a house banger that mirrors exactly where she’s at—empowered, embodied, wholly self-realized—while manifesting exactly what she wants in a partner: subservience. “I just find it hot,” she tells Harper’s Bazaar.

Below, we speak with Rodriguez about the inspiration behind “Femenine” (out today, December 1), her radical shift in dynamic, and why Nicki Minaj is “mother.”

Let’s go back three years, when you ended your last album (2020’s I’m Your Empress Of) on what sounded like an epiphany: “I get off on being awful to myself.” Was that a revelation that moved you forward to a new level of self-awareness? And how has that affected your music now, if so?

Yeah. As an artist, every day I want growth. I want to explore who I am more as a person, which is so indulgent—and, you know, making music about my life is indulgent, I realize that. But I also realize that other people have the same experiences as me. So, even that line, I had sent it to a friend, and she was very touched by me just coming out with that statement, like, Yeah, I’m toxic. But now, this record [“Femenine”] is playful in a way I haven’t been before. It’s sexy.

For most of your career you’ve been something of a “breakup artist,” making songs out of the pain of heartache. “Femenine” seems to represent a new dynamic, where you’re not so much indulging in your pain as using it as an opportunity to embolden yourself.

Definitely. I had a year of just, like, getting out of a relationship and then dating around L.A. for the first time. Before, I’d been in and out of relationships and touring a lot. I have to be thankful for those experiences as well, because I learned a lot about myself.

How is the dating scene today changing how you approach songwriting?

I think it’s hard for anyone in this day and age, with the birth of situationships and online dating. And I see so much stuff on TikTok about how hard it is. We’re in this generation where we really want to learn about ourselves, more so than our parents, and talk about ourselves in a way that’s emotionally intelligent. At the same time, there’s so much emotional unavailability. I feel like that all comes out in the music.

What was the creative spark behind “Femenine”?

I was in Miami working with some producers and songwriters I love. I had already written a bunch of music and I knew I wanted to make a song I could dance to. I was going a lot to Space, a well-known dance club in Miami. So, I wanted to re-create the energy I was feeling. I was in the studio with my friends, and we were just chatting and gossiping; that’s kind of what we do when we get into the room together. Then we think of themes. They were asking, “Well, what kind of guy do you want?” And we just started imagining this guy, hoping he’d come around.

That sounds like literally manifesting your dream guy.

I know, I know. I’ve played this song for friends and they said the same. Or they’re like, “I want this guy.” Straight, queer, whoever—they’re like, “Oh, okay, I want a ‘femenine’ too.” It’s me talking about a very specific type of guy. I’m trying to manifest someone who’s more feminine. I want to reverse roles, and I want to be dominant. I want you to strut for me, catwalk for me. I want you to cook for me. I think that’s hot. Modern love is interesting, and there are always new ways to express that through music.

How does “Femenine” fit into the overarching themes of your upcoming album?

I’m trying to choose my words … but there’s a lot of energy on the record that feels very sensual. This is definitely the most dance/house-esque song on the record. It’s full of sexy, immediate energy.

When you write songs about someone in particular—or in this case, the dream guy you’re trying to manifest—do you imagine them listening to it?

No. When I write songs, I write them for myself. But there is also the thing where I write the song because the person couldn’t listen to me when I was talking to them. I mean, I have had songs written about me, and it’s kind of a crazy feeling, you know? You almost don’t know what to say. It’s very vulnerable. It’s like, Okay, a bunch of people are going to hear this and feel the way you felt about me.

If this song were a tarot card, which one would it be?

I mean, it’s always the Empress, you know? [Laughs.] I’m sorry—I’m laughing so much about the Empress because the Empress card is like fertility. And I was just thinking about mothering and how everyone’s now “mother.”

In terms of musicians, who’s “mother” to you?

There are so many mothers. But Kylie Minogue is definitely mother. Nicki Minaj: mother. To be clichéd, they literally birthed a generation of music lovers.

Finally, was there anything you learned about yourself during the creation of this record that you’ll take forward with you?

No, I think it’s all there. I’ve had self-discovery moments in my music before, but now I’m very confident about this version of myself. At this point, it’s just presenting it in a way for other people. I’m trying to communicate the thoughts in my head, you know? And making music or making art is just like making something appear out of thin air. I wrote this tweet where I was like: It’s so crazy that I open my mouth and music comes out. I don’t know why; I wasn’t stoned, like, high or anything like that. I was just on a hike, singing to myself. And so, at this point in my life, I feel very certain about who I am. And who I am is using this vessel, my voice.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.