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Lizette Lizette is a bright young thing from Stockholm now making moves in London’s East End. I caught up with her in her adopted home of Stoke Newington to talk eurodance, drag, and (obviously) Rihanna.
Vada: Why did you leave Stockholm?
Lizette Lizette: After a while, I just got to this point where I realised that it wasn’t working for me. I had my clique of friends in Stockholm who are into weird stuff and 90s style. But the other ones – they don’t get it, they think we’re crazy. What’s the point just DJ’ing for a group of friends? No one hardly gets interested. I thought that it’s never going to work. Why waste time? So I went, instead.
How are you finding London?
I moved here two months ago. I’m starting to feel at home now. At first it was difficult. I didn’t find anything. It was really hard to locate myself. But I had some friends who were already living here, and some friends who moved at the same time from other cities like Paris. Now I like this area. I feel newly woken up.
You’re very ’90s’.
I’ve always been very nostalgic. When I was a teenager, I loved the 80s. My style has progressed slowly. When I was fourteen I was very into the New Romantic style. Then I became more Madonna mid-80s style and then I started to get interested in the late-80s, and that faded into early techno music, eurodance. That’s when it began – in 2008.
Can I ask some generic what’s-your-favourite questions?
Yeah.
Favourite animal?
Raven. I think they are so elegant. I always wanted to have a raven as a pet but I don’t know how to get one.
Book?
Biographies. I read the Madonna biography by her brother. Astrology books. I don’t have it on paper but I’m pretty sure that I have dyslexia. In Sweden our schools are very good at adapting the classes to children’s needs. If you have ADHD, or dyslexia, they are really good at giving the help you need. I didn’t think about it until a few years ago. I just thought that I wasn’t good at reading.
Cute. You’ve got a drag performance at your show tonight. Have LGBTQ issues influenced your intentions as an artist?
I wish I was a drag queen. When I was younger I used to dress up as drag queens. At the Pride Parade in Stockholm, I always dress up as a drag queen. I consider myself to be queer because I don’t like this labelling of genders. In Sweden, we recently had this debate about bringing in a third gender that you call ‘hen’ – because you can say ‘han’ [he] and ‘hon’ [she]. Big serious papers in Sweden started to use the word ‘hen’ instead. I really like that. I want to talk about that stuff. I have two important things I want to talk about as an artist: queer questions and spiritual questions.
What are your spiritual questions?
I’ve always been very into the occult. When I was ten I started to read a lot about astrology. My uncle is very into new age things. He knows a lot about different conspiracy theories. I’ve been researching. I like the Illuminati. I haven’t decided yet if I believe it or not as it still hasn’t been proven. Marilyn Manson would be in the Illuminati if the Illuminati exists!
Are you missing Sweden?
I love Sweden and I really miss Sweden but I feel misunderstood in Sweden. I had to leave. I’d like to get established here in London because I feel this is the right place for my music and my image. But then I’d like to have different homes. I’d like to live in Sweden and the UK. While I’m out promoting myself and playing live, it’s very good to be in the UK and in London. But if I need to work on an album, I’d go back to Sweden – it’s a very good place to be calm.
You’ve got such a striking look. Did Rihanna ripping-off the web art trend annoy you? The Azealia Banks ‘Fantasea’ video?
I think I saw it on Facebook or something. Do people think that Azealia Banks did it first and then Rihanna copied her?
Sort of.
They don’t have their own fantasy. I think it’s quite annoying that artists hire stylists who search for the new trends and take it home, like, ‘This is the trendy thing right now.’ They don’t have their own creativity. Christina Aguilera or JLo, they don’t even know what’s hip any more. And Rihanna seems like the kind of artist who’s too tired to even care.
Deffo. Let’s not even mention the whole Chris Brown thing.
I don’t think that’s a good example to other women in abusive relationships. She’s got back with him and done a song with him and then he’s got a tattoo of her beaten-up face! It’s bizarre! I think if she really loves him and needs to be with him, they could be together – but why do a song about it? Why do promotional stuff around it? And why did he tattoo her face? Bizarre. The fact that they are back together again – that’s her personal choice. The publicity of it, that’s the bad example.
What do you have coming up for Lizette Lizette?
Releasing the EP. Probably in February. Usually I am the kind of person who wants to do everything by myself. I really need to learn that I need to ask for help to get help.
Shows?
Not yet. But I’m working on it!
Later that day I went to her showcase at The Waiting Room, Stoke Newington. It was loud, lively and very ‘of the moment’ – you can read my full review of the show on Vada soon.
