“Stop optimizing for ‘engagement,’” she says firmly. “I see kids changing their album covers because the contrast ratio wasn’t right for the algorithm. Don’t do that. Your art isn’t a thumbnail. Make something that makes you cry in the car first. Worry about the playlist later.”
“Honestly? I was bored during a graveyard shift at a 24-hour diner,” she admits. “I recorded ‘Sweatpants in the Rain’ on GarageBand using a headset mic from 2012. I uploaded it as a joke. Now it has 4 million streams.” rina ellis interview
“Those genres are just boxes the internet built to sell playlists,” she says. “I grew up listening to Fiona Apple and Paramore just as much as I listened to 100 gecs. I want my music to feel like a fever dream, sure, but I also want it to break your heart.” “Stop optimizing for ‘engagement,’” she says firmly
"LUCID LOSS" drops October 27th. If the singles are any indication, Rina Ellis isn't just an interview subject. She’s the future of what pop music sounds like when it finally stops caring about the rules. Your art isn’t a thumbnail
“Rina is a character, sure,” she explains, tracing the rim of her cup. “But she’s also the parts of me I’m too scared to say in public. The anger, the lust, the pettiness. I put a distortion pedal on my voice so I can finally say, ‘Yes, you did hurt me, and I’m not okay with it.’”