Photographer Myles Loftin
Art Direction and Cover Design Jack Rowe
Stylist Sam Knoll
Stylist Assistant Jamisha Rosado 
Makeup Artist Alicia Martinez using Charlotte Tilbury
Hair Stylist Davey Matthew at The Only Agency
Production Megan Wallace
Studio Industria Superstudio
Photography Assistant Andrew Espinal
With thanks to Louis D’Adamio

As 33F7, a fashion-forward “fembot” of the cosmic variety, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is putting an intergalactic spin on pop. In September, the Pose icon released her debut album 33, a 90s-influenced collection of R&B, house and pop bops exploring themes such as self-discovery, resilience and empowerment via her alter-ego. From tackling body autonomy in ‘I Am’ to persecution and alienation in ‘Why’, 33 is the album that Michaela Jaé was destined to make – and one that cements her status as an up-and-coming sonic (and visual) force in the pop industry.

“[33] was to reflect my own journey, but also for anyone of the queer diaspora, or who is “different”,” she tells GAY TIMES. “At some point, you realise that you’re not the problem. You simply are.”

In addition to her multiversal shenanigans with 33F7, Michaela Jaé is continuing to diversify her filmography with comedic (Loot), horror (American Horror Story), thriller (Skincare) and musical roles (Tick, Tick… Boom!). Hell, she even delved into the world of animation as a – lemme get this right – “Terrorcon ninja” in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (From Blanca Evaneglista to Terracon ninja… iconic, c’mon.)

As the first trans actress to win a Golden Globe for her trailblazing role on Pose, Michaela Jaé is determined to keep “challenging the status quo” so fellow trans artists can follow in her footsteps. “There are a lot of stereotypes and tropes [about trans actors] that people believe,” she says. “It dampens the work that we, as trans women, have done for a long time. I like to see myself as the girl who is trying to create positive narratives around trans women and men, trans people alike, that queer people can have regular lives.”

In her GAY TIMES cover story, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez discusses the cathartic process of creating her debut album, playing a rotten “witch bitch” on American Horror Story: Delicate and why she “lived for the drama” on Pose.

Michaela Jaé, this album is truly stunning. Why was a fierce humanoid woman navigating an alien plant the right aesthetic for your debut?

It was to reflect my own journey, but also for anyone of the queer diaspora, or who is “different”. I wanted her to be a fembot, so she had to be extremely feminine. But, I also wanted people to know that, whether she’s feminine or masculine, she is still a robot so there’s nothing she can relate to on the plane of human life, at all. I’m so happy that a lot of my fans understood, ‘This is what different feels like, this is something that’s not reachable just yet.’ I mean, we do have robots coming into the world, know what I mean? I thought she was a great piece of the future that could be given to the world, sonically, and I wanted to touch upon many aspects of the past, present and future of pop. I wanted to incorporate the pop that I knew of, that my mother would consider “new age”, but some of the new generations would maybe consider old. I wanted all of that to be encompassed in this cloned character, and I wanted it to relay the message that we need to go from the past to the present to understand the future.

Is the robot still called Michaela Jaé? Or does she have a different name?

Her name is Michaela Jaé but in an alternate universe. So, we are the same person but not at the same time, if that makes sense!

Okay then, so what does it look like if Michaela Jaé meets Robot Michaela Jaé?

It’s very daunting and scary because the Michaela Jaé you’re talking to now is very present. She’s happy and jovial, even in the midst of turmoil in the world. She still chooses to be strong, have tenacity and grit and be disruptive by existing. Whereas Michaela Jaé 33F7 is in a world that is dystopian, broken and still quite technological, but holds some crazy morals. So, her world is a bit more dark and grim, but she’s like the vigilante superhero. We’re still the same person and we have the same morals. It’s just that we have totally different personality traits and birthplaces. She’s birthed in a lab, and my physical essence is the human experience.

How did the entire process of creating this album, from the singing to songwriting and the aesthetic element, fulfil you? What kind of impact did it have on you?

It had a huge impact on me. So much that I actually had a bit of a break because, when you step your foot into new territory, you don’t know what’s to come. Music is a very unpredictable world and you have to roll with the punches. Clearly, I’m willing and able and qualified. I went to school for it and learned the ins-and-outs. But, even when you learn the ins-and-outs, you’re still a newcomer when you delve into the space. That’s what I’ve learned and what inspired me to keep going, to get music and lyrics out there for people to resonate with. I always want people to be curious when they listen to my music, too, and I don’t want them to ever be stationary. Though I knew what was to come in the music industry, I still had the knowledge to work with some of my colleagues who were producers and writers. No matter queer or hetero, they know that this album had a message. All artists have a message. That’s why we write. That’s why we put it out.