With Stage Girl, Eli doesn’t tiptoe into the spotlight – it’s the kind of debut that feels less like an introduction and more like a grand entrance. The album shimmers with personality, stitching together pop sensibilities with the warmth of R&B and the theatricality of rock opera, taking us back to the early 2000s while still feeling incredibly current.
Whether she’s manifesting an opener slot on Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour, grabbing the attention of Doechii and Zara Larsson, or starting “unnecessary beef” with Chappell Roan, Eli brings a rare mix of chaos and clarity that tells her audience she knows exactly who she is – she’s having fun and she’s breaking barriers.
Beneath the humour and internet lore sits an artist who’s deeply intentional. In an exclusive interview with Gay Times, Eli opens up about making music for her younger self, her shape-shifting writing process, and the part she’s playing in building a world where queer kids can exist “joyously and peacefully”.
Huge congrats on Stage Girl, we love it! How does it feel for the album to finally be out there?
It feels like that moment you’re hunched over your laptop and you just found the perfect splice loop after finishing your two morning Dunkin’ coffees, one medium pumpkin shaken espresso with oat and one iced almond latte with two pumps of butter pecan, then times it by 10, one for each track.
If you had to sum it up, which three words would you use to describe this record?
Glitter sequined ballgown.
These days, artists aren’t confined to one genre. Stage Girl blends pop and R&B, feels nostalgic, yet unmistakably Eli. Who or what inspired you to create an album like this?
It also blends folk, adult contemporary, techno house, noise music, and avant-garde post-internet rock opera. I just think the mixer muted those stems. I think I’m excited by the fantasy of making sounds that can touch a person with pretentious taste and a person with an appetite for strictly fast food — everything burgers. That’s the beauty of an artist pop project: there’s depth, intentionality, and brain rot, bacon egg and cheese!
The internet claims there was no Song of the Summer this year, but ‘Girl of Your Dreams’ and ‘Marianne’ went viral on TikTok and gained recognition from the likes of Troye Sivan, Zara Larsson and Doechii (not to mention being in my Spotify On Repeat playlist since their release). Which artist were you most excited to hear from, and how does it feel to see your music connect with such a wide audience?
Please don’t make me pick my favourite child. I can tell you my least fave was Troye. She left me on read when I followed up about a verse for ‘Like a Girl’.
Speaking of ‘Girl of Your Dreams’, the lyric “for a man who’s such a child, you don’t know how to play with dolls” is one of my favourites of the year. Can you walk us through your writing process, and is there a lyric on the album that you’re particularly proud of?
That might be my favourite line from the project, but I’m also really satisfied with “Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da” or “you should be his baby not his babysitter.” My writing process is ever-changing. I like to allow myself the ability to approach a song differently every day — duh moment. But I think my best songs on the album started with me getting on the mic immediately and freestyling melodies a couple times, and then feeling my way towards the narrative or the story while keeping in mind the overarching one, which was already pretty crystallized inside of me. Wow, I miss her.
Is there an artist you’d love to collaborate with – on a remix or future track?
Zara Larsson would be a dream come true. I spent many nights in the midnight sun praying to become a part of her symphony. If I’m being so frank, off the record, I have a crush on her.
As an artist, you’ve mastered the art of TikTok promo, recently starting “unnecessary” beef with Taylor Swift that racked up hundreds of thousands of views. Are there any other artists you’d like to start beef with? The floor is yours…
Chappell. Who is more queer? And answer quickly.
You’ve mentioned that Stage Girl was made for the younger version of Eli who was obsessed with the pop artists of the early 2000s. As a trans woman making art in what feels like an increasingly hostile world, what do you hope the young queer people who connect with your music will take away from seeing you succeed?
I’m not trans, but I’m happy to answer this question as if I was. Truly, I hope they’re invigorated and excited, and I hope I’m a small example in a sea of beautiful examples of people existing joyously and peacefully in times where the deceptive smokes of the ruling class ask you to be afraid or think you can’t show up in your day-to-day life as you. As far as I can tell, there will always be violence in this world, but there is a source of energy of joy, humour, and sincerity that beams so much stronger than that within me, and it feels universal. In other words, it is possible for all queer kids to access that space of existence amongst the small-minded people at school, the lame teachers who judge and who don’t know what fun is, and internet trolls who take their struggles out on the divine.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with you or your music yet, what do you want them to know? Why should Eli be their new favourite artist?
Well, I love music to death, it’s my life source, and it probably will kill me too. I’d like to think you can hear that honesty in Stage Girl. Also, I’m not a major capitalist or a person with any sort of ignorant ambition towards luxury and billionaire status. My music is an opportunity to find community. Instead of standing on the VMA stage and making a bottomless statement like ‘I’m nothing without my fans,’ I truly am nothing without my community and the individual stars who resonate with my songs. So the minute this small business of mine starts seeing any kind of extra revenue, or rather the minute I’m making more than ends meet with my music career, any and all sorts of financial wealth would be poured back into the community that built me, redistributed amongst ourselves, and extended beyond the community to anyone living paycheck to paycheck in a time where billionaires sit in bunkers built by the people they exploit.
Finally, what’s next for you? What are you manifesting right now?
I have four months, 27 days, three hours until Ariana Grande starts her eternal sunshine tour. I’ve been trying every angle — ranting on Apple Music radio, sneakily bringing it up to Zane Lowe, even partying in the hills with Frankie [Grande]. The concept of Demi Lovato commenting on my Instagram photo dump yesterday, which included a screenshot of a Twitter post I made calling out her manager (who is also Ariana’s manager), to put in a good word for me as an opener. Ariana is obviously my everything, but I know that world tours like these are unsustainable for humans, and something tells me she’s gonna be on Broadway soon, so I’d really love for her to open the floodgates for the next generation — specifically a member of the transgender community. Yes, I pulled that card.
Stage Girl is out now.
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