It Girl Towa Bird on Chappell Roan, Partying with Reneé Rapp, and Being a “Lesbian Monster” for NYLON Magazine

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Today, NYLON published a new interview with musician Towa Bird fresh off of the release of her album “American Hero.”
In the wide-ranging and candid interview, NYLON’s latest It Girl reflects on everything from meeting (and fangirling over) the cast of THE L WORD at Coachella, to partying on tour with Reneé Rapp, and being a queer person in the public eye.

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On the impact of Chappell Roan: “I’m already a lesbian monster…so if I had Chappell to look up to when I was 14? I would’ve been an absolute menace!”

On fan’s obsession with her relationship with Reneé Rapp: “I’m obsessed with her, too — repeat!… It was really lovely that she shared her stage with me. That was a f*cking rock star tour… We were just partying after every show. It’s so unsustainable, it’s terrible form from everyone, but it was so much fun.”

On meeting the cast of The L Word at Reneé Rapp’s Coachella performance: “I was immediately flushed in the face, tripping over my words, feeling sweaty in my palms…I regressed to that 12-year-old version of myself that was closing my bedroom door and hoping that no one would hear the sex scenes coming from my laptop.”

On coming out at a young age: “When I was 12, I wrote in my journal, ‘I am gay’ or ‘I’m not straight’ or something. I came out to my best friend at 13. I was definitely spreading the agenda quite young…  I’m also Filipino, and we’re deeply religious as a culture. That also means that coming out was a conversation. It wasn’t as easy as some of my other friends, and that’s OK.”

On being an unapologetically queer artist: “I can’t not be myself, or else what the f*ck? I would be absolutely miserable. I would be just self-sabotaging if I just wasn’t completely honest… It feels really great to be a part of something much larger…I’m doing my thing, I’m building my project, but also I’m part of a cohort of people that represent something that is beyond me, and that’s really wonderful. I wish I was a kid [now] because I didn’t really have any musician icons where I looked at them and was like, ‘Yeah, this is someone that looks like me.’”

On understanding online speculation on her life: “Everyone [wanting to know] about my business, I understand. We’re living in what feels like the first couple of years where there are actually lesbians, queer women, who are out and on the radio [at the same time]… I understand why people are wanting to bite. When you’re doing the first of something, people are curious… I would want to know too.”

[Photo Credit: Amber Asaly for Nylon Magazine]

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