Over the past couple months, Model/Actriz have previewed their unsettling new album Pirouette with “Cinderella” and "Doves." Today, the band is back with the nightmarish dating anthem "Diva."
“The writing on Pirouette as a whole feels more conversational than anything we've done before; however, the process that begot ‘Diva’ was the most off-the-cuff of any of the tracks on the album," vocalist Cole Haden explains, continuing:
Unlike most songs of ours which feel necessary to be written feverishly in a vacuum, these lyrics largely came together in the booth, and the character of this song really fell into place once I traded my pen for a glass of wine. The song takes place on a date, and the song references many of the real ones I've been on while on tour. Specifically, I'm remembering the times where frivolity shifted to mourning as we both realized we may never see each other again once the night is over. What I've learned is that in order to be ‘that bitch,’ one must make use of the melancholia.
"Diva" is an alluring, industrial-inflected collage of carnal experiences: "Yeah, I met a guy in Copenhagen/ He was gay but had a girlfriend/ I met a guy in Amsterdam/ Closed the bar down and then I kissed him." Meanwhile, Haden also co-wrote the "Prelude" single from Miley Cyrus' upcoming LP Something Beautiful. He told Pitchfork:
When Miley asked me to write poetry for Something Beautiful, we had already known each other for some time — both as friends and admirers of each other’s work. Early in the process of developing the album, she invited me over for a kiki to play me demos and share her vision for the project. The album I heard then, albeit unfinished, already had an identity that felt complete. What touched me most deeply about this collaboration was the profound trust she placed in me, believing I could add something meaningful to it.
As someone who rarely writes for others, I took my time to really internalize what this album means to me, so that what I wrote could speak the same language that Miley had already written.
When I eventually sent my work back to her, it became the opening of the album. I was deeply honored that Miley chose to start her album with words I had written. It’s a reminder of the interconnectedness of art and creation — how, through collaboration, we give life to something that is not just ours but belongs to everyone who experiences it.
Check out "Diva" below.
Pirouette is out 5/2 via True Panther/Dirty Hit.
