Surviving Through Defiance: An Interview with Poppy

      The artist from Massachusetts may have first gained attention as a consistently online pop icon nearly ten years ago, but she has since strengthened her sound and established her empire in the metal genre.

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      It was a typical day in suburban America, with white picket fences standing tall and the aroma of freshly cut grass wafting through open windows as nuclear families settled in for some wholesome American television. Little did they realize that their idyllic bubble would soon be shattered when the post-hardcore group Knocked Loose took the stage on Jimmy Kimmel, delivering an energetic performance of “Suffocate” alongside the formidable Poppy.

      The explosive outburst of sound sent pearl-clutching mothers flocking to online forums, vehemently criticizing Poppy for ruining their TV dinners and leaving their children in uncontrollable tears. Nevertheless, Poppy remains unfazed; her collaboration on the Knocked Loose track earned her a second Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance, indicating that perhaps it’s not so bad after all. “You’re going to struggle in life if you can't handle some loud music,” she laughs, openly expressing her frustrations. “It’s amusing that people can still get so worked up over nothing. Honestly, people can share their thoughts, but that’s not my concern. They don’t have to watch or listen, just as I’m not obligated to heed them. Everyone has opinions, and I have plenty as well. I just choose not to share them online.”

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      Speaking from LA, Poppy tenderly coos to her Sphynx cat Pi; her calming, soothing voice contrasts sharply with the 'demonic siren' persona expected of her. On stage, she is a whirlwind of chaos, but in this moment she appears serene, shy, and incredibly sweet. Without the pressure of an eager audience, Poppy carefully considers each statement, methodically choosing her words. When she finally deems a thought ready to be shared, her Tennessee accent adds a unique twist to each piece of quirky insight. “I try to think about most things,” she says. “But overthinking can become a problem. I’ve learned to strike a balance. If you analyze too much, you end up paralyzed by self-doubt. Sometimes, you just have to take action.”

      This blend of fierce aggression and soft-spoken thoughts is quintessentially Poppy. After years of suppressing herself, afraid of taking up space and disrupting the tranquility, the stage provides an outlet for her voice to be finally heard. “I was very afraid of my own voice as a child,” she confesses. “Initially, I expressed my emotions through dance, but discovering music allowed me to communicate more effectively. I had to learn to assert myself.” Poppy describes her younger self as “very angry”, holding onto pain that would sometimes boil over. “I was frustrated every single day,” she recalls. “I had these immense emotions without knowing how to express them or where to direct them. Now, singing enables me to articulate my thoughts, yet speaking in public is still something I find challenging.”

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      Poppy embodies the digital generation. After being bullied into homeschooling because of her shyness in public education, her upbringing was shaped by the internet of the 2000s. Though her enthusiasm for the online world has waned in recent years (“it’s become too cluttered”), it served as her platform for finding her voice. From ASMR-style videos of her quietly eating cotton candy to ads for gravity-defying shoes, the early phase of Poppy was delightfully absurd. The project’s Lynchian inception could be viewed as modern-day AI expression, featuring ten-minute vignettes of the singer repetitively declaring “I’m Poppy.” “The internet was the Wild West,” Poppy reminisces whimsically. “There were no guidelines.”

      The early videos and singles represented a puzzling journey for purpose. Poppy’s sonic debut, “Everybody Wants To Be Poppy,” interwove polished pop hooks with social critiques about mass-produced pop stars. However, it also featured tracks like the reggae-infused “Lowlife” and the EDM-heavy “Interweb” in later projects. After initially enticing audiences as a family-friendly pop figure, Poppy eventually subverted expectations. “I’ve always had a clear vision of where I wanted to go,” she states. The 2018 release “Am I A Girl?” suddenly introduced a surge of unfiltered heavy metal in its final moments, with closing track “X” delivering a stunning shock. Poppy’s response to the raw, blood-curdling riffs? A gleeful, innocent exclamation of “ooo – heavy!”

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      Since pausing her stint as a plastic pop star, Poppy has held onto her contrasting identity and femininity as a form of rebellion. She appears on stage in flowing dresses like a fairy tale character, later unleashing vocals that feel ripped from the depths of hell. Her gent

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