Music Spotlight: Uffie

french-american, now LA-based pop artist + producer Uffie returns with her latest EP Tokyo Love Hotel, following pre-released singles including Sadmoney + Papercuts. The catchy 7-track EP depicts a dark narrative featuring lyrics about drugs, heartbreak + money, like “i took a sharpie to your face on the picture in the picture frame. Blacking you out like you do every Saturday”—we feel that. + we can’t get enough of her futuristic-pop production. We chatted with her about the EP + Tokyo ‘love hotels’.

photo by Ashley Osborn

Asymmetric Magazine: Congrats on the release of your EP! Can you tell us about Tokyo Love Hotel and what it means to you?
Uffie: Thank you very much! I am very excited to share this EP. The experience of making this record with some of my favorite people was really wonderful. I’d grown up a lot since my last record, and Tokyo Love Hotel is an exploration of that journey.

AM: What was the inspiration behind the EP title?
U: Tokyo is a city I associate with love, adventure, and absolute joy. I share some of my favorite memories with her. Tokyo has these hotels that let you rent by the hour—Love Hotels. It’s a place people can escape and steal a private moment together, often in an insanely decorated room. I love the idea and visualization of it. A lot of the record is about loss and love, and each song is kind of like a door into another room—another story.

AM: Is there a song on the EP that you resonate most with?
U: Yes. They all do, but writing Papercuts was a really dope experience.

AM: For first time listeners, how do you like to describe your sound?
U: It’s honest, punk, chic, and dances between genres.

AM: Are there any consistent themes you typically pursue through your music?
U: No. I guess the thing you focus on naturally the most as a person, whether that be love, money, pain is what you tend to write about most as an artist. It fluctuates.

AM: What other musicians are you currently listening to?
U: Kendrik Lamar, Post Malone, Johan Johannson, The Knife, Billie Eilish, Juice WRLD, James Blake, Gorillaz, Robyn.

AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work?
U: A big one. I’ve met all my collaborators for this record here in LA. I miss Europe constantly. The constant sunshine and lack of seasonal change does my head in a bit, but it’s also amazing.

AM: Where is one place that you feel completely in touch with your creative self and your music?
U: When I’m making it or revisiting that moment.

AM: What can we expect to hear from you next?
U: More new music.

// listen to Tokyo Love Hotel:

// photos by Ashley Osborn
// Listen to more Uffie on Spotify + SoundCloud.