WILLOW Tells Apple Music About New Song “Split”, Forthcoming Album and SNL Appearance, and More

October 6, 2022

WILLOW joins Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 to discuss her new song “Split” from her forthcoming album ‘<COPINGMECHANISM>’. She tells Apple Music about writing the emotional ballad, evolving her sound on the new album and taking her voice to the next level, how she’s feeling ahead of her forthcoming SNL appearance, working with Yves Tumor, letting go of perfectionism, and more.
WILLOW Tells Apple Music About New Song “Split”…

I feel like there were so many songs on the album that were just so high octane, hardcore just intense, and I really felt like there needed to be some purely emotional just ballads on there, honestly. Just giving some emotional rock ballads. And there were moments where I was like, “Oh no, I want to keep this crazy energy,” but it needed the variety, it needed the balance. But it is definitely a softer take on the sound of the album.

WILLOW Tells Apple Music About Her New Album <COPINGMECHANISM>…

I feel like, with this album, I was going through a lot of heartbreak, and realizing I didn’t have a lot of good coping mechanisms. I really had to sit back and be like, whoa. How do I handle emotional stress? How do I handle confusion and chaos in my mind and my heart? And it wasn’t good. It wasn’t good. While recording this album, lots of alcohol, and lots of weed, but also the act of making the album was my coping mechanism. And I wanted to kind of leave those unhealthy things behind, and hold onto the music because that’s the most beautiful thing that we can use our coping mechanism, is our art and our expression. But it was rough there. I feel like on this album I was just way more vulnerable than I’ve ever been. I just really let it all hang out in a lot of ways. And at first, it was scary. I was like, oh my God, I’m the positivity girl. I’m the girl who’s like, “Put a crystal in your ass, let’s go run in the jungle,” you know what I mean? I’m that girl. I’m the good vibes girl. And I was like, you know what? I can still be the good vibes girl while being like, I have feelings that are dark, and I’m going to do some shadow play and bring these demons to the light, and do a full evolution. And not only want to focus on oh, only positive, only positive.

WILLOW Tells Apple Music About Training To Taking Her Voice To The Next Level on This Album…

I’m not going to lie, after Lately, I Feel Everything, I really, really went to the drawing board and was like, okay, I want to take my voice to that next level technically, with my technique, and really be able to do things that I haven’t done before, and expand my vocal dexterity. And I really trained for many, many months with my vocal trainer, and got on the treadmill, I was singing these new songs on the treadmill, just really, really hitting vocal boot camp. And if I didn’t do that, I honestly feel like I couldn’t have recorded this album. This is me, I’m going to be as raw and as imperfect and emotional as I am. And I feel like that was such a beautiful expression, but I just really, really love always polishing and sharpening my tool and polishing and sharpening my instrument; and I feel like I can be able to lay myself more bare with more colors on my palette.

WILLOW Tells Apple Music About Her Upcoming SNL Appearance…

I’m honestly really, really surprised that I’m going to be on SNL twice in one year, five months apart. That’s crazy. I’m really excited. I’m nervous obviously, because being with Camila, a really, really good friend of mine. There’s that feeling of comfortability there where you can look across the stage and be like, “Girl, we’re in this together. We’re doing this.” I’m not baring my soul alone on the stage. But now it’s going to be me baring my soul alone on the stage, and I’m just so grateful and so excited, but also sh*tting my pants slightly.

WILLOW Tells Apple Music About Having Just One Feature on the Album — Yves Tumor…

Honestly, the one feature on the album is Yves Tumor, and let’s just be real… Honestly, I was kind of afraid that he wasn’t going to like me because he’s so just iconic, and his whole persona is like… he’s just like a mysterious creature of rock and roll. That’s how he walks into the room. And I was just like, oh my goodness, when we got into the studio, I was like, “Oh no, be chill.” Because I’m the kind of person that’s like, “Oh my God, you’re the most amazing person of all time. Let me hug you.” But I was like, no, be chill. “What’s good Yves? We’re totally buds.” Yeah, that definitely failed. I definitely dropped to my knees and was like, “Thank you so much for coming.” But having him as the one feature on this album, I just feel like it was a huge statement. Just for rock right now, him person being a person of color and in such a unique lane that he’s in, I just felt like I needed him to bring it all together.

WILLOW Tells Apple Music About Learning To Letting Go of Perfectionism…

I don’t know, after going on this tour, this last tour, I really… every night I would look back at the videos and analyze everything, and be like, “Okay, I’m going to do that better this time, I’m going to do that better the next time, I’m going to this and that.” And even though that really helped me, what you’re saying is true; that authentic, imperfect expression is why we love music. And I just feel like the way that I can do that better is with more colors. And even though I still kind of struggle with that, I’m not going to lie, because I feel so grateful to have these opportunities and to have this platform that I’m like, “I need to do my absolute best.” You’re right, and I’m still learning that, and every day is an opening and a softening into that reality.