British pop star Paloma Faith on why she’s “kind of a drag queen”
British superstar Paloma Faith has a strong bond with the queer community. Matthew Wade recently caught up with her to chat about global injustices, music, and why she wants to move to Australia.
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It鈥檚 five past nine in the morning and British songstress Paloma Faith is across the pond, telling me over the phone that she鈥檚 鈥渒ind of a drag queen鈥�.
Earlier in her career 鈥� before becoming a multi-platinum, award-winning, singer-songwriter 鈥撀爏he performed at a lot of cabaret and burlesque shows, and would rub shoulders with the queens on that circuit.
鈥淎t the time my agent said I was the kind of person people would either love or hate,鈥� she says.
鈥淏ut the drag queens got me. I worked alongside a lot of the queens back then, and I felt an affinity with them.
鈥淲e all loved the same icons, big show women like Aretha Franklin and Shirley Bassey.鈥�
While Faith is reticent about her own burgeoning status as a gay icon, she believes her close bond with the LGBTI community is no coincidence.
鈥淚n my view, the LGBTI community stands for bravery and being unapologetic about who you are and what you stand for,鈥� she says.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why those people are my tribe, really 鈥撀爄t takes a lot of courage to stand up in a society where the majority of people aren鈥檛 gay or trans.鈥�
In 2014, Faith released her critically acclaimed third album A Perfect Contradiction, which spawned her first number one hit in Australia 鈥淥nly Love Can Hurt Like This鈥�. In 2017, she followed it up with The Architect, a socially conscious record that merged the political with the personal, addressing broad-ranging issues from Brexit to Donald Trump.
To date, she is one of only two British women this decade to have had her last three albums go double platinum, the other being Adele.
Faith says she wanted to explore culture and society on her latest album through a kind and empathetic lens.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e talking about the historical progress that has been made in areas like LGBTI rights, you also need to recognise the progress that still needs to be made,鈥� she says.
鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 easy for us to think that the rest of the world live like [those in the West], but that鈥檚 not true.
鈥淚鈥檓 a massive feminist and a woman once said to me, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know why you need to be a feminist anymore, we have equal rights鈥�, and I thought, you鈥檝e got to be bloody kidding me.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not equal across the globe, and that鈥檚 the same when it comes to the LGBTI community.鈥�
When it comes to her LGBTI fans across the globe, Faith says it鈥檚 heartening when they reach out to her and express how her music has touched them.
鈥淚鈥檝e got some super fans, and they tell me I鈥檓 a gay icon,鈥� she says.
鈥淚 feel proud and honoured to hear that 鈥� everybody loves acceptance and when you鈥檙e an outsider as I鈥檝e been, it鈥檚 wonderful to feel accepted even if your tribe isn鈥檛 as big as others.
鈥淚 feel most happy when I see the regulars at the front row of my shows with rainbow flags, blowing kisses.鈥�
In November, Faith will join gay advocate and singer Sam Smith on his national The Thrill Of It All tour in Australia.
The major tour follows Smith鈥檚 string of intimate shows in the country earlier this year, including his first appearance at the Sydney Opera House.
Faith says she鈥檚 excited to join Smith on the road, and adores the track 鈥淗IM鈥� from his latest album, which was partly inspired by the Timothy Conigrave memoir Holding the Man.
鈥淚 think it was one of the most important songs on that record, because he鈥檚 outwardly singing a love song about a man,鈥� she says.
鈥淪o many gay artists make their lyrics ambiguous, so I think it鈥檚 beautiful that he made it apparent.
鈥淚 enjoy his company and I think we鈥檙e a good match.鈥�
When asked what she鈥檚 most looking forward to when visiting Australia, Faith immediately responds, 鈥渢he sunshine鈥�.
鈥淚 also feel like Australia is the perfect mix of the UK and America,鈥� she says.
鈥淣ow that I鈥檝e had a child, if Australia wasn鈥檛 so far away I鈥檇 move there for sure.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got America mixed with the cynicism and humour of the UK.
鈥淣ow make sure you get your bloody gorgeous asses on those seats in time to see me before Sam.鈥�
Paloma Faith will join Sam Smith on his The Thrill Of It All tour between November 2 – 20. For more information or to buy tickets, visit:
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