90210 (TAKE ME TO LA)

I am a born and raised London girl. My whole family is from East London to be specific. I grew up learning to dance in some of the best studios and companies in the city. But something inside me feels like my heart is drawn someplace else. 

 

I went to LA for the first time when I was 12 years old. I spent the whole trip exploring different dance studios and learning from all the teachers I could. I remember my first time in Dexter Carr’s class when I noticed the coolest woman standing next to me. Her whole aura was indescribable. Turns out it was Robin Antin who, if you don’t know, is responsible for the Pussycat Dolls. I was the only child in the class with my mum being the only parent waiting outside. Robin went over to my mum and said these very words, “Is that your little girl?...Tell her to dance for dollars baby!”. I was starstruck to say the least. I couldn’t believe she even noticed me and watched me dance. And those words stuck with me. They remind me to remember my worth and stay confident in who I am. 

 

I immediately fell in love with the city and everything about it. I loved the weather, the people, the fashion and the creative hub that you can’t escape from. Now that I’m older and have observed the city and its culture in different ways, to me it feels as though I would fit right in. I could wear stilettos to the grocery store and no one would bat an eye lid! 

Anyone who knows me will probably associate me with Coachella. Not because I’ve ever been. But because I never shut up about it. It is my absolute dream festival to play at as someone who has grown up watching hundreds of Coachella vlogs dreaming to step onto those festival grounds. I wrote this song during Coachella this year. Now I'm not a jealous person but this year it genuinely made me mad to see other people at Coachella. So naturally I started writing a song about it while I was stuck in a cold, rainy England. 

I wanted the song to embody my frustration for everything more. That burning desire I have in my stomach to keep going UNTIL. Taking it one piece at a time until I can fill the bigger picture. It’s the feeling that gets me up in the morning and keeps me awake at night. I can only describe it as the frustration over things that are out of my control. Like how time passes or who has discovered me thus far. I hope that I have communicated that through the lyrics and the delivery of them. 

For this song, I created my first official music video. I directed, edited and styled myself, my mother filmed me and handmade some of my outfits, my sister assisted with anything I could ask for and the beautiful Freddie Conway choreographed. A very small team due to an even smaller budget. But we made it work. 

I’ve got to say, shooting the video was an absolute nightmare. From having one hour to shoot an entire dance break, getting cat called in central London, getting caught in torrential rain and hail stones wearing nothing but a mini skirt and pumps to my SD cards suddenly deciding not to work. It was chaotic to say the least. But in my opinion, that is the beauty of it! I’m running around the streets of London in my eccentric looks with the world as my set! 

I wanted the music video to be an EXAGGERATED opposition of what I am singing about. I am talking about my longing for the city of angels and my romanticised image of it while experiencing feeling out of place in the city I call home. Which is why I wanted to have a hyper London feel for the video. Almost as if this is what an American would think London is like. Which is why the torrential rain actually worked out in my favour. It was God agreeing with my sentiment. I BELONG IN LA!!!!!!!!! 

With all that being said, I love living in London, and I am lucky to live here. We truly have the best and worst of everything. And while I don’t think that living in LA is the pinnacle of success, it's the glamour and the vibe that I am here for now…