PREMIERE : HOLANDER - "Party of One"
Electro pop queen, Holander, is at it again with a much needed pro-masturbation banger “Party of One!” Following in the lineage of great masturbation songs like I Touch Myself by Divinyls and Body of My Own by Charli XCX, Holander hits her own pitch out of the park with her sweet but raunchy anthem of self love. With pulsing vintage keyboard sounds, catchy melodies, and clever lyrics - Party of One is the perfect summer self love song!
Q&A w/ Holander
What do you think is the biggest misconception of female masturbation?
That it doesn’t exist! I remember in college when I was first talking openly about it and my guy friend stopped me mid-sentence and said, “wait, girls masturbate?” I couldn’t believe it! A 20-year-old guy. Another big myth is that womxn don’t watch porn. We do. Femmes themselves are subconsciously taught and learn shame for exploring their own sexuality. Trans, nonbinary and femme people are constantly pressured into not loving themselves; and masturbation and sexuality is a huge part of loving yourself for a lot of people. It’s a personal, intimate and self-caring experience.
Has the process of writing this song changed your viewpoint on yourself? Do you feel more empowered?
Definitely! It’s really opened up a conversation for my friends, my fans, and myself to talk about loving ourselves and pleasing ourselves. It’s allowed me to really dig deep and analyze my history with masturbation and sex in general in several different contexts, which I am now writing an essay about! Although I feel empowered by the song, I think what it’s really done is opened the door for conversation. I’m glad that we can all use the song as a vehicle; now masturbation and self love is something that people feel comfortable asking me about, something that I can bring up easily in conversation--hopefully doing my part to make it a less taboo topic.
How was it collaborating with Liz from HOLYCHILD?
Liz Nistico is a magical musical unicorn. I have learned so much from writing with her— she really is a genius. She definitely pulled more out of me with the song— she would suggest lines that were less subtle and more overtly sexual which made me feel more brave and comfortable with really digging into the topic. My style is a bit more subtle, so we met in the middle, and I think we created something that’s right on the edge, which is very cool to me. The song fell together in just a few hours, and we ping-ponged off of each other quite easily. We also had a third collaborator and the producer of the song, Petro Anastos-Prastacos, and we all three jelled super well. There was a lot of fun, laughter, and sex stories during that session, and I think it comes through in the song.
How do you think growing up in LA has affected the music you make?
LA has such an incredible underground music scene, just buzzing with artists who are really experimenting and taking risks. Being in that environment is inspiring and has really pushed me to put myself out there and be vulnerable in a way that I think is unique to LA. You can find the city in my music and in my heart, it is my crazy creative playground and my home.
Does your personal style help translate your music?
Both my personal style and my music are a reflection of me, and I think they both play off of each other. Both are forms of self expression; I haven’t really thought about it in the context of personal style as a vessel for my music, but maybe it is subconsciously, that’s a cool idea.
Do you connect to genre or do you think it died with gender?
I’ve noticed that a lot of artists these days don’t describe their music as a particular genre, like, say, “pop,” but instead have gotten more creative to match the mix mosh that genre is nowadays. People will say, “I’m a mix of Kim Petras and Tove Lo” or “its like if The Cure had 808 drums.” Which is so dope, traditional genre is definitely dead. People are coming up with much cooler ways to describe their music.
Dream opening slot?
Terror Jr
Any new shows? Releases? Tell us all!
Opening up for Lee Brown at Moroccan Lounge June 24, unnanounced show on July 22nd, and secret event July 26th.
Look out for one more single before my EP drop at the beginning of September!
Follow Holander!
Instagram - @holandermusic
Twitter - @holandermusic
Facebook - /holandermusic