A follow-up to her latest releases, ‘Broke My Heart’ featuring Jelani Blackman and Mallrat, and ‘Wildlife’, Alice Ivy continues to expertly blend acoustic and electronic elements on ‘Popstar’. Alice Ivy and Låpsley prove their versatility in spades, diverging from the electronic prowess both artists are renowned for, and leaning into a hard-hitting alt-rock aesthetic – reminiscent of Alice Ivy’s co-write and production work on Mallrat’s knockout single ‘Teeth’.

But this genre-shift was more than just a stylistic choice: the gritty percussion and distorted guitar riffs lay the foundation for what is an anthem of empowerment and solidarity, informed by Alice Ivy and Låpsley’s shared experience of navigating the music industry as young women. Despite the setbacks and double-standards, ‘Popstar’ is ultimately a triumph, tackling themes of misogyny and ageism with the wit and charm of two artists on a mission to “break the bulletproof glass ceiling”.

On the collaboration, Alice Ivy shares, “I’ve been a massive fan of Låpsley’s since ‘Hurt Me’ came out back in 2016, and I love the DJ Koze edit of ‘Operator’. We crossed paths when I was hanging out in London after some UK shows and spent an afternoon together in a tiny little studio in Islington. There was something special in the air, Caroline Polachek was recording vocals in the studio next door, the studio walls were all wrapped in silver and Låplsey and I were trading horror stories about our experiences as women in the music industry.”

She continues, “I went in thinking we’d probably write something electronic or dance, more like those songs of hers I referenced, but for one reason or another we cranked out a massive angsty rock song, which is ironic because it’s called, ‘Popstar’. I guess we were both just feeling super empowered in the moment. My favourite lyrics in this one are, ‘Tell the people what they’re hearing, let the algorithm take it’ and ‘My face is only ageing but my ego needs the stage’. Those lines hit hard!”

Låpsley adds, “We had no idea where the session would take us, we got on like a house on fire and within a few hours this tune came out of nowhere and smacked us in the face with some hard truths about the industry. Alice is an absolute weapon in the studio and it takes an effortless connection to let your guard down and write something so honest. Dream team. I’m so happy to be part of the project.”

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‘Broke My Heart’ infuses elements of soul, electronica and pop to create a fresh, immersive sound which lends itself perfectly to the charms of the unexpected-but-perfectly-matched collaborators, Jelani Blackman and Mallrat. Those already familiar with Alice Ivy’s work will recognise ‘Broke My Heart’ as another serving of her trademark charisma, and indicative of her world-class curatorial craft.

Alice Ivy says: “Mallrat and I frequently work together in my studio in Melbourne. We had this song that I really loved but we couldn’t quite get it flowing properly. I always knew that I wanted to do something with it but I decided to rest it for a little bit… A few months later I travelled to the UK to play some shows and I saw Jelani Blackman play at Great Escape. His set was sooo good, I went up to him afterwards and floated the idea of working together. A few months later I sent him the demo with Mallrat and asked if he wanted to put a verse on it, he sent me stems a couple of weeks later! I love how this song makes you feel like you’re floating, Mallrat’s and Jelani’s vocals on it are so smooth. I’m super proud and so excited that it’s coming out and I can’t wait to hear the 808s on a big festival PA.”

Jelani Blackman says: “I’ve been into this tune from the second I heard it. It was so easy to write for because I fully get that feeling of heartbreak, because sometimes it’s unintentional and you still love the person. Me and Alice have been chatting for a while, it’s sick collaborating on something together and also with Mallrat, big fans of them both. Always cool to work with people in such diff places of the world than me, especially on a song I like so much.”

Mallrat says: “Annika [Alice Ivy] is one of my best friends and she’s so pretty and sexy and funny and one of my favourite collaborators! It always feels like we’re just hanging out whenever we’re in the studio, so things came together really naturally.”

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