Speaking of other fan bases, do you regret making your other TikTok that went viral among Lorde fans?
I didn’t realize [my TikTok about my ex] was gonna blow up in the way it did. I thought it was funny. Of course, [“Man of the Year”] was pushed onto my algorithm for so long, and I just thought [my TikTok] was funny and I sent it to my friends and they were like, “Oh my God, you have to post that.”
People got so upset with me, and I didn’t say anything beyond what exactly happened to me. I didn’t blame anyone for anything. And no, I don’t regret [posting it]. I’m allowed to have a voice about what happens to me in my life and if people don’t like that, I’m sorry, but also you’re not the one that happened to. Why are you upset?
What would you like to see change in how people engage with celebrities and the culture of celebrity in general?
I don’t know how we can change it fundamentally because I feel like we’re so far down this rabbit hole. Societally, we look at fame and celebrity as being the best thing you can be, when in fact, fame is, like, a horrible affliction. It’s very revealing [that] a lot of the comments I get are like, “You’re never gonna be as successful as them, you’re never gonna be as famous.” And fucking thank God. That’s never been what I’m striving for.
When I first got my first record deal with G.O.O.D. Music, I lost sleep. I had nightmares about being stuck in this cycle of people knowing who I was. There’s been so many times I’ve sabotaged my own career, because I would see it inching to a place where I was just like, “No, I can’t do that.” When my first album came out, I was supposed to go on Facebook Live to talk to fans about the album and I had a panic attack. [Fame’s] a really scary thing because it’s fleeting and then you’re always chasing this thing.
Celebrities are not your gods. They don’t know who you are. You are another face in the crowd, you are another ticket, you’re another sale. I’m sure they care about people — I know they do — but at the end of the day, they’re selling a product. It’s like you’re worshipping Zara, except Zara is a person.