Gia Woods Releases New Single "Next Girlfriend"
The rising star chats about her new EP and the LGBTQ+ community
Gia Woods has become one to watch in the music world with her first single, “Only A Girl”, released in 2016, gaining 11 million views on YouTube and counting.
“Next Girlfriend” is the third single to be released from Woods’ forthcoming EP “Heartbreak County”.
The chorus lyrics ‘Hey I should be your next girlfriend, and she should be your ex-girlfriend / Hey you should be my next girlfriend, la la la ooh mm la la la” most likely seem familiar, with the lyrics recalling Avril Lavigne’s hit song “Girlfriend”, but with a more nuanced twist.
The single explores Woods’ journey to acceptance of her queerness after growing up in a strict Persian household. Discussing “Next Girlfriend”. Woods says, ‘as a gay girl, I didn’t explore my sexuality as freely as most of my friends. Navigating coming out of the closet, feeling like an outsider, and not knowing how to tell if other girls were gay, all affected how I experienced growing up in LA.”
Woods also adds that the single ‘continues to explore the themes of Heartbreak County.’ Of course referring to the EP’s focus on looking at LA’s vices: fame, addiction, God, or in the case of “Next Girlfriend”, sex.
We were lucky enough to speak to Woods to discuss more about the single and upcoming EP.
Why did you choose “Next Girlfriend” to be the latest single off of “Heartbreak County”?
It’s very typical in LA to grow up faster than you would in smaller cities, to be exposed to more adult experiences from a younger age. However, navigating coming out of the closet, feeling like an outsider, and not knowing how to tell if other girls were gay, also affected how I experienced growing up in this racy city. I had a lot of friends who were able to explore their sexuality more easily than I felt that I could. As I’ve gotten older I’ve become so much more comfortable with myself and who I am, so I wrote this song with that newfound confidence I have now. “Next Girlfriend” is about that powerful feeling of wanting someone and just going for it without caring about anything else. I couldn’t wait to put this song out and introduce everyone to this side of “Heartbreak County”.
Your upcoming EP is coming out October 8th. What was the process of creating this EP like?
The EP is literally about my experiences as an LA native, growing up amongst the heartbreak, the good, the bad, and the glamorous. It was really nice for me to be able to just write about this crazy city that I’ve lived in my whole life. I got to dive in and reflect about everything I’ve ever felt while living here.
What song off the new EP is you favourite and why?
It’s always hard for me to pick a favorite, but I really love “Fame Kills” because it explores the dark side of celebrity culture. I think it’s so sad how people don’t realize how many artists almost die trying to make it to the top. And once they make it, some can’t handle it and end up dying. I feel like sometimes the world never cares until it’s too late, and we glamourize our icons so much more after they’ve died.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, you have used your platform to champion for change and recognition. Do you think the music industry has some way to go when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation and safety?
I know things are changing in the world, and I know I’ve said this before, but there’s still such a long way to go. There’s always room for more LGBTQ+ artists to be seen. The more visibility, the more examples of diversity we see in the mainstream media, the better. I definitely feel like the lack of representation is something that inspires me to keep pushing myself, because I want to be the gay pop star that I wish I had to look up to when I was growing up.
Who/what inspires your work?
I write about whatever I’m going through in my life, whether it’s a new relationship, a breakup, the feeling of growing up, I draw inspiration from how I’m feeling in the moment. Sonically, I’m really inspired by Madonna, she's my icon. I also grew up listening to a lot of Green Day, Daft Punk, and Radiohead, so those all have an influence on my sound too. And then of course, there’s Los Angeles itself. Being born and raised in LA has been one of the biggest inspirations for this EP. All of the photos and art were inspired by the city’s landmarks like the Hollywood Sign or the Beverly Hills palm trees. The entire EP is my depiction of LA from every side, the beautiful and the ugly.
Listen to “Next Girlfriend” Here.
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