Q&A: Madelline Embraces “Mary Poppins Core” in Whimsical New Single “Uh Uh (outside)”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
THEATRICAL AND DARING – Madelline continues to prove herself as one of pop music’s most daring and original voices with her latest single, “Uh Uh (outside).” Seamlessly blending music, dance, and performance art, the rising artist commands attention with a presence that’s equal parts catwalk and cabaret. Known for her witty lyricism and theatricality, Madelline's artistry defies conventions and radiates with unparalleled authenticity.
With “Uh Uh (outside),” Madelline ventures into uncharted territory she fondly dubs “Mary Poppins core.” The track draws on the whimsical charm of vintage musical theatre—a nod to her childhood influences—while weaving in the bratty, playful energy of early 2000s pop icons like Gwen Stefani and Fergie. The result is a genre-bending anthem that feels fresh and nostalgic all at once. “This is a genre I affectionately refer to as ‘Mary Poppins core,’” Madelline says. “It blends whimsical elements of vintage musical theatre nostalgia I grew up on with bratty early 2000s pop.”
The single’s boldness extends beyond its sound to its accompanying visuals. For the cover art, Madelline fully leans into the fantastical nature of her concept, dressing as Mary Poppins but with an unexpected twist: “I dressed up as Mary Poppins outside a club flying on my umbrella, but with thigh-high, lace-up, six-inch platform boots flashing out of my skirt,” she says. It’s this blend of whimsy and edge that sets her apart.
Madelline’s fearless approach to pop continues to redefine the genre, and “Uh Uh (outside)” is no exception. With its adventurous sound and striking visuals, the single is a testament to her boundless creativity and her knack for turning even the most playful ideas into unforgettable art.
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires your artistic style and sound?
MADELLINE: I would say the biggest influence for me is my theater background. You start off as a little nerdy theater kid, then you learn to hone it in artistically, and it becomes cool as you get older. Right now, theater kids are having a big moment with Wicked coming out, and you see Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan that are very theatrical. I'd say theatrics really inspire me. I would say my background in choir and singing soprano inspire me. My acting background also inspires me because I like to play around with different characters in my songs. For instance, this song that I dropped has this Mary Poppins-esque intro, and it's all regal and elegant, and then it drops into almost like a Fergie-esque rap.
LUNA: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
MADELLINE: Right now, I'm big on being versatile and I like to have variety, so the emotional space I want people to feel accepted and seen. I think that means a lot to me. I've had a few songs about like psych meds and screen addiction and ADHD and various topics that meant a lot to me, that it made people feel less alone. So that's really important to me, and also being multifaceted is really important to me as well, because I never want to get stuck in one genre and have to create songs that just sound like this to please my fans. I can't do that artistically. It hurts me.
LUNA: You have released your new single “Uh Uh (outside)” and I adore the vintage musical influences and unapologetic energy it carries. What inspired you to explore this theme in the song?
MADELLINE: Honestly, I just got into the studio with this artist, Emeline, who I really like, and we had been connecting through Instagram, and she connected me with her producer, or one of the producers Boy Blue, who I was a big fan of. We just pulled into the studio and we were listening to some Gwen Stefani and vibing out, and that's just what came out. I didn't come in with a plan, but I think Emeline is badass and the stuff she comes out with is very badass. I think that inspired me as well. I also love songs that have really weird and random transitions. I loved going from that Mary Poppins theme into something unexpected.
LUNA: Can you walk us through the creative process for “Uh Uh (outside)?” How did the song evolve from the initial idea to the final version?
MADELLINE: That's a good question. It's all sort of a blur. We honestly made the bulk of that song in one day. It started off with Boy Blue coming in with an idea and then we added onto that and incorporated early 2000s Fergie and Gwen Stefani into the vibe. We were just playing off this energy and that’s what came out. That's pretty much the first iteration of the song we made.
LUNA: You describe the song's style as “Mary Poppins core.” What does that concept mean to you, and how does it reflect your artistic identity?
MADELLINE: I'm leaning more and more into whimsical, not taking itself too seriously theatrics, like what I do sort of effortlessly. I'm trying to lean more into my natural skill sets. Just the idea of playing in my cover art, for instance, I dressed up as Mary Poppins, and I'm floating up and I'm in an umbrella and I have stripper boots on. I just think it's funny. I love not taking myself too seriously and just fucking around and being silly.
LUNA: What role does collaboration play in helping you break creative boundaries? For example, how did working with Boy Blue on this track open up new possibilities for your sound?
MADELLINE: That's a good question. I really love that. Boy Blue puts a lot of ear candy moments in his production, which I really value. In the intro, there's this stand up bass moment, and then there's some random guitars that you wouldn't expect during the verses. There's some flutes, because I play the flute, and we're doing a little ode to that. I absolutely love collaborating with people. That's actually one of the reasons why I moved to Los Angeles from New York, because there's a huge session culture here. I just get to meet people all the time that bring different perspectives, bring new ideas into this space, inspire me in different ways. Even their energy can inspire me to create something different. Again, for those listeners who don't know how the session culture works in LA, I will have my schedule for the week and my management will schedule me with another writer and a producer. Sometimes, I'll have three different sessions a week, and I'll be meeting eight different people and making new songs every single day. I definitely have a lot of influences. I think by being influenced by so many different people, I've learned what really resonates with me, and I've come out with a very clear vision.
LUNA: What inspires you to push boundaries within your sound? Are there any specific experiences, artists, or moments that have encouraged you to explore new musical territories?
MADELLINE: I would say what's most important to me right now is protecting my authenticity, because in the past, I've allowed myself to be swayed certain ways. I think right now, I've experimented enough to know what I really don't like to do and what I really like to do. I also think following what brings me joy, when I hear a sound or see an instrument or anything that inspires me, I follow that. That's what makes the experience of creating so joyful, is just by following that. I think that's the best guiding force.
LUNA: As an artist who champions reinvention and individuality, what advice would you give to fans who might be struggling with self-expression or societal expectations?
MADELLINE: I think that this comes from personal experience, but you never have to conform to what people's expectations of you are. You can wake up tomorrow and want to reinvent yourself. I want to dress differently. I want to wear this. I want to do this class. I want to freaking switch career paths. I want to reinvent myself. I want to break up with my boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever. You can change at any given moment. Maybe you'll get a little pushback at first, but people will eventually just go with it, and also you'll meet your people who resonate with you and want to be around you. It's okay to experiment. It's okay if you try something out and you don't like it and want to switch back to this or whatever. You just follow what brings you joy and what excites you, and sometimes you just have to try random shit and see what works.
LUNA: What are you most excited for your listeners to experience in this new era of music?
MADELLINE: I'm so excited to create this album that I'm working on. This is my chance to just really create a world that I cannot create through just dropping singles, and since I do like to reinvent my sound, I want to lock in on a specific vibe and sound for the album, and then they're on the next album, as opposed to doing a different vibe for each single. I'm really fucking excited. I have some songs I really believe in that are so fun to perform that go with my live show. I'm literally going to a writing camp this week where I brought some incredible producers and writers to this house we rented in Joshua Tree, and we're going to go in on writing my album. I'm really excited for this dialed in phase that my fans are going to get to experience.
LUNA: What is your favorite song to perform live and why?
MADELLINE: My favorite song to perform live is an unreleased song that some people have already seen called “The Price of Being A Girl,” and it's just so fun. I have two dancers on stage with me, and we have these feather fans and I like to pop out. It's just so fun and theatrical and playful. I just love performing it.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the upcoming year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
MADELLINE: I really want to share that I'm planning my first headlining tour at the start of next year. I'm going to be announcing dates of that soon. They're getting confirmed. I'm really excited. I'm really excited, because I'm creating merch with my friend on Instagram. Her name's Emotional Individual, and she's one of my best friends from Montreal, and we were making all these custom one of one pieces that we're going to sell. We both really care about sustainability and the environment, and I'm really excited to integrate that into my story and my brand and be able to sell merch that can make people feel good about buying and make people excited and represent my values. I'm very, very excited, and I'm going to be selling that merch online and on tour and at shows.
