Q&A: LEW Reclaims Heartbreak on Her Own Terms with “Too Sexy to Be Sad”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
Photo By Guillermo Cardenas
EMERGING POP PROVOCATEUR LEW IS ENTERING HER BOLDEST ERA YET - one built on transformation, self-celebration and radical honesty. With her new single “Too Sexy to Be Sad”, the Los Angeles-based artist turns heartbreak into a glitter-fueled declaration of confidence. On the surface, it’s an unapologetic, high-energy anthem, the kind of track that belongs blasting while you’re getting ready with your friends or crying on the dance floor. But beneath the gloss lies something deeper: a song born from depression, heartbreak, and the messy process of rediscovering self-worth.
After uprooting her life, moving across the country, ending a long-term relationship, and leaving her label behind, LEW began rebuilding from the inside out. That rebirth became the heartbeat of this new era: a fearless exploration of duality, where sadness and power, glam and grit, and masculinity and femininity all coexist.
“Too Sexy to Be Sad” is LEW’s manifesto for reclaiming vulnerability as strength, for finding beauty in contradiction, and for dancing through the darkness until it becomes light.
LUNA: “Too Sexy to Be Sad” feels like both a confident anthem and a deeply personal story. Can you talk about how you balanced those two energies when writing it?
LEW: So much of this project was inspired by being on the road on tour. I wanted to make songs that were high energy and built for live performance, while also still being honest and vulnerable. A lot of my past music was always the latter, but leaned on the slower ballad side. This time, I wanted to see what it would feel like to keep that honesty but amp up the sonics. The balance came from starting with infectious, uptempo beats and toplines first and then being very intentional with the lyrics. I love that on first listen it feels like a fun party anthem, but when you lean in, you realize I’m actually singing about something heavy, like depression. That tension between the sound and the story is what makes the song feel powerful to me.
LUNA: You’ve said this song came out of a period of deep depression, yet it became a bold, empowering track. How did you transform that heaviness into something that feels so liberating?
LEW: I don’t even think I knew it at the time, but looking back a year later I realize I was in one of the darkest places of my life when we wrote “Too Sexy To Be Sad.” For a long time I’d only known how to write about pain in a slow, confessional way. With this song, I challenged myself to flip that — what would it sound like if I danced through it instead of sinking into it? What if I wrote about that first day you wake up and take that first step to pulling yourself out of it? By the time the chorus came together, it felt like we’d alchemized something really dark into something defiant and celebratory. In a weird way, that’s exactly what got me through the depression — making the sadness feel powerful instead of paralyzing. Forcing myself to dance alone in my kitchen on the worst days.
LUNA: Leaving your label and uprooting your life sounds like a huge turning point. What was the biggest lesson you learned about yourself during that transition?
LEW: That whole period was a massive turning point. A lot of people don’t know that at the same time I was leaving my label, I was also moving cities and going through a really tough breakup. Up until then, big changes had happened one at a time; suddenly it felt like everything was shifting at once. It was like I’d walked away from this garden I’d grown that was beautiful but fleeting, because I was craving something with longevity, roots, and authenticity. That middle ground before I started planting my new garden — and even once I did but was waiting for things to sprout — was really quiet and isolating. But in that space I learned how to love myself when I’m not “winning,” how to stay consistent regardless of results, and how to stop making outcome-based goals. Most of all, I learned how to truly be the CEO of me.
LUNA: You mentioned hearing a louder, more fearless voice emerge during meditation. What did that inner voice sound like, and how did you learn to trust it?
LEW: At first that inner voice was so timid, but the moment I heard her I thought, wait a minute… I like that girl. Over time she became unshakeable — fearless, patient, and in absolutely no rush. She had no timeline or conditions; she was just ready to make waves. Meditation has become my anchor because it’s something I can return to anywhere — at home, on tour, in the studio — and it gives me immediate grounding and clarity. I used to think you had to practice for years before meditation “worked,” but I’ve learned it can be powerful right away if you just give yourself the space to listen. That’s how I learned to trust that voice: by showing up for it consistently until it started showing up for me.
LUNA: Duality is a major theme in your work: light and dark, glam and grit, masculine and feminine. What draws you to that space in-between, and how does it shape your artistry?
LEW: I think I’m drawn to duality because of how uncomfortable it’s made me in my own life. And I’ve realized that the art that changes and moves me personally often thrives in that very uncomfortability. For me, that tension between extremes is where the most honest, electric ideas live. In my early twenties it was really hard for me to accept that nothing is one way or the other — especially in an industry that prizes a single, coherent “brand.” As I dove deeper into my artistry, I started to notice patterns in my own day-to-day: one day I wanted to dress ultra-feminine, the next like a linebacker; one morning I’d wake up feeling invincible, the next insecure. That tension fascinated me. I became obsessed with showing that duality while still creating a visual and sonic world that felt cohesive.
LUNA: Vulnerability as power is such a powerful concept. How do you channel that idea in your music, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
LEW: I think we’re absolutely in a loneliness epidemic and disconnection is at the root of it. My ultimate mission is to promote power in vulnerability in order to level up human connection — especially in a time as dire as the current one. I believe the biggest antidote to the disconnection we’re all feeling is vulnerability, and I try to channel it in everything I do: what I wear, what I say, my lyrics, and my own integrity. Whenever I feel a little scared to do something in my career, I take that as confirmation I’m moving in the right direction. I hope when listeners come to my shows or hear my music, they feel seen, understood, and reminded that their own vulnerability is a strength — not something to hide.
LUNA: Sonically, “Too Sexy to Be Sad” is made for the dance floor. What role does movement, dancing, or even physicality play in your creative process?
LEW: It is! I grew up dancing about eight hours a week, so movement is in my DNA. Even when I was transitioning into music, that fire stayed with me. Eventually, I want to put on a fully choreographed show with dancers onstage as an extension of the songs’ stories. For now, that dance background shapes everything — from the beats I’m drawn to, to the way I move onstage, to how I write songs with physicality in mind. When I’m in the studio, I’m constantly testing grooves with my body — if a track makes me want to stomp, sway, or strut, I know it’s in the right zone.
LUNA: What excites you most about being fully independent now, both creatively and personally?
LEW: It has been so much fun and so empowering to be 100% independent. Creatively, I feel more alive than ever because I’m completely trusting my own intuition and taste. Opinions from people I trust are still imperative — but only after I’ve gotten the raw, unfiltered version of an idea out. Personally, I feel like I’m truly running my own business for the first time. Every decision, from the songs I write to the tours I book to the merch I design, is mine. That level of ownership is scary at times but also electrifying — it makes me feel more connected to my fans and more confident in my artistry.
LUNA: You’ve described this era as being about self-celebration and extreme individuality. What are some small or big ways you’ve been celebrating yourself lately?
LEW: I literally have the word “bravo” tattooed on my arm because my grandfather always used to yell it from the front row at my shows. I got it as a reminder to soak in the moment before racing on. Lately I’ve been celebrating myself by taking myself on solo dates once a week — rollerblading by the ocean, trying a new restaurant, or just sitting with a journal. I really try to carve out that time to be with myself and celebrate the person I’ve become and am becoming.
LUNA: If someone is hearing LEW for the very first time through “Too Sexy to Be Sad,” what do you hope they immediately understand about you as an artist?
LEW: I hope they understand that their so-called weaknesses can be alchemized into power. You can be heartbroken and still be magnetic. You can be vulnerable and still be powerful. You can be sad and still be sexy. You can be a misfit and still be iconic. You can be soft and still be strong. “Too Sexy to Be Sad” is my manifesto for reclaiming sadness as a flex instead of a weakness. I want new listeners to feel that I’m genre-bending, bold, and unafraid to be completely myself — an artist who invites you to dance through the heartbreak and celebrate every part of yourself that refuses to fit neatly into a box.
