Q&A: Loveli Lori Unpacks Love, Identity, and Growing Up on Not So Lovely
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY LAUREN SANTIA ☆
A DEBUT ALBUM THAT BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN SWEET AND MESSY— LOVELI LORI explores the vulnerable, dark, and more complicated sides of love, identity and growing up on her debut album Not So Lovely. Inspired by a series of moments from her life in the past year, the 14-track album captures LOVELI LORI’s emotions in a way that’s raw, intentional and beautiful.
Following her previous breakout “Love For You” (which earned RIAA Gold certification and generated hundreds of millions of streams and views across platforms), LOVELI LORI showcases her artistic range and musical diversity.
The Luna Collective recently caught up with LOVELI LORI to talk about Not So Lovely, the unexpected story behind its tracklist and more.
LUNA: Your debut album is called Not So Lovely. What does that title represent to you?
LORI: The title is kind of the opposite of my artist name LOVELI LORI. My name represents the idea of being “lovely,” but with this album, I wanted to show the other sides of myself that don’t necessarily fit into that image. It explores the parts of me that can be darker, messier or more complicated. I think that contrast is a big part of what the album represents.
LUNA: A lot of your music gives Y2K hyperpop tones while still feeling deeply rooted in the way people experience love, heartbreak and identity online now. Can you tell us a bit about the creative process for creating this album and the overall sound?
LORI: Each song on this album was created at a different point in my life over the past year, so they all came from completely different experiences and emotions. Because of that, I feel like my music naturally evolved throughout the process of making the album. You can hear different sides of me and different influences throughout the project, which I think adds to the story the album is trying to tell.
LUNA: When you were putting the record together, how did you decide what story you wanted the tracklist to tell from beginning to end?
LORI: I didn’t actually—each song was based off of my true emotions in that moment that happened to follow a pattern till the end that tells the story itself! “Love For You” has had this massive life of its own with hundreds of millions of streams and views and now a Gold certification.
LUNA: Did having such a huge breakout song change the way you approached making the rest of your debut, or did you try to tune that pressure out?
LORI: I definitely think it was a push start that helped me realize this is what I want to do, although I wasn’t fully ready yet. Although It was a major success, I tend to tune it out and am always looking forward to what’s next.
LUNA: Because this is your first full length album, it almost feels like a snapshot of who LOVELI LORI is right now. When you look back on Not So Lovely a few years from now, what do you hope it reminds you of about this version of yourself?
LORI: It will remind me of someone who was constantly growing, both musically and mentally. It was a start to helping me find myself.
LUNA: What’s one thing or message you’d want listeners to take away from Not So Lovely?
LORI: Remember, you don’t have to prove your worth—just walk away and they will realize, and so will you.
LUNA: What song or lyric resonates with you most from the album and why?
LORI: “hate to love u,” it sets the tone of the album and the different emotions and feelings i was battling throughout.
