Q&A: Royale Lynn Explores Devotion and Womanhood on “Altar”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Rowan Daly
ROYALE LYNN IS ENTERING A NEW CHAPTER — one rooted in devotion, feminine power and the courage to love without reservation. Her latest single, “Altar,” co-written with Cody Quistad, builds on the dark-pop foundation established on her album BLACK MAGIC, while its accompanying music video presents a series of striking archetypes that examine femininity and desire. While the record explored dark sonic palettes and emotional intensity, the new single shifts the focus to intimacy.
At the heart of “Altar” is devotion.
“I really wanted to share that with the audience and just show that women are beautiful,” Royale says to Luna. “I wanted to show this is more of a love chapter than it is anything. Vulnerability was at the center of the project, showing that I'm devoted to this person and I don't care who knows it.”
The song also reflects Royale's personal journey into womanhood. Through both its lyrics and visuals, she embraces femininity as multifaceted.
“I really wanted to show coming into womanhood, who I am, what I desire, and the devotion of just loving someone wholeheartedly that you would give up your world for,” she says.
“Altar” manifests as a declaration of love, signaling a new era in Royale Lynn's evolution where devotion begins with fully embracing every version of yourself.
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 kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
ROYALE LYNN: I feel like with this next chapter, I really wanted to bring in the dark pop Madonna, early 90s metal, fusing together a few of different genres, which I feel like on this next one we've shown that we want Britney Spears, but we want a heavy Britney. I hope that the listeners all feel that we're on this new chapter in this new wave of music. I hope some of the pop girlies will be metalheads.
LUNA: You’ve described “Altar” by saying, “Devotion is choosing you in every version of reality.” What experiences led you to that realization, and how did that inspire the song and its message?
ROYALE LYNN: Black Magic was my first chapter in the rock scene. Going into “Altar” and this next chapter, I really wanted to show that I haven't really sung a lot of love songs, and I haven't really shown that side of me. I really wanted to introduce my fans to that part of me, and obviously bringing in those pop aspects, and also showing them my heart into this next chapter and showing that vulnerable side.
LUNA: “Altar” feels like a bold evolution of the darker sonic world you introduced on “WTCH.” What inspired you to continue exploring that space rather than return to a more familiar sound?
ROYALE LYNN: We really just wanted to push the box on this next era and explore the journey of becoming a woman. I really wanted to share that with the audience and just show that women are beautiful, and I just wanted to show this is more of a love chapter than it is anything. Vulnerability was at the center of the project, showing that I'm devoted to this person and I don't care who knows it.
LUNA: The “Altar” music video moves through several striking feminine archetypes. What stories or emotions were you hoping to show through those different versions of yourself?
ROYALE LYNN: The music video was probably the most fun music video that we've ever shot. Getting to do the Last Supper scene was crazy. When Maya brought that to me, I was like, “That is the coolest idea ever!” I really wanted to incorporate dancing because I felt like in the metal world, we don't have a lot of dancing videos, and I really wanted to just really highlight beauty and women. I wanted it to be so female-focused. As you can see, we have a pole dancer and she looks stunning and adds to this world that we're building around this underground party element. We did an underground vibe that was very Kesha-inspired. I really wanted to incorporate that with “Altar” and have it be a secret underground dance party, and if you know about it, you know about it, but if you don't, you don't. I really just wanted it to be this very femme empowering project. It's just women, and I love that so much. The dancers did such a great job, and the choreography was just so perfect. I think for the song itself, I really wanted to incorporate that as we move forward with this next chapter.
LUNA: “Altar” explores femininity, desire and self-devotion. How has your own relationship with those themes evolved over the past few years?
ROYALE LYNN: As I've grown into the woman that I am, I think that we should embrace loving people and I really wanted to highlight that for myself too, because we haven't done this yet. I haven't really shown my heart a lot in these songs in the past. I really wanted to just show coming into womanhood, who I am, what I desire, and the devotion of just loving someone wholeheartedly that you would give up your world for.
LUNA: How do you show yourself self-devotion? Do you have any self-care rituals or regimens that help you connect with your feminine self?
ROYALE LYNN: I know that this sounds so funny, but it's one of the things that makes me feel so good when I get home after a long day. Just being able to have a diet coke and a wine glass just elevates anything. I'm big on self care. If you need to go get your hair done to make yourself feel good, do it. I'm just pro doing whatever makes you feel good. I run a lot. I love to be outside and running. It's harder on the road, but on the road, meeting the fans and doing that, I just think that there's so many things that can bring what I call a glimmer — a little point of joy in your day — and I try and make sure that I have a few glimmers throughout the day.
LUNA: How do you hope listeners — especially your femme audience — can connect with or find power in this new era of music from you? What emotions or messages do you want to leave with them?
ROYALE LYNN: I would just say to anybody out there, I want you to fully feel your woman side and femininity and just be yourself. Even if you feel like you are different, I feel like I'm so different from everyone else, and I love that because I think that we should celebrate being different and women in general. I feel like there's so much to celebrate being a woman right now. I'm so excited with what's happening with the women's scene in the metal world and the rock space. I just feel like we have so many badass women out here representing rock music. It's so awesome. If you are a female rocker out there, thank you for loving metal just as much as we do, and just fully embrace yourself.
LUNA: What is fueling your fire right now that’s pushing you into this new era of your career?
ROYALE LYNN: Womanhood and fully figuring out who I am as an individual, aside from the music, that has just been a journey. That's where most of these songs have come from, is just fully embracing who I am and exploring the evolution of who you are from 10 years ago versus who you are now. Self care and figuring out who I am has really fueled this next chapter to be like, I can still be a witchy gal and still love people and explore that.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
ROYALE LYNN: I am so excited. I have been so excited to get this new music out. I feel like this chapter and who I am right now, and to be able to drop it as I'm actually living through this era is so special to me. Sometimes we write songs and they don't come out for a year, so to be living within this era and to be on the road is really special. We're on a two month tour right now. I'm just so excited to meet the fans that are out there and to be doing the thing. New music is on the horizon and “Altar” just dropped and it's been really fun. I'm really looking forward to this year and next year.
