Q&A: Sone Talks Musical Evolution and Her “Rollercoaster” Journey
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY DANIELLE HOLIAN ☆
Get ready to experience the powerful and genre-bending sound of Sone, an international vocal sensation whose highly anticipated new single, “Rollercoaster,” is set to take the music world by storm. A true force to be reckoned with, Sone merges the raw emotion of pop with the operatic strength of her classical training, creating a sound that is both theatrical and unapologetically vulnerable.
“Rollercoaster” dives deep into the emotional highs and lows of life, celebrating the ups and downs that shape us. With a sound influenced by musical icons like Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Chappell Roan, and Billie Eilish, Sone's latest track showcases a fresh fusion of modern pop and classical technique, pushing boundaries and reshaping the genre of Popera.
Read our conversation with Sone below about her musical journey, the inspiration behind “Rollercoaster,” and how embracing both the highs and lows of life has shaped her artistry. From her reflective writing process to her path from opera to viral stardom, Sone opens up about the journey that has brought her to this exciting new chapter in her evolving sonic universe. So buckle up, because Sone’s “Rollercoaster” is just getting started. Let’s dive in!
LUNA: “Rollercoaster” feels so personal—what was going through your mind the moment you first wrote that opening lyric?
SONE: When I was writing “Rollercoaster,” I felt so isolated. I think everyone has moments of questioning their emotions and feelings, like “am I the only one that feels this way, why is this happening…” and the only way I can get myself out of my head is by writing about it and making music. It helps me to make my feelings tangible in a way, I can see myself from a new perspective and not feel so isolated and alone.
LUNA: You mentioned the song began as a journal entry—do you often draw from your personal writing when songwriting?
SONE: That’s all I do. Every song I’ve written is from personal writing. My notes app is a mess, and I have so many journals lying around (just in case I have an idea. I like to physically write things out). Sometimes I have a melody in my head and I look in my notes and see what poetry I’ve written that goes with the melody, and voila, there’s the song. Or I look at my text and see what flows melodically. Sometimes, though not that often, I have the melody and the text come at the same time.
LUNA: There’s such a cinematic, theatrical vibe to the track—how did you and Theo Laurent-Vitale approach the production process?
SONE: We spoke a lot about inspirations, sounds that I liked, and the feeling we wanted the song to have. Something that I really loved about this was that we ended up using actual rollercoaster sounds in the beat as well as sounds of people screaming on a rollercoaster ride. We knew what key elements we wanted: vocal layering, harmonies, some opera, as well as noises or ear candy. And then from there it was trying things out and seeing what felt right. He’s so easy to work with, and it was so much fun. Maybe one day I’ll release the original demo so you can hear where we started—it’s crazy how much it has evolved.
LUNA: The fusion of pop and opera in your music is so unique—how do you strike that balance without losing the emotional core?
SONE: I think that experimenting and finding a sweet spot between the two genres doesn’t challenge the emotional side of the equation. Both pop and opera are emotional in their own right—it’s just a matter of deciding what I want to show. Will I have an explosion of emotion, or a more subtle, slow burn? But I think that this is a struggle that every musician has with every style of music.
LUNA: You’ve said, “If you don’t like my rollercoaster, go ride a different one.” Have you always had this level of self-assurance, or did it take time to grow into it?
SONE: I definitely had to grow into this. Actually—to be honest I was like this as a kid, I couldn’t care less about what people thought, and then I was taught to be embarrassed and taught to quiet down, told that I should be more chill. So I lost it, and now I’ve found my way back into just trusting myself and letting myself be.
LUNA: How have your experiences growing up between New York and Russia shaped your artistic voice?
SONE: I love singing Russian pop music, I think that the melodies are a bit more complex and I love how the rhythm of the language plays into how it’s used in their music. I’m inspired by these Slavic melodies for sure.
LUNA: Performing at the Kremlin at age 10 with your grandfather must have been surreal—what do you remember most about that experience?
SONE: This is a core memory of mine—I remember what had happened was that we were supposed to have a rehearsal a few days before the concert, and it kept getting cancelled. Then on the day of the concert, they basically said that I’d have a rehearsal in the morning, but that didn’t happen. There was a problem with the paperwork to let me through the front door of the Kremlin (my name was misspelled by one letter, and so the papers didn’t match my passport). They are super strict. Finally, my grandfather got me in. Now it’s an hour before the concert and we finally run through the song. Remember—I’m 10 and a little lost. They have me run through the song, they say, “okay, so, stand there, stand there, walk over there. Tell your grandfather how much you love him, he’ll say something back, and then stand there and walk off that way”
We did that once, and then I had to get ready and go back on stage to open the concert. It was a lot of fun, I hit all the marks. It was a funny moment when the curtains came up and I started to sing. It was a concert for my grandfather, and the audience was genuinely confused when they saw a ten-year-old girl—until he introduced me, and I saw some “ohhh” faces. And then apparently (I don’t remember this, but this is what my mom said) I got off stage after the song, and I was like “only one song? All that and I only get to sing one song?”
LUNA: How has your classical training at the Manhattan School of Music and in Germany informed the way you write and perform pop music today?
SONE: Basically, before studying classically, I did everything based on intuition and what felt right, and I had no idea what any of it meant musically. Now I know what chord structures are and how chords work together, what scales are being used, and what can work and what cannot on a more technical level. So while I’m still intuitive, I at least know what I’m doing a bit more.
LUNA: You’ve built a massive online following from your viral performances—how has social media changed your relationship with your audience?
SONE: I feel so much more connected to them! I love doing little polls and asking them questions, getting to know them. My favorite thing to do is little “jingles” where I ask my followers to send me their names and something about them, and I write them a little jingle. That’s what this is all about, connecting with people through music.
LUNA: Who were the biggest vocal or artistic inspirations for “Rollercoaster?”
SONE: Lady Gaga without a doubt, Noga Erez, Billie Eilish, Chappel Roan, and Melanie Martinez.
LUNA: The song dives into emotional highs and lows—what do you want listeners to take away from hearing it?
SONE: I hope that they’re able to be kinder and more graceful with themselves—I hope that they are able to embrace the lows as well as the highs, and be more accepting of themselves.
LUNA: What’s been the most surprising reaction you’ve received about the single so far?
SONE: Honestly, how fast people are able to memorize lyrics. It’s so cool to know people listen to the lyrics and are able to internalize and remember them, and sing along. I’m happy that people resonate.
LUNA: How do you protect your creativity and mental health in an industry that can feel like its own rollercoaster?
SONE: I’m really struggling with this, to be honest. It’s hard to balance constructive criticism versus opinion, and it’s hard to make a song from my heart while also keeping in mind how palatable it is to an audience. It’s important to keep people you trust and love around you. And at the end of the day, I’m going to continue making music and writing songs from my heart and that I like, and I’ll be happy to share and connect with people through them.
LUNA: You’ve described “Rollercoaster” as part of your “sonic universe.” Can you give us a sneak peek of what other worlds we might explore in that universe?
SONE: I have a song coming out next called “drink baby.” On the surface, it seems like a fun drinking song, but when you pay attention to the lyrics, it’s a commentary on drinking and the feeling you can get the next days to follow, not just being hungover. It’s a fun song to dance to when you want, or get in your feelings about.
LUNA: If your younger self—performing in concert halls as a teen—could hear “Rollercoaster” today, what do you think she’d say?
SONE: She would be so proud of me, I think. Younger me always wanted to be a singer and songwriter, and I could never have imagined being able to be a part of the producing process. I’m so grateful for this journey.
