Interview

✦

Interview ✦

Following a successful 2024, rising British pop star Samira is back and ready to make her mark in 2025 with her latest single "Valentine's Day (I Ain't Got Time For That)."

The track chronicles a disheartening ghosting experience written on Valentine's Day itself, transforming heartbreak into an empowering sass-coated anthem. And it’s quickly apparent that Samira's signature blend of pop sensibilities shines on the charming track, highlighting her undeniable ability to spin bittersweet experiences into infectious music.

More importantly, "Valentine's Day (I Ain't Got Time For That)" is a taste of the exciting new music Samira has been crafting in the studio throughout the past year. Having spent 2024 honing her craft with some of the industry's most exciting names in UK dance, electronic, and pop, Samira’s meticulous work is perfectly poised to deliver a fresh and dynamic sound in the coming months. Though, in addition to her dedication to music, she’s also ready to pursue the iconic scream queen path with a role in the upcoming film: Bambi: The Reckoning—tapping into her budding passion for acting. And we love that for her.

Congratulations on your new track, it’s definitely a playlist essential! Considering that the title conveys a message of independence—what were some of your personal motivations for writing a song that so directly addresses the theme of self-love and moving on?

Samira: I think being blindsided by someone that you think is great and lovely and kind and communicative and then being ghosted by them was a real shock to the system for me. I think it’s probably one of the worst things someone can do because it makes the other person really question whether they’ve done something wrong. I really wanted to be quite candid, and put that into the writing of ‘Valentine’s Day’, whilst also coming at it from a real female empowerment ‘I’m not going to stand for this’ type of place which I think is a thread that runs across quite a lot of my songs.

How did collaborating with Jonny Parry and Jeff Sojka shape the sound and feel of the track?

Samira: Jonny’s great—it was so easy going in with him. This was our first session together, so going in and spilling my guts was a little daunting! Thankfully, I had my friend Blithe in the session who wrote the topline with me so it just felt really collaborative and really natural. Jonny’s great with bringing that ‘live’ sound to a pop song, and so I really wanted that to influence the final sound of the track. Jeff was just the final piece of the puzzle—he’s worked with huge global acts like Monsta X, so he did a great job of making it sound glossy like a big, international radio song.

You’ve mentioned spending 2024 in the studio working on new music. What can you tell us about the overall sound and direction of your upcoming work?

Samira: It’s much bigger and in your face than my previous EP. I think as a person I am a big personality— I’m camp, I’m extra and that’s really reflected in the songs I’m looking to roll out for the next EP. Every song is full of my character and personality, and I just think the overall sound is really vibrant and colorful. Pop has gotten really interesting since I wrote my first EP and there are so many really bold songs breaking through—whether it’s the big US acts like Sabrina or Chappell, or the huge K-Pop girl bands like LE SSERAFIM or TWICE, and I’ve been really trying to take that level of confidence and risk-taking into every session. I really want to incorporate dance more into this EP roll-out as well – like everyone else, I was obsessed with Netflix’s Pop Star Academy and the Dream Academy format and as a dancer, it’s made me think about choreo and what I can do performance-wise whilst I’ve been in the writing process.

You’ve had success in both pop and dance music. How do you navigate these different genres and find your unique sound within them?

Samira: When I go into the studio, I write what comes to me in the moment. It can be influenced by who you’re working with, or what’s going on in your life at that point. I just write how I’m feeling, and try to put as much of me in it as I can so that, regardless of the genre, it’s unmistakeably my song. I think that’s the great thing about music now is that you don’t have to stick to one genre, you can have so many different sounds and still being an amazing artist.

Your debut EP Dancefloors & Drama Vol. 1 was well-received. What have you learned from that experience that you’re applying to your new music?

Samira: I’m so grateful at the response to my first EP, but if I’m honest, I don’t really think of that too much when I’m in the studio. I’m always conscious of trying to better what I’ve done before, and I definitely wanted this EP to feel bolder and like I’d taken more risks. But that’s really more of my own inner critic rather than listening to what others have said—I just write what I write and hope for the best.

You’ve also ventured into acting with your role in Bambi: The Reckoning. What was the best part of getting to experiment with acting—and more specifically, the horror genre?

Samira: I’ve always done acting since I was a child, even appearing in West End shows like Mamma Mia! and Dreamgirls. I’ve played parts and leads in shows so I wasn’t completely new to the acting world, but it was both fun and challenging to play a part in a movie. I absolutely love acting—I’d love to balance that with my music and I hope to be in more things. I’d love to be in a Netflix show or a huge hit movie. I think acting is such a skill and I’d love to continue learning and get better at it.

Did you do any specific genre prep work to get you in the iconic ‘scream queen’ headspace?

Samira: I watched a few of the Scream films ahead of filming, just to give me some ‘scream queen’ insight. But most of my filming slots were night shoots, so I was naturally agitated, extremely tired and hungry, so when I was screaming it was probably for real so that we could wrap up the scene and I could go to bed!

In closing, what are your goals for 2025? Are there any specific milestones you’re hoping to achieve? Or even specific content that you’re eager to drop?

Samira: My goals for 2025—I can’t wait to actually start rolling this EP out, and I’d love to put a proper live show together and start getting out on the road. I’m always writing, so I really want to challenge myself to write some of the best music I’ve ever written, hopefully working with lots of new producers and collaborators. Obviously, I’d love to start having big, global hits—what artist wouldn’t—so I’m really committed to grinding this year and making that happen!