XYLØ Is Dancing Her Pain Away

​Los Angeles electronic pop musician Paige Duddy, who performs under the name XYLØ, is back with a brand new bag. 

​The singer-songwriter once performed with her brother, but has recently released a string of new singles: same name, hot new tunes. The latest is "Tears and Tantrums," co-written with boundary-pushing pop auteur and hitmaker Charli XCX, and from multiple spins, we can reveal that the addictive track is a pulsating hit, and will soon resonate on dancefloors and in bedroom vanities (for your hairbrush solo, of course) everywhere, even if you can't "stop crying." XYLØ throws an admittedly uncontrollable sonic tantrum for the high-energy track, hoping to find catharsis from her broken heart. May you find your own release. 

Listen to the PAPER premiere of "Tears and Tantrums" below and read on as XYLØ talks about the song's inspiration, working with Charli XCX, and teases what's coming next.

​How did the song's concept emerge and how did Charli XCX get onboard?

Charli is one of my favorite songwriters. She's a huge influence to me. I knew I wanted to make pop music after becoming obsessed with her first albumTrue Romance  and then Sucker. I love that as an artist she isn't afraid to push the boundaries in pop music with her progressive lyrics and production. I feel like she's always 10 steps ahead of everyone. The concept was originally created by Charli and the producers she was working with at the time SIBA and Fred Gibson. My team had sent me over an early version of the song and it spoke to me because of what I was going through at the time. Lee Newell — who I collaborate with on all my music — and I went back and forth refining the bridge and making sure it fit what I had going on. Sonically, we spent a lot of time crafting the sound through multiple versions to make it sound how I was envisioning it. I was trying to go for this 80s dance record that felt modern. As an emerging artist and song writer, I was honored to be a part of this song and this creative process.

The song explores having an emotional experience on the dancefloor that some might describe as "explosive" or "disastrous." Why did it feel important for you to express that kind of relationship angst in a dance track?

Writing sad, melancholic lyrics comes way more natural to me. When I listen to music I focus on the lyrics most of all- and I always relate to the sad ones because what I take away from it is way more therapeutic than the happy ones. BUT don't get me wrong, I love a good dance song- and thats why I think this song is so special. Its one of the first up beat "explosive" productions I've ever released but still true to me as an artist because its coming from a vulnerable place and speaking from the heart.

What can you tell us about any new music you're working on? What can fans and listeners expect?

This music I'm putting out is a side of me that I was afraid to show people before. I think I've grown a lot as a songwriter and artist in the last year and it feels good to experiment with a fresher sound and image. I've got lots of new material coming each month and some really cute music videos as well!