In her latest single “Sensitive,” glittering pop star Magdalene transforms anger into something holy and cathartic. Pulling inspiration from female pop icons before her (think the greats: Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera), the L.A./New York-based artist leans heavily into an undeniably glamorous artistry. In “Sensitive,” Magdalene turns the tables on the patriarchy by playfully teasing a man to not be so emotional, using a glitzy pop beat and ethereal vocals to deliver a message that is as enticing as it is complex.
For the single’s coinciding music video, Magdalene uses her signature trademark of religious symbolism to explore how women are crucified no matter how they convey themselves to men. Cruising around in a black pickup truck alongside her trusted girl group, “Sensitive” is a sonic and visual story fueled by feminism and unbridled self-expression.
Within Magdalene’s artistry is a complex world adorned with sequins, grime and poetry. Similar to the New Mexico desert landscape that surrounded her growing up, the “Lucky Girl” singer’s music balances a startling beauty with a dark ferocity. Ultimately, Magdalene decorates Catholic imagery with the grit of rural Americana and the glamor of neon-lit clubs to create an artistry that is reckless in its catharsis and shimmers in the sparkle of its musical magnetism.
“Sensitive” is only the fifth single to arrive from Magdalene, yet it shows the musical production and maturity from an artist well-seasoned in the pop music scene. From her previous releases, Magdalene’s bold determination to find fame and success in the industry is crystal clear, and she uses this passion to explore intricate themes in her work.
Magdalene falls under a long line of artists who have used religious themes and icons as metaphors for life. Dancing along the edge of devotion and rage, the pop singer-songwriter’s grungy splendor is nothing short of magical. Ahead of the release of “Sensitive,” as well as her show at Nightclub 101 on July 22, Magdalene sat down with Melodic Magazine to discuss her New Mexico roots, the deeper truth behind “Sensitive,” and how delusion is vital for survival.
I’m super excited to chat about the new single “Sensitive.” For those who might not be familiar, what’s the inspiration or the story behind the single?
I feel like it’s kind of layered; it can go pretty deep. But conceptually it’s using the phrase “Don’t be so sensitive.” It’s something that men say to women a lot, and it’s kind of a gag of me throwing it back to them. And where I went with the visuals as well is that women are so crucified for being these empathic, compassionate, maternal, giving beings. It’s expected of us, but then we’re also crucified for it. So that’s why I’m hung up on the cross in the video. And I think the older that I’m getting, the more connected to my womanhood I’ve been feeling, and I feel like the music I’m making right now is very in that theme of feeling like women are the Jesus of the world. Women are the artists of the world; we are the creators of the world. And obviously that song was also mirroring something that was happening in my own life. I was in a relationship, and it was the first relationship I’ve had that was really awesome. I think when you’re in a healthy relationship it’s more of a mirror than anything, and you’re faced with yourself, the things that you lack and what you need to do better for this person. Where when you’re in a toxic relationship, there’s so much time focused at that person, what they’re doing to you, what they’re doing wrong. I think I also was grappling with this masculinity that I kind of had within myself. I’m a musician, which, dating musicians sucks. I’m so focused on my art, and it always comes first. And I was dating this person who was so sensitive and just wanted simplicity and love.
When it comes to the music video, how did that concept come together? I feel like it exists in the same universe as the “Lucky Girl” music video.
Definitely. I think every video is kind of in the same universe and very girl-fueled. In this video, aesthetically I wanted it to feel like “Spring Breakers” meets the “Ride” by Lana Del Rey music video. And then it’s these women living on the fringe of society balling out together. But the religious imagery, it’s something that is a through line. For a while I think it was very unintentional, or just aesthetically how I’ve always been. I’ve always been super drawn to old Roman and Spanish Catholic imagery and garb. My family’s from the South. I grew up in New Mexico, but I was born in Texas and a lot of my family’s in Texas, so I was definitely raised in a family that was super religious in a way that I did not really align with. And I think the older I’ve gotten the more spiritual I’ve become and the more I’m finding my own truths. I don’t believe in a man-made religion. To me, all of those books, those are man-made things, and spirituality exceeds that. So I think through my womanhood I found a lot of spirituality and purpose and direct connection to my creativity and my creation and I truly feel like my creativity is not me. I do feel like I’m a vessel for something bigger, and anybody who creates anything is a vessel for something bigger and it comes through us. And that makes me feel very connected to God.
A couple of questions from that. You mentioned womanhood earlier, and how you really learned more about yourself as a woman as you’ve made these recent singles. What have you learned about your womanhood as you’ve gone on this musical journey?
That’s a good question. It’s a loaded question for some reason, because these singles that are coming out right now are pretty old. I sat on them and reworked the production for a while. So they’re coming from a very different place in my life, where it’s something I’m relating to and almost understanding more at this point post-making them. When I was making this music I was not in a great place. I had to have an abortion and that was an extremely traumatizing experience. I felt angry because nobody had prepared me for how traumatizing it was going to be. I feel like because women are fighting for our right to have an abortion, it almost feels like we have to talk about it in a nonchalant way, like it’s not a big deal, when really it’s extremely traumatizing and everyone I know who’s had an abortion feels that way. But it feels like if we say that, then it’s validating that it’s wrong. It’s this very black and white way of speaking about it, and I felt really angry about that. And also just grappling with the anger that I felt towards my partner, as truly fantastic and amazing as that person was through it, just knowing that because they weren’t a woman they couldn’t understand fundamentally what I was going through. But it made me feel more connected to my womanhood than ever before in my life. And through my life I was never angry. I was more anxious and depressed, but I never really experienced a lot of anger. It was the first time I felt fucking angry, and it came out in many ways.
One thing you mentioned is that you were more angry at that period than you’d ever been, and then that period of time led to these songs that you’re now releasing. But the songs themselves are very hardcore pop. How do you go about taking darker emotions and turning them into something very upbeat and pop-leaning?
I think at that time I was in so much pain it was like, “I need to listen to LMFAO.” Like when you’re so down bad you need to be listening to club music. That’s kind of where I was at, so that’s what I wanted to make. I didn’t need to work through the emotions in the lyrics, I needed to experience catharsis in my body. And I think pop music is mass catharsis, at least for me personally and the type of pop music that I like to listen to. It’s not even necessarily about the content of the lyrics. It’s the feeling that it makes your body feel and the freedom and catharsis that it makes you feel. And I love pop music. I’m a student of pop music. I live for pop music and I always have. I came up in the indie rock scene, but it was this natural progression and it got more pop over time.
Going back to what we were speaking about earlier in terms of religious imagery in your music — In popular music in general, religious imagery has always had a relationship with pop music. Madonna was super famous for doing it, and you do it in your work as well. Why do you think these two concepts are so harmonious with one another?
I think because it’s conceptually the two most mainstream things in the world. Pop music is the most mainstream form of art that you can access, and religion is the through line of most societies. I think faith and spirituality are so essential for humanity, and life is fucking hard and life never stops being hard, and people need something to turn to that’s bigger than themselves. But then when the man-made construct of it comes in and people want to pick and choose what parts of it apply, I think it is very harmful. It’s usually women in pop music who have these religious through lines, and I think because it’s kind of like taking your power back within that and turning it on its head and starting dialogue and poking the bear. Spirituality is essential. Not religion, but spirituality and faith. I do think it’s essential to humanity. But the waters get muddied when the book of it all gets involved. And I think this grandeur idea, that’s pop music. It’s the theater of it all and the spectacle and the dialogue on society. I think it’s very natural for religion to become a part of that because it is so embedded in our society and the way that we move, especially in regards to women and gay people. That is pop music. We don’t have pop music without the gays and we don’t have pop music without women, and that’s who that’s affecting the most prominently.
I love that your music incorporates this very glittery aesthetic, but then there’s also this incorporation of rural Americana. What draws you to that niche aesthetic so much?
I grew up in New Mexico, and growing up in the desert specifically is extremely formative and a very unique experience. Weird things happen in the desert. I grew up on a lot of open land on a farm in New Mexico. It’s one of the bigger states but with a really low population. I think humans aren’t meant to survive there, and the fact that we’re there it’s like you have this pushback energetically from the land. There’s a lot of tragedy, at least where I grew up, but it’s met with this very intense beauty. To me, New Mexico is the most beautiful place in the world. Artists move there because of it. My hometown is and was an artist hub because of its beauty. But I think it’s such a huge part of who I am that I don’t even really mean to incorporate it. I just do. It’s just fundamentally a part of me. It’s where the truth of Maddy comes into Magdalene. And I think when you grow up in a place that has such an intense scenery and landscape it becomes a part of your identity. New Mexico is so beautiful, but we’re 50th in education and it’s a very poor state. And I think with that, it’s just this yin and yang of human struggle and bad things happening met with this very stark beauty. It’s like they can’t exist without each other. It almost feels like because it’s so beautiful, spectacular and magical, it has to have this underbelly.
Another concept within your artistry is this concept of delusion. It’s been said that you approach music almost with this sense of “delulu.” A lot of times delusion is something painted out as something negative. How do you have fun with this idea and turn it into something positive?
I think to pursue a career in pop music, delusion is survival. This is the most elite form of music and achievements that you can be striving for. Pop music is kind of the hardest to attain. I think at this point the music industry, there’s many levels and tiers of being a working musician, making a living and touring, but we all know the Lady Gaga interview where she’s like, “Yeah, before I was famous I walked around and I just held myself like I was famous and people thought I was somebody because I just acted like it.” I remember hearing her say that and was like, “Damn, that’s manifestation.” And I just trained myself to live that way. People in my life are always like, “How do you do that? How do you walk around like that?” It really was a mental exercise to train myself. But it’s true. I’ve signed autographs for people who don’t know who the fuck I am just because of the way that I walk down the street and the outfits that I wear. And I think pursuing this career, it’s such a fucking beat down dude. It’s not easy and it’s a lot of fucking work, obviously. I think in order to get up and do it every day, I have to just live in the delusion that it’s happening for me and that failure is not an option.
Stream “Sensitive” here.
Keep up with Magdalene: Instagram // TikTok // Spotify // YouTube
