Talia Goddess Embraces Risks and Rewards in Her Sound and Style

Talia Goddess knows no limits and no fear when it comes to her sound and style.

Whether she’s in the studio experimenting with electronic beats and afro-derived drum patterns for her forthcoming EP, on stage showcasing her inimitable sonic identity as a singer and DJ, or strutting down the London streets in her gender-bending garb, Talia Goddess embodies authenticity and an unapologetic attitude in every avenue.

Her boundless creativity – cultivated during her Brooklyn childhood and by members of her musical family – transcends the bounds of music through various artistic mediums. While the 22-year-old trailblazer first familiarized herself with the sonic world through her father and uncle’s dancehall DJ sets and her mother’s vocal prowess as a singer, she has since solidified herself in the artistic arena as a multi-faceted artist. When she’s not working on the club-centric follow-up to her second EP, Down 2 Earth, or opening for Amaarae on tour, as she did this past spring, she’s also highlighting – and harnessing – her creative capabilities as a visual artist, model and creative director under her record label and creative agency, TRANCE.

“I knew [from the beginning] that there were so many things that I wanted to do and it just needed to live under one hub,” she shares. “That was the thought process with [building] TRANCE. It’s also been a home where I can produce events, do different community [activations] such as DJ workshops, [design] merch and all these different things. Trance allows me to step into entrepreneurship as well because as artists, [we often forget] that we’re a business too, so I’ve been learning about that along the way.”

In addition to her aforementioned artistic abilities – rooted in what she describes as a sense of rock-solid confidence – the London-based lyricist’s creativity also flourishes in fashion, where she incorporates inspiration from movement and dance and takes styling cues from the music scene she’s shaking up. She creates eye-catching ensembles that align with different genre aesthetics and blends masculine and feminine silhouettes with sports-derived styles to showcase her androgynous sensibilities.

“Confidence is my number one thing when it comes to my outfits,” the East Flatbush native explains. “I grew up kind of tomboyish and I like to play between the masculine and the feminine. I’m really gender-bending in that way. [Music also influences me] as certain types of music have a visual identity. I think pairing the visuals with the music and creating this character and this image that reflects that is definitely a form of creation in itself.”

The self-taught musician’s sartorial approach has taken center stage throughout her career, from campaigns to concerts to spreads and features in publications none other than Hypebae. We sat down with the global starlet to get the full scoop on Talia Goddess’ style sensibilities featuring the classic Coach Teri, the sonic world she’s weaving and her upcoming EP.

You’re a true multi-hyphenate working as a self-taught musician, model, DJ, visual artist and creative director amongst many other things. Is there one specific craft that you feel aligns with you the most?

I think music. Music literally feeds my spirit. It’s kind of like eating, not [making] music feels like not eating. It’s an important part of my expression, my energy and my life source. It’s kind of crazy [to me] that people don’t listen to music everyday. There’s so much music out there to discover and something clicked in my brain that I can’t do without it.

Across all of your creative crafts, how do you manage to maintain your authenticity?

Authenticity comes from having fun and I think being a creative is about having that balance of being inspired and constantly challenging myself to try new things. I don’t think it’s hard especially when I’m someone that’s so self-sufficient and an entrepreneur.

I think being an artist and being a musician is a very solitary experience. There’s a lot of introspection and solitude which requires me to look at myself honestly and authentically. I think it’s important for me to have a career that’s built on authenticity because I want to be received and accepted for being myself. If I’m trying to like something else and that’s popping off, it doesn’t feel genuine, it doesn’t feel like I’m being celebrated for the right reasons. It’s pretty easy and it’s pretty important to me. It takes a lot of courage as well to remain yourself and to choose yourself.

How were you inspired to create your music identity? How is your music reflective of your identity and personality?

My music identity is kind of like being a chameleon. I seek to pull influence from so many different things and reinterpret it in my own way. I think this idea of originality and to be the first person to do things is so exaggerated because we’re always inspired by things and referencing things. So, I’m a lot more intentional about the things I reference and being able to apply that into my work. I like to take events from the past and the present to create the future. [In terms of my identity and personality,] I think my music carries a mood that feels intimate and bold. I take a lot of risks with my music and something about me is that I’m very experimental and very spontaneous with my choices. I believe in no risk, no reward, especially in New York.

How would you describe the music you make? Do you feel that you fall under a specific genre?

I think my music that’s currently out there is definitely alternative R&B if I had to put it in a box but with Dancehall and Caribbean influences. I think the new music, though, is definitely more electronic-centered, a lot more synthesizers and crazy drum patterns. One thing about me, drums are my element, my whole footprint. I think that’s something I picked up a lot from the London music scene and the way they incorporate this sort of Afrobeats or African cadences into hip-hop. They’re creating this new sonic journey which is really cool. They also bring in a New York-inspired cadence. But yeah, I think that electronic sounds are what people should expect from my new project. I’m wanting to dance and make music that people can dance to. When I say electronic as a word to describe the music, I mean in it that the sounds choices that I’m making are more clubby, have more drums and synthesizers and crazy baselines. There’s still that R&B groove to it but it’s more uptempo and fast too. It’s not so much about what I’m saying but more so how it impacts your feelings.

Talk to me about the differences between the London music scene versus the New York music scene. Which one do you feel more comfortable with?

I think the London music scene is expanding a lot right now. It’s pulling a lot of influence from Afrobeats, diasporic Black music, hip-hop and rap music to create a new sound. It’s nice to be a part of this renaissance of reclaiming Black voices and the migrant experiences and seeing what that translates to. I think New York has always been a hip-hop-dominated city for me, sonically. There’s a lot of pockets but I haven’t really come across that much range of music the way I do in the UK. I listen to garage and electronic music and genres like that. There’s so many different pockets [in London,] there’s drill, Amapiano, house music, there’s so much. It’s really inspiring.

I [definitely] feel the most comfortable in London. Personally, I have a very global sound in the music I listen to, the music I aim to create and to feel and I think that London has that global sound and that global ear in a way that New York doesn’t. So, I feel a lot more comfortable sharing my music and trying new things in London.

As a global artist, what sounds are you gravitating towards these days as a musician and as a listener?

Recently, I’ve been getting into the archives and by the archives, I just mean music before my time. I’m looking at the compositions and the arrangements of a lot of funk, soul and pop music and music from the ‘70s to the ‘90s as well. It’s been informing my musicality in terms of what a song’s composition should look like. I’m also always pulling inspiration from the Caribbean, Dancehall, Reggae so that’s a common thread in my music. Even in the cadences, it can be any type of music – like electronic for instance which is something I’ve been doing a lot – and I’ll always add a Caribbean element to it. [I’m also gravitating towards] R&B. That sort of moody, soulful sound.

Can you pinpoint a moment in your life where you knew you wanted to pursue music as a career? Did you have any other path in mind?

I’ve been doing music for all of my life. I don’t think I saw any other option. When I was younger, I used to want to be a scientist or a doctor, like all of the great things, but I think at the core of it, [I always wanted to pursue] music. I’m a nerd and my desire to learn things has gotten me to this point. I remember being six or seven years old, running around shows in the Bronx and in Queens, even though I had school in the morning. I never saw a world without music. I think there definitely was a transition where I realized this could become a career once I became a teenager and started to garner more attention on the internet. I’m still kind of navigating that, being a musician as an art form, as a lifestyle and as a musician that has a career in business.

Although you come from a musical background, did you ever feel pressure or pushback from your parents – especially as immigrants – to follow a more traditional career path?

Well, a lot of my family members work in trade or in medical fields. It’s definitely an interesting pool of careers and considering that both sides of my family are migrants. They definitely came into their careers thinking about security and stability but I think that they also laid the foundation for me to explore and actually do what I want to do, they still have dreams and had dreams that they wanted to accomplish. I think their sacrifices though have allowed me to chase after my dreams. Occasionally my mom will ask me about a “plan b” because there’s always that uncertainty about what your life will look like, but I really think that my mission in life is to be creative, inspiring and reach others with my music.

Aside from music, fashion is another way that you express yourself as can be seen from your Instagram page and campaigns you’ve been featured in. Talk to me about how style is a mode of self-expression for you.

The way I’m dressed, shapes the way I’m perceived, and I like that I can play with that. Whether that’s through hair or the masculine and feminine. Different locations as well, perceive style differently, so it’s really a conversation and a reflection of your community.

Do you tap into different sides of your style depending on the different locations?

For sure. I love shopping in London. I find different pieces and their approach to fashion is very different. I think New York definitely has a lot of streetwear as a big part of that urban style and I think in living in London, I’m able to explore different types of fashion and I can pull my New York influences into that and also bring flavor to New York with my UK Wardrobe. I think the location [definitely changes things.] People perceive it differently as well. For example, I was in Austin, Texas and everybody was stunned. It’s so easy to be fly out there because the standard is different.

For this shoot, how did you curate the looks and incorporate Coach’s Teri bag in them? What was the inspiration behind the outfits?

I actually collaborated with my two amazing stylists Catalina [Iglesias] and Brianna [Scarpelli]. I think the direction that we played into was Y2K, that early 2000s aesthetic. We played with a lot of textures, fur and prints and included low rise moments too by wearing True Religion. We tried to [remake] pivotal fashion moments and trends from when I was a kid in the early 2000s. [I was reminiscing] on the Coach bags my cousins had at the time that I always thought were so cute, and cropped denim jackets as well. We wanted that chic, grungy type of vibe – and took inspiration from the weather with cool, earthy tones – to complement the classic logo and legacy that is Coach.

You’re only in your early 20s but you’ve accomplished so much thus far. What’s next for Talia Goddess?

Honestly, I am really looking forward to continuing to expand my creative practice into technology and curation and [merging that with] entrepreneurship. I think that’s been a really important thing for me right now beyond music. I want to create and combine these ever-changing worlds with technology and business [merge it with] music and creativity. I’m looking forward to making my stuff so much bigger as an artist, as a musician. I want to be a creative entrepreneur. But, there is also more music on the way.

Read more at Hypebae