Justine Skye Is Embracing Her New Era by "Making Music People Want to Dance To"

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Justine Skye is no stranger to a major image shift. From her teenage years, the singer-actress was thrust into Tumblr virality, quickly gaining recognition for her distinctly purple hair ( even nicknaming herself the purple unicorn), and her velvety vocals used to give popular hits like "Headlines" by Drake new life. These online moments were the catalyst that led her to sign her first record deal and launch headfirst into her R&B music career. While the internet played a major role in Skye's initial successes, life online hasn't always been pleasant. Much of her early adulthood was spent under intense scrutiny, and every post, comment, like, and share were talked about by people who thought they knew her better than she knew herself. Pair that with her most personal moments being blasted to the public—this experience made learning about herself and determining her own path particularly difficult.

That was a long time ago, though, and today, Skye's hair color isn't the only thing that's changed. (Her tresses are still a hot topic online, but now, instead of purple, she wears them blonde, and fans often beg the star to divulge the secret behind her unique shade.) At 30 years old, she's all grown up. Now, Skye is all about putting herself front and center by embarking on perhaps the most important shift of her career: changing her sound.

While the musician gained mass notoriety for her R&B beginnings with hits like "Collide" and "Know Myself," the former Grown-ish star is ready for a new chapter. With inspiration from her travels and the ultimate goal of crafting music meant for having fun and taking life less seriously, Skye is officially embracing the world of dance music, one single at a time. "Bitch in Ibiza," "Oh Lala," and forthcoming "Yap" (October 3) mark the beginning of an era no one, not even her day one Tumblr followers, have seen before.

We caught up with Skye in a candid conversation, discussing all things music, life online, and embracing fun. Come along to go deep with Justine Skye, learn some of her inner thoughts, and take a peek into her personal camera roll.

With the release of your latest singles "Bitch in Ibiza" and "Oh Lala," there's been a distinct departure from your R&B-centered beginnings to dance music. What inspired this shift? Can you speak on this new era and what it means for you?

This new era, for me, is about making music people want to dance to. I spent a long time releasing slow, sad songs, and it didn't feel authentic to me anymore. When I was working on [my latest music], it was important to me that we were having fun and were excited about what we were doing that day. If we weren't, we'd move on and try something new.

What has been the response to this new direction? Are there any particularly meaningful moments you'd like to share?

I think someone that I've shared [meaningful moments] with [as an] artist and friend who has really helped to encourage me through this shift is Kaytranada. He's someone that I've always looked up to and respected, and to have him on my side and to be so supportive genuinely [means so much.] I am a Virgo, so I hate rejection. He's a Virgo as well. We both were very shy throughout knowing each other and then, with the encouragement of some of our friends, just getting us into the studio. I've broken down a wall that I put up for myself in being afraid of people not taking me seriously, and now, I just feel unstoppable.

Besides Kaytranada, is there a dream artist you'd like to collaborate with?

I'd really like to work with more female producers and DJs, particularly Black women like Crystallmess and PinkPantheress. Donna Summer and Janet Jackson were huge forces in shaping modern dance music, yet Black women often get typecast into a specific genre or style. I love my R&B roots, but it's important to me to have the freedom to explore and change up my sound.

Have there been any challenges that you've had to face with this transition to dance music?

Yeah, that's still even to the day now that I have put my foot down and started to really, really go for this. I see a lot of people being like, "Oh, this doesn't sound like her. We liked her better when she was making R&B." The way that I was raised, my mom just always taught me and put me in environments where I could experiment and be myself, so it has always been something that was within me to go left [of people's expectations]. But it's not really that left if you think about it because Black women have been the forefront of dance music. In this day and age, we've been programmed to think that this is white music, but no, this is just music.

"Bitch in Ibiza" has such a fun, vibrant energy. Can you explain the inspiration for your song?

We were just in the studio. It was a session where everyone was a bit confused because it was our first time working with each other. My friends Kito and Noah started playing around with this beat. Kito found this sample, and we were like, "It sounds like something about Taco Bell and pizza." We started joking around and just throwing out different random [lines] to the melody of that sample, and then this really dope songwriter, Beau, [jokingly] just goes, "I'm just another bitch in Ibiza" because I was talking about Ibiza so much. And then we just kept saying it, then Cakes went in and started writing out the raps, and we were just having the best time.

It seems that travel has been a key piece in your creative process. Can you talk about that more?

I feel like I'm always traveling, whether it's to L.A. to record, Paris for fashion week, or Ibiza on vacation. Ibiza, in particular, has been such a strong inspiration in my current musical era. I went for the first time last summer and came back to the studio so inspired. That trip was a catalyst for everything you'll see on this next project.

As someone who has had a significant online presence since the Tumblr days, what helps you stay grounded IRL?

What helps me stay grounded in real life is my friends. The internet and the things that people say online, whether it's good or bad, is not something that you should let consume you. I know that it's hard. Sometimes, I'll get lost in the sauce of looking through the comments, especially when putting out new music, because you want to see what people are saying and if they're loving [your new work]. But I am so grateful for the foundation of friendship that I have all around, and they've really been great examples in how to carry myself and also just being there for me. All of my friends, I love [them] dearly. … I can put my phone down, and I have a real life with real friendships, so we can actually enjoy each other's company.

How do you feel social media has impacted your experience as an artist over the years?

I think that social media is a great platform for any artist who's wanting to get their stuff out there. I don't think that it should be your only source of putting yourself out there, but it is a great one because you don't need anyone to help you with that. You can create your own story for yourself sometimes. Sometimes, it gets too crazy, and the fans start to take over, and they start to create your story for you. I'm still learning. There was a point in time where I was taking it too seriously, and now, I'm just trying to find the fun in there, which some of my peers, like Steve Lacy, really do a great job with that. Just because you didn't get a million likes on [a post] doesn't mean that I didn't touch someone or someone didn't really … appreciate [it]. We get so caught up in the numbers of it all, and we lose the authenticity.

You're no stranger to the limelight, as you've been in the public eye for a while and are known for having a host of famous friends. Is there anyone you think you'd get starstruck by?

Oh, there are so many people I get starstruck by. When I was younger, I cried when I saw Soulja Boy [at the Kids' Choice Awards.] Beyoncé—I met her, but I'll still get starstruck. Such power. I love Big Mouth, and I was randomly in the same place as Nick Kroll [once]. So that's a good one.

What's a misconception or something you wish people knew about you?

So many people think I'm from L.A. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and it's a huge part of my identity. It was really important that the story around this new project was rooted in my being a native New Yorker. We shot "Oh Lala" at Paragon, this underground spot in Brooklyn that just reopened, and it felt so personal to capture a piece of the city in that way.

What aspect of your life now do you think 10-year-old Justine would be most proud of?

The work that I've done on my mental health. I think that she'd be most happy about that and that I'm back to not [being] so caught up in the way that people are viewing me and just having fun. I'm so blessed that I get to do something that I love, and I feel like I lost that feeling because I felt like I was in competition with everyone.

What is one go-to fashion item that is a must-have for you—something that you reach for again and again without fail?

I have these Peter Do earrings. They are my favorite earrings that I own because they look like disco balls. I think I wear them too much. I love a big, chunky earring. I'm not the best at accessorizing, but throw on a big earring, then boom—you're done. It makes you look like you tried.