by chris richmond
photo courtesy of helen
Experimental R&B artist Helen has finally releasing her long-awaited EP, ubiquitous, and it’s every bit as poignant and powerful as her previous releases have suggested. It rejoices in her identity as a black woman, and deftly tackles micro-aggressions, performative activism and body positivity across its tracklisting. It’s a soulful R&B record for the modern world, with biting lyrics and sharp production. We were lucky enough to catch up with Helen to discuss the creative process behind her new project, as well as her career so far and the inspiration behind her tunes.
First of all, thank you so much for agreeing to chat to Unclear Magazine — we all love the work that you've been doing the last few years, and the new EP is fantastic. We're really looking forward to hearing more about your process. Your long-awaited debut EP, ubiquitous, was released on April 7th. How are you feeling about it all? Are you excited about its release? How did you feel when you realized you had a complete collection under your belt?
Helen: “Thanks for having me Unclear Magazine! I’m super excited about the release! I think I ended up enjoying the whole process a lot more than I had expected. I had an initial idea of what I wanted to talk about and how I wanted this project to sound, but hearing and seeing it all come together was just this new and incredible feeling. Now I’m just excited to work on more projects in the future!
Lyrically, the EP tackles a variety of themes across its tracklisting, including the likes of micro-aggressions, performative activism, cultural appropriation, and body-positivity. Can you tell us your process of exploring these themes through music? Why do you think it's important to intertwine music with legitimate cultural issues? How does your engagement with these issues manifest itself in your songwriting?
Helen: “Constantly experiencing racism and microaggressions is beyond what words can describe; there were a lot of times when I felt so miserable and broken because of it. At those times, I would listen to music that made me feel good and that celebrated who I am. Eventually, I wanted to write songs that made me feel empowered and unapologetic so that in turn it could allow others to do the same.”
One of the strengths of the collection is the way it fiercely rejoices in your identity as a Black woman. In what way is your identity reflected in your work and your process, both musically and visually?
Helen: “Being a Black woman is not easy but it is so beautiful; it’s a part of me that I would never ever take away. It frustrates me that Black women aren’t celebrated enough, that we aren’t loved enough and through this project, I wanted to celebrate and love us.”
Your song “Bitter Bitch” took off after featuring in the movie Do Revenge. How did you feel when you heard it was going to be used? Were you a fan of the way it was used in the movie?
Helen: “When I first got the request to use ‘Bitter Bitch’ in a Netflix movie, I genuinely thought I was getting scammed [laughs]. There was a lot going on in my personal life and parts of me were starting to question how I would continue to make music so receiving an email with such an offer was a big blessing and a confirmation for me to keep doing what I do. Netflix had invited me to the premiere of the movie and I was just ecstatic to hear it while watching it there; definitely one of the top three best moments of my life.”
You write your music completely solo, and you style, direct and shoot your own visuals. It's incredible that your creativity extends to so many different fields. What's the reason behind your insularity when it comes to creating?
Helen: “A while ago I used to think ‘someday I’ll have someone to take these cool pictures of me’ or ‘someone will discover this music I’ve hidden away,’ but eventually I just had the realization that I can just do it myself instead of waiting for that moment or that person to come. Nothing will just come to me if I’m stuck in one place waiting for it so whatever I want I have to go after it myself. I’m just taking matters into my own hands and opening my own doors until eventually, I do find other creatives that I can work with. Plus I’m a bit of an introvert and I like to create my own little worlds.”
What is your creative process for generating the visuals to go alongside the music?
Helen: “The visual arts are something that’s super fascinating to me but I’m still working on getting better at it. It’s just super fun and just another way to express the various sides of myself. When I’m writing music, most of the time I’m also picturing what a music video or a photo shoot would like. Whatever energy the lyrics or the production give, I try to incorporate that into the visuals.”
photo courtesy of helen
How did you first realize you had an affinity for both music and visual arts? Have you always been an artist?
Helen: “Music has honestly been a part of me for as long as I can remember but visual arts were something I gradually came to love. I would just take pictures to take pictures but I came across videos and TikToks of people incorporating so much creativity into their photography and I wanted to try it out. Again, I still consider myself very much an amateur when it comes to it but it’s another thing that makes me feel really happy and at peace.”
Who are your biggest musical and visual inspirations? Whose influence can we find in your work?
Helen: “There are so many musical inspirations, big names range from Michael Jackson to Rihanna to Britney Spears and many more. I also listen to artists like Bree Runway, RAYE, and Doechii. My recent visual artist inspiration has been Kimberly, she does a lot of self-portraits where she creates her own set, styles, and more, she’s incredible.”
What music are you enjoying at the moment? Who are your favorite current artists?
Helen: “My current favorite artists are RAYE, Pinkpantress, and Doechii!”
What are your goals and expectations for the coming years? What would you like to achieve?
Helen: “For the next coming years, I want to create more, do shows, hopefully, have my music reach to more people, and just be happy.”