Gia Woods.Photo: Julian Buchan
Gia Woodsis capping off Pride Month with a brand new “lesbian anthem.”
On her Eurodisco-inspired new single “Lesbionic,” which premieres today exclusively on PEOPLE, the rising singer-songwriter is getting over a breakup and heading straight for the dance floor.
An unabashedly pointed ode to queer sex, “Lesbionic” sees Woods at her most confident and marks a far cry from her Los Angeles upbringing in a strict Persian household where her parents have long avoided embracing her sexual identity as a gay woman.
Woods, 26, boldly came out to her family and friends in 2015 through the lyrics of her ultra-catchy debut single “Only a Girl.” Alongside hitmaking collaborators like Jesse Saint John (Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts”) and Zaire Koalo (Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry”), she’s since crafted dance-pop bangers with an unapologetically queer lens — and larger-than-life career dreams.
“I want to be the female version ofLil Nas X,” Woods tells PEOPLE. “I want girls to know that there’s a feminine lesbian just like them.”
Eight months since the release of herHeartbreak County, Vol. 1EP, titled after Woods' now-signature nickname for LA, “Lesbionic” follows her bombastic breakup song “Hello” as the latest single from its forthcoming follow-up,Heartbreak County, Vol. 2.Where the first installment explored relationships and fame through an LA point of view, its sequel will delve even deeper into “the gritty side” of love in Hollywood.
In an interview about “Lesbionic,” Woods opened up about getting over a recent breakup, striving to create anthems queer listeners can relate to, and what fans can expect fromHeartbreak County, Vol. 2.
Gia Woods.Julian Buchan
PEOPLE: Tell me about your new single “Lesbionic” and the inspiration behind it.
Gia Woods:“Lesbionic” is a lesbian anthem about celebrating and empowering women all over the world. There’s a lot of songs where men are obsessing over women or thirsting over girls, and I feel like you don’t hear enough songs from women lusting over other women. In my mind, this song is very much so a hot lesbian sexual fantasy.
Did you look to any classic queer anthems during its creation?
You came out to your family and friends publicly via your “Only A Girl” single and music video in 2015. How has your approach to writing about sexuality developed from then until “Lesbionic”?
A lot. I’ve always been going through my self-discovery with my music. Every song I’ve put out has been my journey as an openly gay woman. I definitely feel like coming out was so crazy through [“Only a Girl”]. I still look back at that time, and I’m like, “How the f— did I have the confidence to do that?” I was so young, and I was just like, “F— it.” Since then, I feel like I’ve definitely grown more confident with my sexuality than ever.
You come from a pretty traditional family, and your parents have not always embraced the sexier side of your artistry. How do you think they’ll react to a song like “Lesbionic”?
My mom’s probably not even going to understand the lyrics unless someone else brings it up to her. At this point, my mom’s probably going to react like, “All right, bitch. I get it. You’re a f—ing lesbian.” She’s slowly starting to accept it. We’ve had some awkward conversations where she’ll be like, “Why aren’t you in a relationship right now? Where’s the boys?” And I’m like, “Mom, come on. You already know, I’m gay.” She’ll kind of just ignore it, but in recent conversations she’s been a little bit warmer than usual. I always say, when I get married to a girl, that’s when it’s going to really hit her, and she’ll just have to live with it.
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If your teenage, closeted self could see you now and hear “Lesbionic,” how do you think she would feel?
She would be so f—ing happy to know that she’s not f—ing alone. I thought there was something wrong with me when I was growing up. I literally was like, “Why am I having crushes on all my best friends? Why do I have crushes on my P.E. coaches that are women and hot?” I literally had so many weird sexual fantasies as a little girl, and I thought there was something wrong with me because no one ever talked about it. If I heard a song like this, I probably would’ve gotten into that confident phase way sooner.
What do you hope to represent for your queer listeners?
What can your fans expect from your forthcoming EP,Heartbreak County, Vol. 2?
It’s experiencing heartbreak in Heartbreak County, and it’s not necessarily the emotional side. It’s the messy slutty party phase you go through when you’re sad. That’s definitely the phase I’m going through. “Hello” is for sure the breakup song, “Lesbionic” is the slutty phase, and then there’s a rebound song and a song where you’re re-owning your confidence. A lot of the songs are the gritty side of Hollywood — without the glamour.
source: people.com
