ITS JUST MY OPINION

As she launches her third album era, Girli is embracing unvarnished authenticity with a clear sense of purpose. Earlier this year, she started writing songs with a specific goal - namely, to make an album in nine months - and documented the entire process for her fans. That was very intentional because I wanted to strip away the faux mystery of the album rollout, she says. Every step of the way, Ive been very heart-on-my-sleeve. Like, Guys, this is what Im doing, and its building towards an album.Shes also going back to basics by refusing to censor herself. When I started making music, I had this huge political spark that got slightly dimmed when people began telling me how to be more commercially viable, she says. But everythings changed now - fans really get behind artists who actually stand for something. Going forward, Girli intends to be even more outspoken about issues she really believes in: feminism, queer rights, trans rights, immigrant rights, the terrifying rise of the far right. The artist who sang when we touch, we touch to fuck the patriarchy on her brilliant second album, Matriarchy, is ready to grab the mike in all senses.Her upcoming third album, its just my opinion, is a box-fresh and sonically cohesive affair that reconnects Girli with her musical roots. As a teenager growing up in North London, she absorbed the frenetic energy and spiky hooks of the indie sleaze era, so shes channelled its chaotic spontaneity into music that pulses with the thrum a sweaty gig venue. Its classic Girli alt-pop that harks back to her teenage nights out in Camden and Shoreditch, but with a razor-sharp 2026 edge. She describes the anthemic first single Better Undressed, which she wrote Australian indie musician G-Flip and their producer Aidan Hogg, as a fun but sad song about wanting to hook up again after a breakup.The musician born Milly Toomey, who made a splash with her brilliantly brash debut single So You Think You Can Fuck With Me Do Ya?, has always written songs with a unique viewpoint. The Answer, an explosive midtempo from her upcoming album, is a touching coming-of-age song about Girlis first teenage crush, and how it unlocked her burgeoning queerness. Nothing ever happened between us, but it was the first time I realised I could feel that way about a girl, she recalls. If I look back at 12-year-old me, who was trying to figure out her sexuality while being quite badly bullied, shed be so stoked about where I am now: writing these out and proud songs.Throughout her career, shes cultivated a devoted fanbase by singing candidly about tough subjects: unachievable beauty ideals on 2021s Dysmorphia, mental health on 2022s I Really F*ked It Up, her own insecurities on 2023s Imposter Syndrome. Self-expression has always been the cornerstone of her identity. At the start of the pandemic, Girli was dropped by her record label and had no manager, but she refused to let her career slip away. I realised I have so much more to say, and I really took things back to basics by focusing on what I love: writing and performing songs that my fans can connect to, she adds defiantly. Shes also learned to shut out the sexist noise that surrounds any young female artist. There used to be this idea that you had to be mega-famous by the time youre 25, but I think thats changing, Girli says. I take so much inspiration from artists like Self Esteem, Charli XCX and SZA, who are having incredible success in their thirties. Shes adapted to changes in the industry - like most artists, Ive had to become a businesswoman and a content creator, she says - without losing sight of her primary goal. My purpose as an artist is the same as its always been, girl says. I want to make people feel seen and less alone by being really vulnerable in my art. And given everything thats going on in the world right now, I think that kind of radical honesty is more important than ever.