“I kinda hate you but, it doesn't matter, let me danceeeeee,” is what Slayyyter belted out as she closed out Tommy Hilfiger’s spring 2027 show in New York yesterday. Is it even New York Fashion Week without a surprise pop star performance on the runway?
The singer—who has had quite the year, thanks to her breakout album Wor$t Girl In America—hit the runway to perform her tracks “Unknown Loverz” and “Dance”—bringing a bit of dance floor energy to the tony Plaza Hotel lobby setting.
Post-show, Vogue followed Slayyyter backstage, where we zipped down through the hotel underbelly—through the service floors filled with laundry and trash—and up the service elevator to a private room, where we caught up with the singer on the heels of her hot NYFW cameo. “I was so nervous,” Slayyyter says in the elevator.
“I feel like I blacked out!” There was loads to discuss aside from her pop-up performance, after all: the star also so happened to have dropped a new song and video for “Crank 2” on the very same day.
Below, read on for Vogue’s 10-minute chat with Slayyyter, where she dished on touring, her fall fashion obsessions, and when her next album is going to stop. (Hint: “Soon-ish,” she teases.)
Vogue: So, how do you feel after your performance?
Slayyyter: It was so cool—I felt like I was in a movie or something.
Have you been to the Plaza Hotel here before? Quite the iconic setting.
I have, very briefly, with my mom as tourists. We went to that [underground] market thing.
Is it weird for you to come back to these spaces now as a splashy headliner?
It’s so crazy. It’s more of a pinch-me moment. It felt really cool to do, and I’m very honored that I got to perform in front of everybody and just be included in this.
Since this was your first fashion week performance, how was the crowd? How did it compare to, like, a Coachella crowd?
It’s interesting. Everyone’s seated and kind of just watching—you can’t really be like, “Everyone get up and sing!” And you don’t really banter. But it was really cool: I just tried to live in my own little world.
Was it hard to pick which songs to perform for the show? Picking 2 songs is like picking a child.
I feel like “Dance” has really taken off from my project, and it felt like a good runway show type of song. It has a good beat. And “Unknown Loverz” is just a really sweet song, and it has a line: “Wear his clothes, whisper in his ear.” I was like, oh, that’s a good little fashion show song.
Where have you been in the world before the show today?
Oh my gosh, I’ve been all over. I’ve been on tour: Last night I was in Oakland doing a show. I literally got off stage, got in a car, got on a plane, and came here. Before that, I’ve just been touring nonstop. It’s been amazing. I love being in tour mode. Everything’s been picking up and getting so busy. I don’t even know what day it is.
How do you feel about Tommy Hilfiger as a brand? Curious if you’ve worn it over the years.
I feel like it’s so in line with my own album and personal style. It’s very American cool kid. There are so many pop culture moments from when I was young that I remember with artists wearing Tommy Hilfiger—like Destiny's Child. I love the incorporation of artists with his brand, it felt like a good tie-in moment. The colors feel really in line with what I naturally love to wear.
How did you come up with your performance look?
I was so grateful: They took note of what I already wear on stage or in videos, and came up with this. I love shorts and a boot, and I love a button-up—whether it's a flannel or something a little more proper like this.
I love the shirt because it feels like a little vintage Americana pinup top. I also love the boots—they have a western shape to them.
I live my life in black leather boots.
Are there any things you’ve been obsessed with in terms of fall fashion?
I’ve been making so many costumes and things on tour, but for fall, I’m always on the search for the perfect pair of jeans. I’m really into baggier jeans right now.
I've been ordering a lot of denim from Blueydenim—this girl curates really great jeans and upcycled stuff. I really like things that feel Midwestern.
Like the fishing lures I repurposed for Lollapalooza. That’s kind of my whole album ethos—portraits of the Midwest—so I love vintage flannels.
I’m a big vintage lover: I feel like everything I buy is secondhand. So I’ll be hunting for vintage jackets and jeans.
Do you have a particular approach to thrifting? Some people have it down to an art.
Things that speak to me are always interesting fabrics or textiles, or things that have a beating to them. I love a twirly silk bias dress that flows.
I’m always buying vintage silk dresses. But lately, I’ve been really into true vintage—almost antique or 1930s pieces.
Or showgirl costumes, too: I’ve been making a lot of vintage French showgirl costume purchases. They’re often made of, like, hazardous materials, so I have to keep them on a shelf.
Something I love is how much you make your own looks. You’re a true DIY queen. How did you get so good?
I’ve always been a craft girl. I remember there were these shorts that went viral on Tumblr, and they were really expensive, and I couldn't afford them.
So I would just make them myself: I would get studs online, and I would find vintage jeans at Savers and cut them up, and make my own shorts. My mom is very like that, so I feel like I get that from her.
I’m actually not very skilled at making, but I’m trying to be better. I would love to properly learn how to sew.
I'm very much like, “Don't look too closely at this item.”
You surprise-dropped the “Crank 2” music video today. It’s such a fun video. Tell us about the creative direction for it.
It’s another snapshot of the Midwest. I grew up in St.
Louis, and since I was a kid, we had the St. Louis tornado sirens.
No one would actually go into the basement, but it’s something that I’ve always had a weird fascination with. I wanted to shoot with a real tornado, but obviously, I got a lot of ‘no’s on that—which, fair.
We shot the video the day before my St. Louis show in the desert.
It was 107 degrees, and I was wearing buttoned-up flannels and big jackets, and everyone was dying. But it was really fun.
Renee, the choreographer, worked with me the week prior and just absolutely nailed embodying the song with movement. I'm so in love with this visual.
It’s one of my favorites.
There are a lot of songs you could have followed up on, but why did “Crank” need a sequel? Crank it!
I’ve been working on finishing an inverse album [to Wor$t Girl in America], and this one felt like it needed a part two. We were laughing about it in the studio when we were making this song: We were like, “We should just call it Crank 2.” Now, there should be a part three or four. Like Sharknado—it just keeps going and going.
Can you tell us anything else about the forthcoming album?
It will feel like a deeper, more emotional pocket. There are a lot of moments on it that feel a lot softer.
Wor$t Girl in America is more grating, angry, and bitter—and with this [new one], I feel like there are more heartbroken moments. It’s about forgiveness and having life reckonings with yourself.
But a lot of the songs will carry little links to the album before. Sometimes it’s lyrically, sometimes it’s with a sound or production choices.
I just wanted to keep making new music. It’s about eight songs.
I’m excited to see what people will think.
Can you give us a rough release date?
Soon. . . ish!
As for the rest of the fall, what’s up next?
I’m looking forward to the rest of this tour. It’s been really cool to come to cities and see everybody connecting with the music so much. I‘m fully blown away by some people’s DIY creations of video props and costumes that I‘ve worn. They’re outdoing the ones I‘ve made—I‘m like, damn you guys! The fans are passionate. It’s also been sweet to see older dads at the shows.
How do you think you’ll celebrate the end of tour later this year?
I am a psycho, and I will probably try to make more visuals and keep doing stuff. Keep working. Honestly, I wish I had more time to do crafty bullshit. I’ll celebrate by sitting on my couch and rhinestoning something for two weeks.