And I find that most people feel quite relaxed around me. I've met a couple that, have been a bit hysterical — like, uncontrollable shaking and stuff like that. But I'm like, "C'mon. Stop it. It's just me. I'm not Britney. What're you doing?"
You've outsold Britney, though! I hate to break it to you.
Britney is the queen.
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This was a collaboration with the Swedish superproducer Max Martin. He worked with Taylor Swift, a lot of other big names. Tell us about the process that led to this song.
I was in New York, writing "Remedy" with Ryan Tedder. We were having lunch, and "[I Knew You Were] Trouble" came on the radio — Taylor's song that she did with Max and Shellback. I was like, "Who did this?" I knew it was Taylor, and I've always loved her, but this is a totally other side — like, "I want to know who like brought that out in her." And he said Max Martin. I was unaware that I knew who Max Martin was. I Googled him, and I was like, "He's literally written every massive soundtrack of my life."
So I got my management to reach out. They came to London, and I took my guitar along and was like, "I've got this riff," and then "Send My Love" happened really quickly. Max Martin, I just could hang out with him forever. He's so beautiful and lovely and funny and generous and warm and caring. He's a really amazing man.
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The last time we talked to you on this show, a few years ago, you talked about listening to Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald and the way those voices influenced you. This time, we're mentioning Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. Are you trying to sound like a wider range of things than the kind that inspired your previous album?
No, not at all. The music that truly moves my soul is Etta and Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan and stuff like that. But the music that has soundtracked my life since birth is pop. That's what happens at school: The stuff that is massive and all over the radio, that's the stuff you listen to with your friends, and how you make friendships early on. Like, my favorite band is The Spice Girls. I just remember seeing Geri Halliwell and being like, "F*** it, I'm going to do that. I want to be Ginger Spice." And I remember where I was when I first heard "Oops!...I Did It Again." The whole girl power movement really inspired me and made me feel really fearless.
So it goes deeper than just their little witty songs. Like, they really mean the world to me. I will never make a bubblegum pop record, but in terms of what I listen to for no other reason than just to listen to music, I listen to pop. And then when I want to access myself and feel my soul bubble and boil, there's the music that I'm truly inspired by and that has depth in my life. But the stuff that skims the surface is the soundtrack. It soundtracks our lives, whether we like it or not.