After moving from coast to coast, closing a long romantic chapter, and reclaiming her creative independence, the singer-songwriter LEW finds herself in a stage of deep transformation. Out of that emotional and artistic shake-up came her new project, âToo Sexy to Be Sad,â a manifesto of power, vulnerability, and authenticity. In her own words, she set out to leave behind labels and the molds of conventional pop to create a sound that feels freer, more honest, and daring.
âToo Sexy to Be Sadâ captures that philosophy and presents itself as a bold, danceable anthem, born from one of the darkest moments of her life. Co-written with Mike Robinson and Liv Miraldi, the track transforms depression and loneliness into a statement of self-love. With echoes of Lady Gaga, P!NK, and Katy Perry, LEW turns vulnerability into her greatest source of strength. The music video, directed by Whitney Otte, celebrates that collective, queer, and liberating energy through body, dance, and the beautiful chaos of authenticity.
We had the opportunity to sit down with LEW to talk about the process behind âToo Sexy to Be Sad,â her artistic evolution after leaving her record label, the importance of duality in her music, and more.
Your new single is called âToo Sexy to Be Sad.â How did that phrase come about, and what did it mean for you to turn it into a song?
Writing this song was one of my favorite creative experiences ever. I was lucky enough to be in the room with Mike Robinson and Liv Miraldi. I was going through a tougher time, and I vividly remember Liv coming in and saying, âI donât know what you guys think about this, but I wrote this down in my phone last nightâŠâ and it was the phrase Too Sexy To Be Sad. After such a long period of feeling stuck and not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, that title felt like such a fun and empowering way to express what I was going through. It also really inspired me to start adopting that mindsetâto make what felt like an impossible effort to pull myself out of the hole I was in. I had already written countless ballads, really digging into the depths of what I was feeling, but writing this one felt like alchemizing my pain into something confident and playful.
The track feels like a bold, confidence-filled anthem, but it also has very vulnerable roots. How did you manage to transform a period of depression into such an empowering message?
I grew up on anthems like âBorn This Wayâ by Lady Gaga, âSo Whatâ by P!NK, and âFireworkâ by Katy Perry. I can still picture my 12-year-old self coming home from school, blasting those songs on my lime green boombox, memorizing every lyric, and staring at the cover art. Those songs made me feel unstoppable. With Too Sexy To Be Sad, I wanted to experiment with what it would be like to write about depression in an anthemic way for the first time. Before, Iâd always written about it in a more somber, confessional wayâbut this time, it felt like true alchemy. Every time I press play, I get the same rush those songs gave me as a kid: pure power and confidence. In a lot of ways, writing Too Sexy To Be Sad felt like I was creating the kind of badass anthem my younger self wouldâve spun over and over again on that lime green boombox.
The video is striking, with smart lighting, sensual dancing, a warehouse, a boxing ring, and intense kisses. What did you want to convey visually with that concept?
I wanted the video to feel like an unapologetic, wild, and beautifully chaotic celebration of humanityâa space where individuality isnât just accepted, itâs amplified. My brilliant director, Whitney Otte, was a total genius throughout the whole process and brought all my visual world-building dreams to life. We had a lot of queer energy on set, and that was really special, because thereâs something incredibly powerful about people showing up as their full selves, without apology or restraint. Thatâs the spirit of the video: owning your story, your desires, your softness, and your strength all at once. What if being sad isnât a weakness? What if your vulnerability is actually your superpower? At my core, Iâve always been all about promoting power in vulnerabilityâthatâs how we level up human connection. This project was an extension of that idea. I wanted people to feel seen, desired, and unashamedâto dance, sweat, kiss, and express without fear. Itâs about dissolving boundaries and letting authenticity take over. The result is messy, electric, and humanâand thatâs exactly what I love about it.
What was it like working with your dance team to bring that mix of strength and sensuality to the choreography?
It was incredibly fun. Our choreographer, Sydney Sorensen, and all of our brilliant dancers were female, which gave the whole process this grounded yet fierce energy. It was really exciting to work with Sydney to capture that perfect balance between strength and sensualityâthat idea that softness doesnât take away from power; it is power. We wanted the movement to feel raw and instinctiveâlike a physical expression of release, confidence, and connection. It wasnât about perfection or prettiness; it was about emotion and freedom. The dancers brought such insane energy to the setâthey made the warehouse feel alive. What no one will know while watching is that the warehouse was truly 90-95 degrees that day. Everybody was such a trooper.
Youâve mentioned this project was born out of a major personal transformation: moving, ending a relationship, and leaving a record label. How do you feel those changes shaped your current artistic identity?
Itâs honestly wild to look back. I feel so grateful for the journey Iâve been on and for all the lessons itâs taught me along the way. I signed my first deal when I was 20, and at that point, I didnât have a real internal compass yet. I was still figuring out who I was and what I wanted, and there were a lot of voices in my ear telling me who they thought I should be. The beautiful thing about art is that it evolves as we do. Truthfully, Iâll always be finding myself. However, six years later, coming back to being independent feels like such a giftâitâs like I get to take everything Iâve learned and apply it in my own way. Iâve always said every artist should feel like the CEO of themselves. Iâve technically always been the CEO of me, but this is the first time Iâve felt like it. I just played my first show in Los Angeles as a fully independent artist, and the feeling I had onstage was incomparableâpure alignment. It feels like Iâm finally leading from my gut, both as a person and as an artist, and Iâm so excited for whatâs next.
In your notes, you talk about duality, glamorous and raw, masculine and feminine. How does that exploration show up in âToo Sexy to Be Sadâ and in your music overall?
Iâve always been really fascinated by the concept of duality. In an industry that emphasizes cohesiveness, I get excited about challenging thatâabout asking, what would it look like to build a brand around consistent inconsistency? In my everyday life, Iâm constantly shifting. On Monday, I might feel like the most confident girl alive, and on Tuesday, Iâm questioning my entire existence. One day, I want to dress hyper-feminine; the next, Iâm leaning fully masculine. Iâve never enjoyed being told to fit inside one box, and I think that tension between extremes is where a lot of my creativity lives. âToo Sexy To Be Sadâ really lives in that duality. It takes something heavy, like sadness, and flips it into empowerment. Itâs about alchemizing emotionâfinding the power within vulnerability instead of seeing it as weakness. I think that when we start owning the parts of ourselves weâre most afraid of, or the ones we try to hide, thatâs where the real magic happens.
Youâve said that in the past, you felt like you had to be âdigestibleâ for the industry. How freeing has it been to let go of that pressure and create from a more authentic place?
Itâs been beyond freeingâbut it definitely didnât happen overnight. Even after becoming fully independent, I had to unlearn a lot of false narratives Iâd internalized about what it meant to be âpalatable.â The art I grew up loving, and still love, was never digestible. It was raw, bold, and sometimes even uncomfortable. I think great art makes people shift in their seats a little. It challenges them. Thatâs the space I want my work to live inâa balance between something thought-provoking and deeply entertaining. There was a moment about a year ago that really crystallized this for me. I went to two events on back-to-back nights. At first, I wore jeans and a t-shirt. The second, I wore something straight out of my dream closetâwild boots, spiky sunglasses, and unnecessary amounts of jewelry. And I felt so much more confident in the out-of-the-box look. It hit me that Iâd spent so many years dressing to blend in, almost as emotional armor. In high school, blending in meant not getting picked on. But now, I realize that self-expression is my protection. Itâs been really healing for my inner child to wear whatever I want and see that the more âmeâ I am, the safer and stronger I feel.
The single was co-written with Mike Robinson and Liv Miraldi. What was that collaboration like, and what did each of them bring to the final result?
Dude, theyâre absolute geniuses. Mike Robinson is one of the most talented producers Iâve ever worked withâhe just brings the heat. His instincts are unreal, and he has this incredible ability to make a track feel both massive and emotionally grounded at the same time. Liv Miraldi is one of my favorite songwriters to be in a room with. She has this presence that makes you instantly feel safe enough to spill your deepest, darkest secretsâwhich, of course, always leads to the best songs. âToo Sexy To Be Sadâ truly wouldnât exist without them. Iâm so grateful for their trust, creativity, and for how much fun we had making something that feels so authentically me. We had the best timeâthe voice memos I have in my phone from that day have a lot of giggling in them.
Speaking of dreams, are there artists youâd love to collaborate with in this new chapter? Whoâs inspiring you right now?
Oofâsuch a hard question. I canât pick one, so Iâll name a few. There are a ton of artists inspiring me right now⊠Chappell Roan, Eli, Tate McRae, MUNA, ADĂLA, Sombr, and Holly Humberstone. My dream collaboration would be with Bruno Mars, Charli xcx, or Hayley Williams. Iâve also been writing a lot of K-pop on the side and am super fascinated by that whole world. I love when the pop and K-pop worlds collide.
Lastly, how do you envision the future of LEW? What goals and projects excite you the most after releasing âToo Sexy to Be Sadâ?
The limit does not exist! When I think about the future of LEW, everything that excites me the most is rooted in connection. Weâre living in such a disconnected time, and I really want to reinvent what it means to experience live music in 2025 and beyond. Iâm constantly asking myselfâhow can we create smaller, more intentional events where connection is king? How can we ditch the phones, bring people into the moment, and make shows feel more human again? I love the idea of pop-up concerts in unexpected places, where itâs less about spectacle and more about people truly connectingânot just with me onstage, but with each other. My brain has been cooking up a lot of ideas in that world, and Iâm really excited to explore them in the next chapter of LEW.
Photos /Â Guillermo Cardena
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