Bella Thorne is draped over a couch at the DuJour offices. She’s all legs and decked out in what can only be described as a sartorial tribute to electronic dance music. I catch myself several times ogling her quirky fishnet stockings embellished with sequins and glitter. I’m slightly jealous of her barely-there ensemble, given the 90-degree New York City weather outside, but I’m also not the one breaking into the EDM music scene.
The Famous in Love star recently teamed up with Prince Fox (a.k.a. Sam Lassner) on the dance-pop banger “Just Call.” The song, released on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak records, flirts with an electronic vibe while still delivering the catchiness of a pop song.
“I like EDM that you can sing along to and dance to,” Thorne says. “I thought it was a good look for me to come out with this as my first song since I haven’t had a song in like, four years. I’m easing people into the other music I’ll be doing.”
Bella Thorne and Prince Fox
Photo credit: Neil Favila
“I had taken a bit of a hiatus from music as well so it was cool that this track would be our rebirth and return to music together. Plus, I thought Bella had such a cool voice and attitude for the song,” says Lassner, a DJ and producer whose past collaborations include Hailee Steinfeld and Hey Violet. Lassner credits Thorne with giving him the confidence to sing on the track as opposed to stay behind-the-scenes. “Moving forward, it’s going to be really important for me to find someone who complements my voice. That’s thanks to Bella for giving me a boost of confidence,” he says.
Thorne brushes off the compliment by assuring Lassner that he has “the voice of an angel.” But, she insists, the song offers some dark vibes as well, which is right up her alley musically. “Listen, I’m not singing for money reasons or career reasons,” she says, leaning forward with a little more passion than her usual blasé tone allows for. “When I write, I’m usually not writing about love or some other shit. I write about darker shit that’s happened to me,” she admits. “Hopefully when people listen to my music they can feel the emotion and the pain that I’ve put into it.” She surprises me not with her candor but with her ability to go from a seemingly carefree soul in a rave-ready crop top, burgundy lipstick and a tiny tiara to an emotionally present artist.
“The song could be about an ex-lover, a girlfriend, a friend, anyone. It’s a catch-all for wanting someone’s attention.” Lassner adds. “Music is super interpretive,” Thorne concludes. “It can be different to everyone.”
Listeners can expect new music coming from Thorne in the next few weeks and Lassner to follow in the coming months.
Main image credit: Neil Favila
