We’re totally amped up about the gender- fluid pop star
Gender- fluid pop star Dorian Electra is ready to cut a tache through life and the music industry
Moustaches may have made a comeback, but they’re still a tricky look to pull off. For every hipster channelling Errol Flynn with their sword- like swishes, or hot daddy sprouting sexy Tom Selleck- esque sluggers just screaming to be tugged, there is a poor unfortunate soul shuffling along with what would appear to be a hairy caterpillar squatting above his top lip.
However, some of the world’s greatest queer icons — from Freddie Mercury and Prince to fabulously filthy filmmaker John Waters — have tackled the tache and won.
Gender- fluid singer Dorian Electra, therefore, is in exceptional company then with their artfully drawn- on ‘ taches.
“I love the moustache because I do a full face of super femme, over- the- top make- up, big drawn- on lips, rosy cheeks and so on, and still feel grounded by these two little lines above my lip that say, ‘ MALE. MAN. MASCULINE’, in a very clearly communicable but cartoonish way,” they explain. “I love the juxtaposition of extremes. That’s definitely one of the guiding principles in my art.”
Hailed as the Liberace of fantasy pop music, the 27- year- old American has collaborated and toured with Charli XCX, smashed a bottle of champers over their head for Paris Hilton – read on, all will become clear – and just released a deluxe version of their debut album, Flamboyant, the sonic equivalent of taking a stick of dynamite to traditional notions of gender, sexuality and religion.
The songs are also catchy as hell so if you’re not already amped up about Dorian Electra, well, you should be...
Who was your biggest music hero growing up?
A very unpopular answer: Bono. Obviously, he has issues and there are many valid criticisms of him, but as a kid I thought it was really cool that somebody could use their rock- star status to at least try to do good in the world, and support and raise awareness of important political issues. I know he’s considered lame and people hate him.
What themes do you like to dive into in your music?
Right now, I’m really interested in exploring masculinity and how our rapidly changing ideas of gender relate to our culture and the world at large — politically, economically and more. I have also always been fascinated by sex and sexuality. That’s something that has long been a staple of pop music, but I just like to explore it in a slightly more academic way.
What is the strangest inspiration you have ever had for a song?
If I’m trying to be objective, I guess it’s pretty “strange” that, on Emasculate, I wrote about a man ( me) begging to be castrated…
You identify as gender fluid. Can you put your finger on why that term strikes a chord with you?
I liked it because it seemed to imply a certain “chillness” about gender that really resonated with me. I see gender more like a mood or a flavour than the core of my identity, and I feel very “fluid” about it.
Have you always challenged the “norm”, for want of a better word?
I was a super- happy kid and was lucky to have amazing parents and go to a supportive school, but I also felt I didn’t always fully fit in — not that it was a bad thing. I knew from a young age that I didn’t like traditionally “girl” or traditionally “boy” things; I just felt more like a “kid.” As a teenager, I grew to embrace and appreciate certain aspects of “femininity” more but was always dressing up as crazy characters ( a lot of them male) and doing musical theatre and making outrageous videos for school projects for shock value and trying to entertain. I felt a sense of pride in being “different” which I definitely got from my parents, who were both the “black sheep” of their families and always proud to be weird.
You turn the tables on traditional notions of masculinity and gender stereotypes. What does the word “gender” mean to you?
I see gender as something that can be a part of a person’s identity, but it doesn’t necessarily define their whole being. Same with sexuality or sexual orientation. The meaning of the word itself is also changing and will continue to [ do so] as we find new ways to talk about and understand things.
“MY PARENTS WERE PROUD TO BE WEIRD AND
THE BLACK SHEEP OF THEIR FAMILIES”
Your debut album is called
Flamboyant. Why was that a fitting title for the collection of songs?
I wanted to pick a word that was positive and uplifting but also cheeky and a humorous F- you to those who might say, “Wow this is really uncool.” It’s also a word that, historically, has been used in a derogatory way against queer people, so it felt special to reclaim it.
Adam & Steve
The song takes aim at homophobic religious rhetoric. What kind of response have you had to the track online?
Surprisingly, I haven’t received as much criticism as I expected. It’s been amazing to see how people have received the track and related to it. I am so gratef ul for that.
You worked on a music video for Paris Hilton. Take us back to that day…
My friend Charlotte Rutherford was directing the music video and asked: “Do you wanna come be in the video and smash a bottle of champagne over your head?” And I was like, “Ummm, yes!” I love Paris Hilton, but, unfortunately, I had to leave the set before she arrived. Next time, though.
What jobs did you have before venturing into music? We’ve heard you once worked as a stripper…
I primarily worked as a freelance video director/ producer then I worked at a strip club in Chicago. It was amazing. I learned so much about other people, the culture surrounding sex, and also about myself. Many of the people who went in were just looking to connect with, and talk to, somebody. It made me a lot more comfortable with my body and sexuality, which has had a positive impact on my performance and helped with my self- image.
What advice do you have for queer artists trying to break through?
It’s impossible to say “come up with something 100 per cent original” but in terms of trying to make something unique, it helps to try to combine two or more vastly different things that you love, in an unexpected way.
What is the most memorable encounter you’ve had with a fan?
Some of my fans formed a group called the Church of Electra ( they call themselves Electralytes) and they started a campaign to sell these pins that one of the club founders designed and make money for the LGBT Center in LA. It was amazing and they’ve raised more than $ 2,000 (£ 1,500). I try to talk to my fans a lot and I love it when we’re able to have a relationship that feels more like being a part of a community where we inspire and support each other, rather than just a one- sided fan- artist transaction.
The Flamboyant Tour: Chapter II arrives in London on 24 April Dorian Electra will also play The Great Escape, Brighton, 13- 16 May