Up-and-coming pop star Xavier Gowie has just released his third single, Violin, and it’s the 18-year-old’s way of telling the world that he will not be walked all over.
Before this, the rising star had released two other tracks, Wannabe, and Hope U Had Fun, with clear influences from the likes of Ariana Grande, Tate McRae, and Little Mix. And like Violin, these tracks also had poignant messages about sex, sexuality, and relationships—visceral topics that Gowie finds it easy to write about.
“Writing for me is very much an outlet,” Gowie tells Not Safe For Queers. “I struggle to sit down and write something just because I want to write a song. But, for example, with Violin, the day that I wrote the song was the day that sh*t went down, and so my feelings were fresh. When I grabbed my book to write, I wrote it in a day.”
But when it comes to production, that’s where Gowie can spend weeks building upon the final product. “[My producer and I], we go back and forth quite a lot. Like, Violin itself has eight different versions until we found the one that I was satisfied with—because in my mind, I know how I want it to sound, but I need someone else to help me bring that vision to life.”
Throughout the entire process, he’s also mindful of the need to balance himself and his feelings with the need to make his music resonate with his audience. “I write songs from my own experiences and my own point-of-view, but I also write it in a way that can translate to other people’s lives. I make sure other people can resonate with it,” he says.
“So for me, it’s very feelings-based, and very honest.”
That same message of authenticity radiates through his artistic persona, too. As someone who grew up facing bullying for gravitating towards feminine things, Gowie now uses those experiences to empower others like him.
With long brown hair, a mug painted for the gods, and a rich, deep voice, Gowie’s confident experiments with his masculine and feminine sides—sometimes in ways that surprise listeners.
“The way that I’ve chosen to present myself in conjunction with my voice is definitely not an issue. If anything, it’s almost like another form of relatability, you know, for people who are similar to me,” he says.
“But I would say that there’s definitely at least shock value there. Like, you see the cover art, for example, and then you play the song, and it’s so not what you’re expecting to hear.”
Violin is available now on all streaming platforms.