Chelsea Collins
Viral Hitmaker Puts Out Pop Gold With “Wake Up At Our Funeral”
By Kenneth Tse
In the hierarchy of female pop acts, California native Chelsea Collins is shaping up to be next in line to the throne. The 22-year-old continues to celebrate a year and a half that includes her hit song “Used To Be (L.O.V.E)” and collaborations with 24kGoldn and Swae Lee. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Kanye West and Britney Spears, Chelsea is known for blending modern production and lyricism with the perfect amount of 2000’s nostalgia.
Today, the artist unsurprisingly serves up another iconic anthem—Through signature vocals and a visualizer to match, “Wake Up At Our Funeral” walks listeners through stages of love, from the honeymoon phase to toxic heartbreak.
“Letting go of someone you love is insanely hard, especially when you know they’re horrible for you so you drag it out until it gets super, super bad,” she said. “At that point, it almost feels like you are just passing time until you shut down completely.”
Chelsea’s knack for music-making has earned her over 300k monthly listeners and 25 million Spotify streams. We spoke to her about the new single, making music with her brother, and more!
Hey Chelsea! First of all, congrats – “Wake Up At Our Funeral” is amazing. How are we feeling now that it’s out?
Thank you so much! I’m super excited to get this song out, I’ve actually had the title in my phone for a while but haven’t found the right song to use it for. So excited to release a part of my soul! Every song I release about my ex is one step closer to him responding, haha.
Can you walk us through the inspiration for the song?
I wanted to capture a song about the honeymoon phase being over and two lovers both realizing that their relationship was built on toxic passion instead of what a healthy relationship should be - a safe place that feels like forever. Letting go of someone you love is insanely hard, especially when you know they’re horrible for you so you drag it out until it gets super, super bad. At that point, it almost feels like you are just passing time until you shut down completely.
“Wake Up at Our Funeral” Cover Artwork / Click to Listen!
Was there anything different in terms of your music-making process this time around?
Yes, this song came from one of the Zoom sessions I did over quarantine. I usually make my artist music alone or with my brother, but during quarantine, I wanted to expand my creativity and work with some more people. Zoom definitely opens up doors as you can work with your favorite people whether they're on tour or pretty much anywhere in the world!
There’s such a 2010’s nostalgia vibe to the song. With that said, who are some of the artists that have shaped your sound?
My biggest idols are Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, Max Martin, Britney, and Dolly Parton. I feel like I definitely could hear the 2010 Teenage Dream album-type production version of this song, but I wanted to do something more lowkey that feels like you’re driving down PCH trying to be happy when really your heart is broken.
Do you feel like your music has changed at all since your debut? How so?
I don’t really feel like I have enough music out to decide. I think I was a little influenced to go more hip hop in the beginning. But right now, I’ve gone back to my roots and have been channeling what made me love music in the first place - sitting down with an instrument, writing a song campfire-style, visualizing what it should sound like in my head for like a month and then finally producing it. I’m trying to tap into more introspective lyrics that relate to my life instead of trying to chase what the industry calls “a hit.”
One thing that also stood out for us was the quality of your music videos! Which one would you say was the most fun to create and why?
I think my most fun music video was "07 britney." It was just me, my creative director, and videographer friend filming around LA - it was such an adrenaline high. It was super fun and it was at the start of quarantine, so all the places that were normally packed were dead empty - it truly looked like the apocalypse. I honestly like videos that are more low budget and pure. It's the best when I get to just wear stuff from my closet and do my own hair and makeup because it feels the most authentic and reflects who I am when I’m crafting these songs.
Which Chelsea Collins lyric best describes your life right now?
Definitely “If I’m gonna break down, Ima break down pretty.” Recently I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and lowkey having a ton of mental breakdowns, but they all are very needed in the sense that they are helping me grow and realize who I am again. I think that your lowest points only catapult you to where you want to be, and also make you realize and love who you truly are. So with that, I’m grateful for every time I break down. I get excited because it makes me feel like something amazing is around the corner.
You make most of your songs with your brother! What’s that process like?
It’s pretty unorthodox, we never rush a song. Sometimes we’ll just write a hook and come back to finish and edit it later. They always are written on an instrument though. Sometimes we will make a full song and production in one day, it really just depends. I definitely think quarantine made us go into a writer's block, but it allowed us to explore more sounds, concepts and dig deeper, so now we are getting back into the swing of making music the way we used to. I’m so excited! He’s so talented, one of my biggest inspirations and my favorite person alive.
What would you say has been the most surreal moment on this journey so far?
The most surreal moment for me every time is realizing that my pain that I turn into music is what helps other people heal. It's surreal to hear my fans say that I’ve changed their lives and helped them through so much. I can’t believe it because all I ever wanted while making music was to create a safe place for people to turn to whenever they felt like the world didn’t understand them. I’m so grateful for my fans. They are the kindest, sweetest people ever and they inspire me in so many ways. They have helped me overcome so many of my insecurities.
When’s the best occasion to listen to a Chelsea Collins song?
Honestly, when you are having a manic breakdown lol. That's usually when I make my music, haha.
You’ve collaborated with a bunch of amazing artists already, most recently Swae Lee! What was it like working with him?
He is so incredible! So talented, grateful, fun, kind - he deserves all the success he has. He truly has a good soul and a great heart. He lights up the room around him. It was so inspiring working with Swae, and I learned so much watching his recording process as well. It’s so awesome seeing someone like him in the position he is in.
What are some things you enjoy doing outside of the studio?
If I’m being transparent…. Almost nothing but playing with animals lol. When I can’t come up with anything good, I usually just try to distract my writer's block by playing with my cat. But when she ignores me I like to play trivia games with my brother, or film content revolved around the songs I have coming out. My life is truly dedicated to music. It might seem unhealthy, but if something makes you happy I believe in focusing on that because happiness is a beautiful rare gift!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
STOP OVERTHINKING! If I could get one thing tattooed on my wrist it would definitely be that. Sometimes I overthink to a point where I ruin my life in my head and it’s honestly just straight up delusional thinking lmao.
Who do you owe your biggest thanks to?
I owe my biggest thanks to my piano teacher Lora for helping me love and appreciate the gift of music, and my label president LA Reid for always believing me and pushing me to break the boundaries I set in my head. LA has been such a good friend and I look up to him so much. He is the one person in the industry that truly helps me grow and see the good in me even when I hate myself and want to give up.
Lastly, what can fans expect from you for the rest of 2021?
My first EP! Yay! And so much more music! I’m actually super excited because I’m going away for three weeks to write for my artist project. I want to try and really dig into the person I am after all the chaos of life and quarantine. The world has changed soooo much and I want to capture the experiences and emotions that come with living in this modern world, being in your early 20’s and doing your best to navigate it.
“Wake Up At Our Funeral” Visualizer/ Click to Watch!